....AND THEN ....

. after I pack up I figured I would check out what was going on in the main ballroom of the club ... As I approach the room I hear Dion's "The Wanderer" so I figure it's a DJ ... but the drums sounded 'live' so I look in the room ... there are 2 guys .. a drummer and a kb player, playing to CDs !!! ... they even had a mic each and were singing the backuo parts ! ... I only heard 2 tunes so I don't know if they did anything without the CDs or not, but by that time I had heard enough ...
.... and how was YOUR weekend ?!?! ...
t.

Interesting story Tony. Anytime I have dealt with an agent there is always a surprise.

My weekend was good. Friday night-a regular lounge gig 5:30-8:30. Pleasant, uneventful.

Saturday, a dinner dance which had, maybe 80-90 ppl...but the smaller crowd made it intimate and everyone got what they wanted and put up with what a few others requested.

Sunday was a benefit for the victims of Hurricane Charley. We raised several thousand $s and it was a "feel good" experience....but not an easy gig.

We had two singles and a trio. The trio and other single did fine doing what they do which was mostly ballad and big band stuff.
I was scheduled to go on right after the trio. Their last song was something like Lady is a Tramp. So I opened with Crazy. Their keyboard player tried to play along with me but his changes and mine were in conflict and he got out of tempo with my arranger. He was behind my speakers and I don't think he could hear very well... I had to give him the cut sign and he, obligingly, stopped playing.

At the end of Crazy the line dancers (who had been ignored by the previous groups) rushed the stage and wanted all their stuff at once.

But, before I could do any of that, I was asked to recognize a great old (84 yrs) trumpet player I worked with when I first came to town several decades ago. And, yes, he just happened to have his horn with him. The crowd showed him great respect and cheered loudly after each of the 3 songs he did. He felt great...and I felt great for him. Just as he left, some bozo came up and said "I thought you would never get rid of that old geezer." I wrote it off to his not knowing the history behind my elder friend.

From there I catered to the line dance, blues, rock & roll and country enthusiasts who had patiently waited to hear some of their music. The big band folks had their fill by then and started heading out the door.

But the event achieved the objective of raising much needed dollars for our distraught neighbors on the west coast of Florida.

Eddie

I spent a good part of the day at a Time Share here in San Diego, North County. There was a Band that played in the Pool area that consisted of a Drummer, a Guitarist/Vocalist, and a woman vocalist. They called themselves the "Jukebox Live Band" and they were basically playing along with CD backing tracks - minus the drum and melody tracks - whilst the Guitarist strummed along and sang, the Drummer did his thing, and occasionally the woman chimed in as backup and she even did a couple solo numbers.

Yea, they were playing Live but of course part of the act was Karaoke big time. The CD backing tracks were more of the Band then the actual musicians were. But it did sound pretty good and everybody seemed to like it.

Their Rig consisted of a pair of JBL speakers on stands, a Guitar Amp, the amplification system/mixer, etc., a pair of Mics, a set of Drums, an Acoustic electric guitar..... and some CD backing tracks.

They played 3 hours total taking a couple 1/2 hour breaks in between. So two hours of music which was interlaced with games, prizes, joking around, and perhaps 5 to 10 minute gaps between songs. I'm guessing they probably made between $300 - $500 for those three hours. Not bad for 3 hours of work, er.. fun. Not only was it a beautiful day but how hard could it be to play for a bunch of scantily clad women around an Olympic size Pool?

Moral of story: - Yes, they did cheat IMO by using CD backing tracks. Do they care?? Apparently not. Did the audience care?? Not that I could tell. Was there a good time had by all?? Yes; from the reaction I heard from the crowd everybody seemed to enjoy it. >> AND they were $300 - $500 dollars richer than they were before they started the Gig. End of story.

Whatever floats your boat I reckon. It's not my cup of tea but as long as everybody had a good time I guess you really can't fault them, right? They DID play instruments albeit they had some 'help' too.

OTOH, somebody who buys an Arranger and then uses Midi files exclusively while pretending to play the instrument before an audience will garner no sympathy from me. That's an outright travesty and the culprit should be hog tied and whipped ('cream' - for all you pacifists ).

Best regards,
Mike

Quote from Mike:
"Whatever floats your boat I reckon. It's not my cup of tea but as long as everybody had a good time I guess you really can't fault them, right? They DID play instruments albeit they had some 'help' too."

