Garbage is using tracks now too.

[Bob Maximus]

I give up. Garbage (Shirley) was the epitome of attitude in the 90s.

Hey, just announce on the tickets that "this band uses backing tracks"; spare me the walkout expense.

 

[dilver]

When you say “backing tracks” what specifically are you referring to? Canned back up vocals, weird synth noises, or entire tracks being lip synched? I love Butch Vig as a producer, but is he playing Roland trigger cymbals and drums?

 

[onwingsoflead]

What are you referring to exactly?

 

[twoheadedboy]

I give up. Garbage (Shirley) was the epitome of attitude in the 90s.

Hey, just announce on the tickets that "this band uses backing tracks"; spare me the walkout expense.

Which tracks? Tracks for things that the band can't cover on stage (extra percussion, background vocals, synths) are common and quite acceptable to me. Lead vocal tracks are a no go for me.

 

[msquared]

Was Garbage ever not using backing tracks?

 

[Pano-dilzapp]

That sounded like axl R, maybe a mixup with the saved files ?

 

[HesNot]

When you say “backing tracks” what specifically are you referring to? Canned back up vocals, weird synth noises, or entire tracks being lip synched? I love Butch Vig as a producer, but is he playing Roland trigger cymbals and drums?

I listened to the first 3 songs - and there is a lot going on up there (both guitar players have keyboard setups, butch has an electronic/acoustic mixed kit with who knows what programmed in). She sounds like she's singing live to my ear. Maybe some backing vocals here and there (since I don't see any other mics on stage)?

There sound like some sequenced keyboards for sure but I'd sort of expect that.

 

[redir]

You won't go see them because they use backup tracks? I can't figure out what's going on here.

 

[Bob Maximus]

they are touring with Tears for Fears. Can you see the difference in the shows? TFF has enough instrumentation to cover what they need to get to where they want to be; the sound is huge. The musicians listening to each other, not some click/count in their IEMs. IMO backing tracks are karaoke. yuck. YMMV of course.

 

[Benz2112]

I am not going unless all the samples are recreated in real time!

 

[taez555]

Was Garbage ever not using backing tracks?

Exactly. Wasn't that the entire point of the band? They were a studio creation using the studio as an instrument. It would only make sense a good portion of their stuff would be prerecorded/triggered.

 

[onwingsoflead]

Exactly. Wasn't that the entire point of the band? They were a studio creation using the studio as an instrument. It would only make sense a good portion of their stuff would be prerecorded/triggered.

Exactly. I don't see the issue here.

 

[DJ_17]

They would need 10 people to recreate what you would hear on the album. Heavy synth band. I have seen them twice in the past 10 years, both were great shows - tracks or not.

 

[Bozak]

Yeah, as a keyboard player I'm offended by this too, because it's usually the many synth sounds that get canned to save expense and setup/breakdown time, I get it but don't like it, to me it's not something to pay a concert ticket for.

 

[Darkburst]

As a band that made heavy use of loops and samples in the studio it doesn’t surprise me they use some tracks. From that clip it seems like most of the music is being played live.

 

[Strummerfan]

I have no problem with minimal backing tracks to fill in some effects or an instrument that isn't used enough in a set to warrant adding a musician to the tour. For the most part, though, I prefer to see musicians getting work, and a live performance should be live. If this requires some reworking of the arrangements do the work. Session guys are always available, aand musicians should be supporting musicians.

 

[TwoHandsTenThumbs]

@Bob Maximus — Billy Bush who engineers their records has been running samplers, backing tracks, and managing their live computers since the band’s first tour in 1996.

They literally have never not used samples and backing tracks.

 

[Tri7/5]

As others have stated they had a huge number of tracks in the studio. I think Garbage 2.0 had upwards of 100+ tracks on each song from what I recall. Touring with a Symphony orchestra size of electronic musicians obviously isn't feasible. Butch definitely put his studio knowledge to work with Garbage. Great band BTW.

 

[wombat66]

Garbage In Garbage Out

 

[mtmartin71]

I just saw this tour in Denver at an outdoor pavilion. I think it was in May.

It's funny because as I was walking up and Garbage was playing, it sounded like a recording of them. It sounded way too polished for a live show. I think they were definitely using some enhancements via backing tracks to fill it. Tears for Fears had great live sound and production, but they sounded like an interacting band.

I think the best way I could describe it is that Garbage looked and sounded like they were playing to their own recordings...like you see on an awards show.