There have been several posts recently that contain statements like "thank god for my laptop" or "I was able to finish the gig with my Iphone" or something similar when confronted with an equipment emergency during a gig. Pardon me for being 'old school' or maybe just 'OLD' period, but what the heck kind of gig can you successfully complete with an iphone or a laptop? Does that mean that years of lessons and practice, hours and hours of synth and/or arranger programming, thousands of dollars worth of keyboard equipment, gallons of sweat spent hauling everything from B3's and Leslies to G70's up and down stairways can all be replaced in an instant with an iphone or a laptop? If that's true, then I have totally lost my understanding of what a GIG IS....or at least what it WAS when I was gigging. Also, if that's true, why bother with all the gear in the first place? Is the 'look' or the PERCEPTION of playing important enough to justify a $5000.00 Genos when a $300.00 laptop will do the job?

Now I'm not putting down the quick-turnaround OMB nursing home gig, but in my mind, that's probably the only type of gig where that would be a suitable 'back-up'....the reason being, the short duration (1 hour) and an audience that is least likely to complain. In any other venue, C&W bar, Rock joint, and especially a Jazz club, you might find yourself about 4 ft. in the air as you went sailing through the exit door (followed closely by your iPhone ).

Now, modern keyboards rarely 'die' on the gig, but if they do...here's what I think: If, and I say IF, you can play, a cheap 5-10 yr. old MOTL backup is a much more suitable solution than a poor man's karaoke act with your Iphone (I just can't imagine anything looking more unprofessional....except maybe in the NH). Of course this raises another question; is an arranger keyboard (when used in a OMB gig) anything more than an expensive prop? But of course that's a topic for another post (one which I, for one, don't have the courage to start ).

Just food for thought, folks. Would be interested in hearing yours.

chas

Chas, the sad news is that the customers really don't care what is generating the music. Many assume the arranger is already doing everything automatically.
One time, several years ago, I arrived at a nursing home in another town and found I'd forgotten the keyboard. I did the show singing with midi files from my computer and they never knew the difference. BTW I almost never use "backing tracks" whether MP3 or midi, but that's because I love to actually play.
It's rather sad, but the vast majority of one-man acts around here use midi or karaoke tracks from their pads or phones and play guitar and sing with them.

Great post Don... So true also.

Depends on the type of gig.
A jazz gig i where people come to hear musicians play instruments at a high level. Or a concert or even a bar gig where people came to see/hear a band play. Or the prevalent acoustic guitar player singesr all aroudn here on the bar decks. They see him strum 4 chords and sing so something they can see is happening.
A party or casual get together or even a dance club? No one cares how the music comes out as long as it sounds good and they can dance to it. It can be a DJ or now a DJ who sings. Same thing, no one cares. They focus on the vocals. I've seen it numerous times.
I'll relate just one example. A good friend back in NJ used to do a keyboard / vocal / DJ thing. He stopped bringing the keyboard and now stands up and just sings to backing tracks. Uses two Ipods. He's still doing the same parties and restaurants he did before for the same money. Go figure.

I agree with Don - the audience, for the most part, does not care, but if and only if, you have great vocals. The audience came to hear you sing and play, and if you don't play, but instead, use MP3 backing tracks or a midi/karaoke file, and sing, they're usually pretty happy. So, if the keyboard were to crash and burn, you could still finish the night and get away with it.

Now, if you are not a great singer, but a fantastic B3 player in a jazz club, yep, if the B3 crashes and burns the show IS OVER! No doubt about it. When I played the Baltimore Bars and Nite Clubs I relied heavily on my vocal ability. My vocals are what landed me those jobs, not my playing skills. Sure, I can play, but just enough that I have some great accompaniment for my vocals. Most of these jobs, nite clubs, restaurants and bars, were 3 to 4-hour jobs with 10 minute breaks every hour - not 1-hour nursing home performances. Though all eyes were usually on me some of the time, in all those years in the nite club circuit, no one ever came up to me and said anything about my playing ability, but I often got wonderful comments about my vocals and song selection. I guess my point is, the audiences really didn't pay much attention to your playing skills, but instead, concentrated on the songs you selected and your ability to sing them.