I've often said we get paid to entertain as what ever means we use to accomplish that is fine as long as the client is happy ..
The only problem I have with this stuff is that when a kb player IS playing 'live' using the on board styles, there will always be someone who will think that he/she is NOT playing, and it diminishes the perception of the performer's skills in some minds ...
t.

"Thats Entertainment!" don't you get it?

It's not what the audience "thinks" that's important - it's how they "FEEL".
That's the only thing to consider when entertaining. The use of arrangers is no more "purist" than the "K" word, so let's not get high and mighty because we trigger a few more chords in real time.
That guitarist was doing exactly what he/she would have been doing in a larger band. Same thing for the singer and the drummer. Driving laws, and insurance has cut the sizes of bands, and that trio has found a way to keep working in spite of the changes. Bravo.

There are many bass players, trombonists, etc that feel that keyboard players are stealing work from other solo musicians too, so it's a "Catch 22" no matter how you look at it.

It's time to can all the stereotypes, and just get your butt on stage and put on the best show you know how.
Forget how they did it years ago ..... forget how the other guys are doing it ......
forget what I say, and just get up there and shine, baby, shine !
The music business ( pro or amature ) was built on the "fun factor" - don't take that away! Play, enjoy, entertain, emcee, DJ, host .... whatever you need to do to "reach" the crowd.

This topic of "cheating" comes up way to often in a forum of players that rely heavily on LOTS of automation. Let's give it a rest and concentrate on the real issue - PLAYING the crowd.


nuff said

[This message has been edited by Uncle Dave (edited 08-30-2004).]

UD ... knowing what a 'stickler' you are for grammar and spelling ... it's 'amateur'
t.

Dave.....You Nailed it right on the head....theres nothing left I can say after that!!

Great Post!!!

Dave I understand with what your saying but this was a Band and not an OMB. So they are different scenarios. If your a true Band (not an OMB) you don't rely on CD backing tracks in a live situation to play your music. That's my opinion and also the consensus of nearly all gigging Musicians that I'm aware of.

But as you said and I said, everybody had a good time and it turned out well so that was the redeeming factor.

Best regards,
Mike

For you folks who use whatever tools necessary to entertain (tracks, sequences, laptops, etc.) more power to you...have fun and take care of business!

That's just not for me. Since I use an arranger, I realize that, if I had any hair left, I'd be splitting my own.

Everyone has to do what's right for them. My approach is not one based on ego or any attempt to be a "purist". I choose to play only restaurants to avoid drunks. There are certain tunes that I simply will not play
( no country music...done that, don't like it, won't do it!).

Hats off to Uncle Dave and others who are excellent entertainers. I'm not. I just play, and I've been able to do it for 49 years, with 9 week off for vacation in that time.

For me this is not technophobia or some sense of what ANYONE else should do.

It's just what I am comfortable with. And selling what you do to people willing to compensate you for your effort while having fun and continuing to learn and improve is what it's all about.

In large part, it's the different approaches we take that makes this group an interesting and diverse one.

Play on!


Russ

Ahhh, Captain Russ...tell me it isn't so.
There are some great country songs that have crossed over and get requested even at the fanciest places I play. "For The Good Times" and "Crazy" are just two that I am asked to do everywhere. "Could I Have this Dance" is another that just came to mind.

I worked up a cross over version of Vince Gill's "Look At Us" that has become another staple in the arsonal...especially at anniversary parties. I originally tried it like Vince did it...but it was just too country for my folks. Once I re-worked it, it seems to have universal appeal.

Russ... I have forgotten. Do you sing?

Eddie

Eddie, those are fine songs, for someone else.

I do Al Jereau, George Benson, Chris Rea,
Stevie Wonder, Kenny Rankin, Michael Franks, Lou Rawls, Michael McDonald and songs by older singers of standards. Performing songs by these folks are part of why people come to see me.

That being said, I have friends who sing country songs, and I always enjoy seeing them perform.

Nothing AT ALL against country...it's just not for me.

Best regards,

Russ

No argument here. I also have several often requested songs that I either really don't care for or don't do well...and I simply apologise for not being able to satisfy the request...or tell them I know a few other tunes that use the same notes.

Eddie