Hi there,

This ol' thing is never going away. I used to be in the "it's a fraud" camp. I'm a drummer and, when drum boxes first appeared, I was horrified and angry. However, I soon realised that they have their place where needed.

I am still a drummer and get plenty of work. I've forgotten about the drum machines now and I've forgiven the backing tracks because I understand why they are there.

I'm also the front man in a 5-piece Country band in the UK and I love playing with the band.

I also use backing tracks for those clubs who cannot afford the band because their membership is too small for them to have the money. So... they go for Solo, Duo or Trio acts and, in my opinion, there is no reason to vilify the artists for using tracks - they are providing a service to a market requirement and enjoyment to people who otherwise would not be listening or dancing to the music.

In my opinion it's harder to perform to tracks than it is to perform with a band. The band is flexible. The tracks are not. You have to know your tracks inside out to be sure you don't implode and go into a tailspin when you forget there are only 8 bars of lead solo rather than the 16 you play when you're playing the same song in the band.

I've learned that the tracks have their place in the music scene. The punters don't mind. The clubs we play don't mind. The line dancers don't mind. Why should we be huffy about it?

Just sayin'...

Chris

iMAC 27 - Twin screen
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