Music isn't about music anymore. It's about money. Most bands where I am are a trio with a singer, and nobody else sings but the front person. They have mics for appearances, but they don't sing. The music is very empty. They stay small because bringing in a keyboard player or second guitarist would cost each of the 4 of them $20 to pay the 5th person. Personally I would pay that 20 bucks to sound better. But music in general is dead here and competition for what gigs there are is intense. I know of several bands who play for $200 a night and are happy to make that 50 bucks. They stink, but they get work because they are cheap.

To topic, the bands who DO make money all use tracks. And I hate it. Keyboard players are sitting at home while they play their CDs and "play band". The only acts I will go see anymore are bands that are all original and don't use tracks. If I want to hear backing tracks I can stay home and listen to ALL the original tracks online.

I used tracks only for songwriter nights the few times I went to them, but largely because my songs don't stand up well to being played solo. But in a band situation, the bands I last played in were 10 pieces. Everybody lives in a different reality. I don't care about money so I don't care if I ever play again, and unless it's a song writer showcase night (for which I would use a "TV track"), I won't.