Live Show with Backing Track instead of Band

[JonnyAngle]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEBW0nyev64[/youtube]



I’m contemplating pursuing a gig for my surf stuff but I don’t want to mess around trying to get a band together. I also use a few different tunings, which will be a nightmare for the bass player.

I’m considering playing with drums and bass guitar as a backing track.

Lit or shit?

I’m asking now before I put a lot of work into perfecting the backing tracks

[cantremember]

I think that's pretty cool! Planning for burial is a one man band that does the back track thing and he is pretty good. I say do it!

[dub]

There's a guy down here in NZ who runs a lo-fi scuzzy tape label and I remember seeing him years ago playing surf stuff to backing tracks wearing masks made from magnetic tape. It did evolve into a full band at times.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xhTHHQFFCs[/youtube]

[JonnyAngle]

There's a guy down here in NZ who runs a lo-fi scuzzy tape label and I remember seeing him years ago playing surf stuff to backing tracks wearing masks made from magnetic tape. It did evolve into a full band at times.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xhTHHQFFCs[/youtube]

Jesus that’s like exactly me except not so bondage-y

[rickenbastard]

I love Buckethead and that's what he does live. It's great. You just gotta make sure you engage the crowd well and have really good/active stage presence so people don't get bored

[$harkToootth]

Two alternative options... both involve finding 1 other player.
1.A. Get a drummer... and do the whoismarykelly thing and be your own bass player and guitar player at the same time.
1.B. Get a drummer and ditch the bass
2. Find another dude like you for the bass (perhaps they can use an extended range to circumnavigate the tuning issue) and do the drums on backing tracks.

I've been to plenty of awesome shows where one or all the instruments were on a backing tracks as what @rickenbastard said... just be engaging.

I'll look for a link to a show I went to that had a shoegaze/surfish band with guitar/bass/vocals/drum machine.
EDIT: https://vimeo.com/135752453
1:56:58 for the band.
@Drolo - If you see this 1:30:00 in change for Joe Pera (this was the show where I hurt my ribs laughing).

[JonnyAngle]

Two alternative options... both involve finding 1 other player.
1.A. Get a drummer... and do the whoismarykelly thing and be your own bass player and guitar player at the same time.
1.B. Get a drummer and ditch the bass
2. Find another dude like you for the bass (perhaps they can use an extended range to circumnavigate the tuning issue) and do the drums on backing tracks.

I've been to plenty of awesome shows where one or all the instruments were on a backing tracks as what @rickenbastard said... just be engaging.

I'll look for a link to a show I went to that had a shoegaze/surfish band with guitar/bass/vocals/drum machine.
EDIT: https://vimeo.com/135752453
1:56:58 for the band.
@Drolo - If you see this 1:30:00 in change for Joe Pera (this was the show where I hurt my ribs laughing).

It looks like the guitar player started the drums with his foot

I have / will have my backing tracks in wav file. Any suggestions other than turning around and fumbling with a laptop?

[$harkToootth]

Can you program your Axo to trigger tracks?

[$harkToootth]

OMG... forget all the dark-wave acts that do this too... here is just one example. Point being... if you have backing tracks, it's not lame.
2012 - Dark Wave Nostalgia-core.

NSFW: show

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IKQBP3BpbA[/youtube]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IKQBP3BpbA
EDIT: 1 more. Sorry Jack. You made me realize how much I love dark-wave revival shit. Backing drums / two members. (Yes, I posted this song in the video nerd thread too. )

NSFW: show

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoP6AGo5id8[/youtube]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoP6AGo5id8
EDIT 2: JOHN MAUS is one of my all time favorites... look at him go in this early gig. Just singing over studio versions of his trax... look how fucking happy the crowd is! I would be one of those people!

NSFW: show

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr_opZkMB7o[/youtube]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr_opZkMB7o

[JonnyAngle]

Can you program your Axo to trigger tracks?

Not 8-10 tracks that are 2-3 minutes long with good fidelity.

Also i don’t have an axo anymore.

[Dowi]

It looks like the guitar player started the drums with his foot

I have / will have my backing tracks in wav file. Any suggestions other than turning around and fumbling with a laptop?

In Italy there's a one man band (occasionally joined by a drummer) that does a pretty solid grind/prog/??? live shows, it's called Bologna Violenta. His stage presence is decent and the visuals help A LOT. maybe you can consider those.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0lUpNc3o00[/youtube]

Or,as Shark suggested you can go the two piece + pre recorded/sampled drums way, like Godflesh or Melt Banana. They are both extremely satisfying to watch live and you don't miss the drummer being there.

As far as backing tracks, I can say that in my two-piece band I use those a lot, I load the wav files in the Boss Rc-30 and send those to a different amp, but you could consider to do it and send them directly in the mixer/PA.
A small loop station with memory could do the job, if the wav files cover the track entirely, you just have to switch bank when the track ends.

[coldbrightsunlight]

Like other people said it can be done well but you need a really good stage presence and engagement with the audience. Personally I'd rather see a band (but completely understand why people do it) but I have seen backing track gigs that impressed me enough I was ok with it.

[K2000]

As a bass player, I don't care at all what you tune your guitar to. Why does that matter?

Your clip is cool!

I saw GG Allin do this, and he was terrible (for a multitude of reasons though, not just the backing tape). Big Black could have easily been a solo act. Thrones do it very well. Less bandmates = less logistical problems.

[coldbrightsunlight]

As a bass player, I don't care at all what you tune your guitar to. Why does that matter?

Oh yeah also this. Not a factor.

[D.o.S.]

When Mike Vest is playing as Lush Worker this is also what he does, and it's great.

This was a rad thing to watch live:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp-FcXp63ys[/youtube]
https://visualvolume-mikevest.bandcamp. ... ing-v-2018