Some people would refuse to buy tickets to a Broadway show on tour because increasingly they perform to tracks...at least partial tracks supplemented by a small number of "first chair" musicians.

I've been to too many such shows which travel with an MD and a half dozen musicians and pick up another half dozen locally. Well, sorry...a 12 member "orchestra" trying to do Le Miz is just going to sound thin and lame.

So, I would vastly prefer to see shows if I KNEW that much of the orchestra was recorded tracks.

One could certainly "protest" the loss of gigs for the local "pick up" musicians but generally, the tracks are recorded by TOP musicians...mixed and mastered to perfection and sound a LOT better than the sound that could possibly come from the very scaled down orchestras that touring companies can afford to pay.

And all the sound man has to do is get the volume right whereas much of the time the "mini-orchestras" are mic'd terribly and the mixes suck.

And those session musicians frequently get per-performance "royalties" not just "fee for services" session money.

So, ya gotta be careful about what/who you're protesting.

Take that same concept into the local gigs we play. The owners CAN'T pay for full bands so they're not being bad boys for not hiring them.

So, now you've got solo keys or guitar. Well, I'm sorry but they just cannot put out the MUSIC that bands can...which is why there are such things as bands!

Hey...I'd pay serious money to go listen to Willie playing Trigger solo (if he plays her anymore). But Willie doesn't usually gig at Joe's Bar & Grill and those who do generally ain't Willie.

So, if I go out to hear MUSIC...what I want to hear is MUSIC and if a couple of guys play live and supplement their performances with really well done rhythm section tracks then I am going to enjoy the music more and am going to respect the live guys for taking the time and trouble and having the talent to produce their tracks.

FINALLY...if playing to tracks is cheating, then I guess we need to throw all our effects into the trash can. It is not US playing those "tap delays" or loopers or flangers or chorus or tremolo effects...they are analog or digital EFFECTS.

Of course, all the above is personal taste and others who feel differently are perfectly justified in doing so.

Regards,

Jim