Good topic, Chas,

Gary

AHA! Keywords here..."PLAY guitar". That automatically means that there's a musician in there somewhere. But in any case, your opinion doesn't count; Why? Because you're an actual PROFESSIONAL who is several cuts (actually many cuts) above your average OMB NH warrior or weekend warrior. Clearly none of these people could maintain the kind of super long-term gig that you've managed to maintain all these years. Jeez, you're like Bobby Short at the Café Carlyle in New York City . He went in for what was supposed to be a two-week gig and ended up playing there until the end of his life. Everyone thinks you're in hog heaven gig-wise but most people don't realize how incredibly demanding it is to play the same venue night after night, week after week, year after year, to essentially the same audience. Of course you will have a following and they will be more forgiving if one night you have to pull out an Iphone to finish the night but you probably aren't going to draw huge crowds or new customers with a big sign outside saying "LIVE ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT - FEATURING DON MASON ON THE IPHONE 10X"......or maybe you would .

I had occasion to go to a NH facility a few days ago and happended to walk in on the entertainment. As if God were trying to punish me, it was an old guy playing an even older acoustic accordion. No singing, just playing. The sound was so grating (sorry Tony, it really sounded like ten cats in heat) that I couldn't tell if he was good or bad but I suspect bad. Nevertheless, the elderly audience politely, if not enthusiastically, clapped after each number. I learned a lot that day, about myself AND NH audiences. Hmmm, getting off track here so I'll stop .

chas

As an emergency back up to finish a job is one thing.. then the laptop or smart phone would make sense.

But if you actually play an instrument, there must be some self satisfaction in playing that instrument.

I cannot see myself wanting to perform or entertain without a keyboard... My first preference is to be satisfied by playing. Vocals are not even my consideration (average). I even rather not use arranger features or limit parts when I do.

I don.t see failures with most top equipment, so no need to worry about back up... Worst scenario... I go home

I think I will leave the Karaoke path to the girl acts , where they don't play an instrument, or maybe a solo instrument like a flute.

This idea of carry light or sparse equipment, and little effort...is just for the money.... and that is not me.

... and how is that different from the days when that same guitar player/singer played with a band, and he/she just played guitar and sang with them?
As I see it - that performer is doing the same thing that they always did ... just to a different backup band.
Not starting trouble ... just putting in my 2 cents.

I've thought of dumping backing tracks and playing George Benson, Lee Ritenauer....even some John Mayer.

But, since I do almost exclusively dining rooms as a solo, I can always pack up the keyboard and finish the night on the guitar.

In a dining room, I use a nylon string and play about 50% solos.

Laptops and the like...not for me at all.


Russ

Gotta agree 100% Dave with you...
being able to do it all in "many ways" is where the talent lies.
I never liked a one trick pony show.

Donny, are you saying you couldn't listen to 3 - 4 hours of Oscar Peterson or Joey D ???

With all due respect, I vehemently disagree. That key element of musicians interacting with each other live is half the magic of a live performance. Dave, I don't think YOU even believe that interacting with an ipad or laptop (or even an arranger kb) is the same as musically interacting with other musicians live. I'm not saying one is more practical than the other or, in some cases, even better than the other; I'm just saying, no way are they equivalent. At least not to me. I truly respect your long and varied experience as a true professional musician BUT, I think you're wrong on this one. JMO, though.

chas

Regarding back up ... I haven't done it, but I should have backing tracks for about 2 hours worth (for variety) of songs on my tablet, JUST IN CASE something happened to the kb during a 'senior' gig ...
But along with singing, my joy comes from PLAYING my kb - initiating chord changes, playing fills, playing a solo during the song ...
As some here may remember, in addition to my solo work, I did sing to backing tracks with a female vocalist for a while ... She has retired for health reasons, and while I thoroughly enjoyed performing together, it did not give me the satisfaction that playing and singing does ...
But that's just me ...

Tony although I like the ones you mentioned and so many more like
Tony Monaco, Liberace, Tommy Emanuel, Buddy Rich, etc,etc,
I get bored easily when I hear the same sound on every song
I like variety and creativeness...
take care

But the creativity and variety is within the song they are playing ...

yes but the SOUND of the instrument is always the same..

Chas hit it on the nose. National guitar player/singers choose their back-up players to follow and "sweeten" their performances.

That non-verbal interaction is a big part of what musical excellence is about. Also, what happens when you need to repeat a verse?
Can't do it with tracks.


R.

Russ you can easily use smf markers to repeat verses
& chorus easily on most keyboard sequencers..





[video:youtube][/video]

Wow,
Doesn’t say much about the audiences nowadays. Sad.

