“If you wanna listen to the studio recording, listen to the studio recording”: Why Halestorm refuse to use backing tracks during live shows
Between click tracks, pre-recorded parts, and tightly programmed setlists, the modern rock show can be a remarkably polished affair. Halestorm guitarist Joe Hottinger, however, believes that mistakes are part of what makes rock concerts exciting.
Speaking to Andy Guitar at last weekend’s Download festival, Hottinger weighs in on the use of backing tracks in live music, arguing that concerts should feel like living, breathing performances rather than note-for-note recreations of studio recordings.
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“To me, a live show is an interpretation of your record. And it doesn’t need to sound [exactly like the album],” says Hottinger [via Blabbermouth]. “If you wanna listen to the studio recording, listen to the studio recording. To me, rock and roll is supposed to be a little dangerous. Like, are we gonna fuck up tonight? Who knows what the song’s gonna be like? What does it sound like when the four of us are making as much noise as we can?”
While he has no problem with other artists choosing to use backing tracks, the guitarist explains that the approach simply doesn’t suit Halestorm’s way of performing.
“Whatever – if people do their tracks and stuff, I don’t give a fuck,” says Hottinger. “That’s how they choose to run their business, and we just like to have fun. I don’t think it would be fun to have like a ‘clink, clink, clink, clink’ [in my in-ear monitors on stage].”
“How do you tap into the flow when there’s a cowbell banging inside of your head? Things should go wrong. It’s a rock show. There should be fuck-ups every [show]… We fuck up every show. It’s awesome.”
The debate around backing tracks, however, is still a live one in rock. While some artists have embraced them as a practical way to recreate a fuller and more layered sound on stage, others have taken a far harder line.
Bruce Dickinson, for one, has previously made his position on the issue unmistakably clear, saying he would rather “quit” than start using backing tracks live.
“If it’s not real, it’s not Maiden!” Dickinson told Classic Rock. The singer also warned against turning live shows into what he called “Disneyland Maiden” through the use of backing tracks and other live enhancements.
The post “If you wanna listen to the studio recording, listen to the studio recording”: Why Halestorm refuse to use backing tracks during live shows appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Source: www.guitar-bass.net
