I live in an area where there are hundreds of festivals every summer. I try to catch as many musicians as I could playing at these events. And I do....even if only for a few minutes. Most of them are terrible and getting worse every summer.

But I saw a really well-known and popular group the other night. Tight, well-rehearsed, good musicians and all of them multi-instrumentalists.

Then I started thinking.......they are too good. It started with their Bohemian Rhapsody. Right on the money, but that was the problem. Not a single note out of place. And......they sounded just like Queen does in the recording....vocoder processed, but I never saw anyone set the thing up or hit buttons (I was in the front row).

Then they did a "surfing" medley. It included Walk, Don't Run, and Miami Vice, and a few others. At one point the lead guitar, the bass player, the rhythm guitar, and the saxophone player lined up as a quartet in the front of the stage. I looked hard. I couldn't see anyone playing the lead melody notes. And it was a "huge" sound. Too huge for it to be coming from only four players!

I could be wrong (and I hope I am), but is it possible that more of the presentation than I thought was pre-recorded while the instrumentalists were just going through the motions. After all, the sound-man processed the voices on Bohemian. Was he also filling in parts of the stage show with "stage trickery?"

It's terrible when you're a dis-believer! Show me the money!!!! Then I'll start believing in the tooth fairy again!

Mark

Hey, it's possible today.

My wife and I were on a cruise a while back, and this duo was performing. The guy was on a conga drum and this hot looking chick was playing keyboard, or so I thought. The guy was a pretty decent singer, but the girl's hand action didn't match up to the music. I went out on the deck and around behind her. Yep, she wasn't playing at all, just faking it.

The real pity is that, I bet, nobody knew the difference. I can see using sequenced material, but hey, do something musical on your own.

That's almost like people knowing one guy cant be playing all those instruments when using an auto arranger style play? people aren't stupid....but if it sounds good so be it..

Mark, are you trying to tell us that the Tooth Fairy is a fantasy? OMG!

Bernie, I once knew a lot of ladies that faked it - that was a long time ago, though.;)

Gary

A well-known OMB was playing in the nursing where my wife worked. His set-up was beautiful.—There was a sax on a stand on one side and a guitar on the other. Two speakers on polls with the keyboard in the center.

Because I had head so much about him my wife and I went to see him play in the top floor Penthouse. The 360 view was fantastic. Overlooking the intercostal and just beyond was Palm Beach.

When he played the sax I had my doubts. But when he started to play the guitar; my instrument, I knew it was not him playing. He even had the guitar plugged in the amp.
Although I would like to call him a phony he had more bookings than I did. On the positive side he was up-to-date with the songs he played – and when he played the Line Dances, he was out on the floor dancing and inviting people to get up.

Instead of calling him a phony, I’d rather call him smart. Could I have done that? No, no way, never, I love my music too much.

John C.

PS, Gary behave!

I guess I am a dinosaur because I value self respect over ill gotten money any day. However, to be fair, I can keep the former because I don't need the latter. I suppose that at the end of the day, entertainment is the operative word.

Mark ... I had a similar situation watching a group in a casino ... I asked my wife to point out who was singing/playing a certain part and when she said she couldn't, I said "EXACTLY" !!! ...
They also did Bohemian Rhapsody and the other songs you mentioned ... this didn't happen to be a group out of the Bronx, NY, with the lead singer being the father of two of the other band members, did it ? ...

Tony you mean the BRONX Wanderers?...

What FUN! Cool family band, well rehearsed (programmed?).


I get to play with my son (bass) and grandson (drums) every week.

They make allowance for the "old man"!


Russ