Rikki, I recently saw a three piece band performing in an upscale restaurant, and for the most part, the entire audience was glued to their smart phones and paid absolutely no attention to the entertainers, who, I might add, were very talented. You are absolutely correct, this is sad!

Gary

Hmmmm ... I wonder if society will be better when NO ONE talks to each other ...

Seems like this has already happened, Tony.

Well, in our house there are two rules: men (any age) do not wear hats indoors; and there are no electronics at the table ...

Same here, Tony - guess we have a lot more in common then we thought.

Gary

This is where some of us disagree. I believe that my JOB is to interact with the audience, and not the band. (live, OR memorex) Sure, it's fun when the band members gel, and camaraderie is great when egos don't get in the way, but my job as a musician is to please my audience. It's that simple. Sometimes it's with creative ideas, sometimes by pushing my chops to the max, and sometimes it's as simple as remembering a couple's favorite song, and playing it as they walk into the room. Other times, it's playing softly so that the audience can enjoy each other without having me distract them from their conversations. I'm there when they need me ... ready with a story, or a song, and I'm always ready for plan B ... or C ... or D, if none of my ideas go over.

Playing with a drum, or backing track is not an interaction. The machine is a tool, and it's here to serve ME. I'm the master. I'm in control, and I decide how much, how loud, and how long to use it. There's no interaction, it's an ACTION ... it's a command from me, and an action from "it" ... and that's how they were intended to be used.

Do I miss playing in a band? Sometimes, but not often. I get immense satisfaction from honing my craft, and sharing my gifts with my crowds, night, after night.
I have total freedom to change things up, experiment with new sounds, keys, or rhythms without having to rehearse them, or discuss with my mates ahead of time. I've evolved into a new musical entity as a solo performer, but the end game has always, ALWAYS been the audience, & their communication with me, as we interact with each song. If that's not your bag, Chas ... I understand. It's not for everyone. It's also, probably why many of my band-dependant friends are always looking for more work. Technology didn't put any musicians out of work. Musicians did it to themselves, by not staying current, playing too loud, taking long breaks, drinking on the job, shmoozing their love interests on breaks (instead of clients), using faulty gear, noodling on stage, smoking on stage, using phones on stage ... the list goes on.

I'm a career musician, and I'm more than a little embarrassed by some of my peers that paved the way for DJs, and KJs to take some of the work load from us. I feel that as long as I continue to put out a solid, marketable product ... I have nothing to worry about. 2019 marks my 50th year on stage, and I do not plan on changing direction now. Bring on the technology, the new gear, the new styles, and I'll do my best to navigate the musical waters. I'll take a page from Paul Anka's book and do it MY WAY ... and hope that someone still wants to listen. That's really why we do it ... for the applause.

The money's nice, but there's lots of ways to earn money. I sing for the joy, and the tools I use on the job, just make it easier to sell my product.
Clients pay me to learn my craft, travel, set up and show up ... then, I sing for free.

I'm with you on that one, but that rule won't fly in Texas!

Gee guys, I must apologise sincerely to you all. I thought we (Downunder),had inherited that annoying behaviour of wearing hats indoors,from The States.
I am pleased to see that manners do still count.
Sorry for OT.

Ray

Dave
One helluva post.

Well first I need a little time to get past all the negatives. I started do gigs when I was in my mid 20s, till I was in my 85 years -- and never had a backup, and never had a problem. Fran, your posts says it all, again. It is all about how I am enjoying what I am doing. If I had not enjoy playing music, I would have made dollars doing something else.

Fran’s post:
I don.t see failures with most top equipment, so no need to worry about back up... Worst scenario... I go home

This idea of carry light or sparse equipment, and little effort...is just for the money.... and that is not me.
____

I believe we are gifted differently with our music talent. So, if I use a phone or laptop, or some type of keyboard, or my guitar, and enjoy what I am doing, it’s all OK! If they stop paying me for how I perform, so be it. I then go home and play because I love to play music.

SynthZone is not filled with the world’s greatest musicians; it is filled with good people doing and enjoying playing music. Complementing the other guy when he is doing his best, is a good idea.

Let no man put down what I am doing, or the way I am doing it because it is all I have to give, and I am having one hell-of-a-good time.
John C.

Yes, beautifully written (I really enjoy reading intelligently-written and grammatically correct posts - non-first language users excepted). However, it is highly personalized and by no means reflects the attitudes and opinions of all here. It is a position I can respect but for me, the true artist/musician may care to some degree about his/her audience but is mainly concerned with the art, in this case, making music....music that is, first of all, satisfying to his or her self. I believe that if you put the art first, the audience will take care of itself. I think an audience would prefer the best musical offering you can provide as opposed to being pandered to with half-hearted crowd-pleasers. I also think that going in with the notion (as expressed by some) that the audience doesn't care where the music is coming from or how it's produced, is counter-productive to producing a good product. If they act like they don't care, it's probably because you're giving them musical crap. If you think that an Iphone is a suitable backup for a gig, that says a lot about what you think of that gig.

Of course we're quick to throw out that old chesnut, "It's all about the VOCALS!" (the universal excuse for deficient musicianship). Well maybe, but this board or this post isn't about vocals, it's about (electronic) musical instruments and what you can/should do in case of an on-job failure. So although a well-written post on your philosophy of life in the music biz makes for some mighty fine reading, it doesn't quite address the problem of whether an iphone or laptop is a suitable backup. BTW, in your particular case Dave, we know that you could finish the gig with acoustic piano or guitar, but that's not true for most folks here, certainly not for me. But, as Fran states, luckily today's gear is so reliable that it may only happen to you once in a decade, maybe never....but you never know .

chas

Donny, I'm talking about split unanimous decisions to repeat....go to the bridge...modulate....whatever, between two or more players.

In my world, the player leads the way, not the back-up whatever.

Russ

I hear ya Russ...but there are many worlds in the solar system!

Hi - interesting topic! I have a lot of spare gear (small items) with me, but I don't carry a backup keyboard to gigs. I have not had a keyboard fail in ~40+ years of gigging, thankfully. (I'm 60 now) I was thinking about how ~50% or more of the places I play, have a piano in the same room (often a well-maintained grand piano), so that would be my first 'backup plan'. It would not be as dynamic and varied as what I do on my arranger keyboard, but I could do an hour or so that way no problem.

I was also thinking about how ~50% of my gigs are instrumental only; no vocals at all. The places have had me coming back regularly for 20+ years now, and many of them want me to come weekly or monthly (I don't do the weeklies, but I have a bunch I do once a month) ... I feel I give them plenty of variety, dynamic-ness (?word?) and changing sounds/styles/types of music, etc. etc, that they seem to overall enjoy the instrumental. Some are "background music" like a dinner or cocktail party, but most are "concert style" where they set up say 100 chairs all facing where I'm playing. I interact between songs (I'm a quiet-natured guy, so I don't tell jokes and stories much, unless they 'flow' from other stuff I am talking about - about the songs/music, taking requests, answering questions about me or my rig, etc. etc.)

The venues are 55+ communities (I'm doing more and more of those), plus retirement communities and "active adult" neighborhoods, and a few "non-senior" places also.

I have a duo version of what I do; adding a man who plays guitar and sings (and for those, I do some occasional harmony vocals) ... so for gigs where they really want a vocalist, we do it that way. (I'm just not a "solo vocalist" kind of guy! :-)

Anyway, interesting topic . . .

Jim

Chas, thanks for your kind words, and I know you're not trying to ruffle my feathers, but I had to highlight the above line. I never offer a half-hearted "anything" ... my gear, my attitude, and my preparation are given my full heart ... and soul, and sweat. I work on my musicianship more than my showmanship, because it needs more work. My bravado comes naturally, and needs to be kept in check. (Wish I had my Dad's tact) I believe humility on stage is paramount to audience appreciation, so I'm always aware of it, and constantly trying to improve.

It's true that most audiences go to a music venue to hear a good product, and watch its creation, but most people are not schooled musicians, and as such, they don't know exactly what to expect. If they see an act who smiles (Whitney?) , and gets immersed in a performance, they will probably enjoy it more than a scowling, twisted face, or someone's back (Jim Morrison?) because they can identify with it. That's why people respond to singers, and lyrics. We all love a good story, right?
It all comes down to ticket sales, and filling seats. I sure hope my bar stools keep getting filled, because I'm not ready for a new career at my age.

Thanks for the intelligent debate, and the chance to share some of my strongest thoughts on a subject that's very close to my heart. Let's keep the positive talk going.

HA! Funny you should mention that. The great jazz legend, Miles Davis, was notorious for his aloofness, surly disposition, and playing with his back to the audience. Luckily for them, their huge talent was enough to overcome what surely would have been fatal, career-wise, to the average musician. Of course, they were both a little bit crazy. Drugs probably didn't help.

chas

You don't get the chance to hear a Miles everyday.