# Is there is a stigma to using a backing track for a live performance?



## RobertVII (Jan 23, 2017)

After trying time after time to get a band together I became a solo artist, and I'm currently recording my debut EP. My plan was to release this EP and then make another file without the parts I plan on playing live. Essentially having a backing track without the parts I would be playing live. After chatting with some friends I found out some bars and venues in my area won't allow me to use a backing track for my performance. This brings me to my question, is using a backing track bad?


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## Bloody_Inferno (Jan 24, 2017)

Odd, it seems that every band I see in the local pubs nowadays uses a backing track.

Backing tracks are becoming the norm nowadays. Though in your case, I'm assuming that you'd be the only one performing live to a full backing? In which case, I can only imagine that the venues would prefer to have more than just one live member for musical entertainment. 

You can try to assemble a trio consisting of yourself, a bassist and a drummer, then use the backing track for all the other auxiliary parts (additional guitars, keys etc), and you'll probably have a better luck a gigs.


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## concertjunkie (Jan 24, 2017)

RobertVII said:


> After trying time after time to get a band together I became a solo artist, and I'm currently recording my debut EP. My plan was to release this EP and then make another file without the parts I plan on playing live. Essentially having a backing track without the parts I would be playing live. After chatting with some friends I found out some bars and venues in my area won't allow me to use a backing track for my performance. This brings me to my question, is using a backing track bad?



That is an odd response from the venues. I actually have a friend who is in a one man instrumental band (he plays guitar by himself on stage along to backing tracks) and he does pretty good! Has quite a following for himself established. However, he has played one or two shows with a fill in drummer and bassist, and it seems that was better received than one musician on stage. You can do it solo, it has been done. IMO if you are going to do this solo, I would suggest making it engaging to the crowd, otherwise it can be a bit boring to watch someone walk back and forth on stage and not engaging anyone.


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## Lasik124 (Jan 24, 2017)

I've seen it done with Bloodsoaked, dig their albums

I couldn't get into it live though. Just how I felt though.


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## bostjan (Jan 24, 2017)

You answered your own question. If some venues won't hire you because of it, then it's not ideal.


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## TedEH (Jan 24, 2017)

It's just a hard thing to sell. Very few of the one-man shows I've seen have been particularly good. A solo acoustic thing is usually cool, it's got it's own vibe to it, and I quite like that kind of show, but to play tracks that were clearly written for a band, and have most of it just be pre-recorded just doesn't have that same "intimate" vibe as a selling point.


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## GunpointMetal (Jan 24, 2017)

Just don't try and do it at places with big stages unless you're bringing a full production. We just opened for a tour that was a relatively well-known guitarist from several bands and his touring "band" that were both one-man guitar player gigs...neither had any stage backdrops or lights, and one of them stood off to one side of the stage like there SHOULD be a band...either way, both sets were kinda sad to watch and definitely not entertaining or engaging. I think had either one of them put a little effort into production and done more to engage the crowd then shout "How's Everyone Doing?!" in between songs it could have been enjoyable, but as it was, not so much. If you want to go solo, get some custom stage scrims, and get a reasonable light show that is synced to the music, so it will at least be entertaining to watch outside of the playing.m It's weird that bars wouldn't wanna hire you, though, seeing as most of them would consider it an opportunity to pay as little as possible for the entertainment, hahahaha.


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## CapnForsaggio (Jan 24, 2017)

Wacky Inflatable Tube Man Band?

If you could program a midi light show to illuminate the tube men, I think you'd be on to something....


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## bostjan (Jan 24, 2017)

CapnForsaggio said:


> Wacky Inflatable Tube Man Band?
> 
> If you could program a midi light show to illuminate the tube men, I think you'd be on to something....



Hey, that's a better idea than hiring these guys...


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## crankyrayhanky (Jan 24, 2017)

Seems to only be a problem on small local levels. The majority of professional acts have some kind of backing tracks supplementing the music and general audiences don't notice/care....as long as you have a few people on stage, lol. Tough to sell as a 1 man show unless you are really engaging and uber talented


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## budda (Jan 24, 2017)

RobertVII said:


> After trying time after time to get a band together I became a solo artist, and I'm currently recording my debut EP. My plan was to release this EP and then make another file without the parts I plan on playing live. Essentially having a backing track without the parts I would be playing live. After chatting with some friends I found out some bars and venues in my area won't allow me to use a backing track for my performance. This brings me to my question, is using a backing track bad?



Your friends said that - what did the actual venues say? There's a difference between "they wont put me on the bill because I use backing tracks" and "they won't put me on the bill because I don't have a draw".

I played Burlington VT and the opener was a solo dude with a backing track band - didn't seem to be any issues. 

I'd finish recording the EP and then come back to the concern of live performance once you know what's what song wise.


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## RobertVII (Jan 24, 2017)

Thanks for all the input so far guys I appreciate it! I'm definitely gonna research some ways to really engage my audience, so I'll be more exciting to watch.


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## Hollowway (Jan 25, 2017)

Definitely depends on the crowd and venue. We used to use a drum machine as a backing, and the actual drummer could come out front and sing. Sometimes it was no big deal, and sometimes we'd get heckled and have .... thrown at us by drunk frat boys saying weren't playing our instruments. Then we'd play a Dave Matthews tune and the frat boys would be all happy again. Ok, that last part isn't true.  

But yeah, it just depends. People are weird about stuff. But there's no fast rule about it, so I would do like these guys above said, and keep in enterntaining.


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## bostjan (Jan 25, 2017)

budda said:


> I played Burlington VT and the opener was a solo dude with a backing track band - didn't seem to be any issues.



[OT]Who was that? If he's local, I probably know him.[/OT]

Then again, what happens in VT doesn't really reflect what happens in the real world.

Here's what I've done with Bostjan Zupancic: MicroMetal (which has been successful enough by my standards, but not by most standards):

1. Write material. I have charts for most of the songs I intend to play live.
2. Record demos of said material. Contact local radio.
3. Book shows and get whatever media attention I can get.
4. Hire local musicians to play shows with me. If Drummer #1 can't commit to a one-off show, call Drummer #2, and so forth, until Drummer #76 accepts.
5. ???
6. Profit lose money

In my case, there are only 3 bass players willing to go headlong at the microtonal stuff for a one-off gig, and exactly zero wanting to become a permanent fixture of the band, so if I get 3 no's on a booked show, I have to dust off the old octave pedal and ABY, and have things just be that much further from ideal.

Anyway, there's one workaround for this. It's not perfect by any measure, but never let the idea of perfection stop you from developing something that is good but imperfect.


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## cwhitey2 (Jan 25, 2017)

bostjan said:


> Hey, that's a better idea than hiring these guys...



Enchanted Forest Water Safari in Old Forge NY?


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## bostjan (Jan 25, 2017)

cwhitey2 said:


> Enchanted Forest Water Safari in Old Forge NY?





It's Munch's Animatronic Make Believe Band. I thought it was fairly well known, but I guess it's a regional thing in the midwest...

For those who don't know- When we were kids, we would have birthday parties and whatnot at places like "Major Magic's Arcade and Pizzeria" or "Chuck E Cheese's Pizza Time Theater." Such venues were basically a huge arcade that served the cheapest pizza. You could eat greasy pizza, then run around and wipe your greasy hands all over tons of arcade joysticks while your parents contemplated adopting you to Nigeria for 4-5 hours. An obligatory part of this tradition was to gather everyone in a dark conwebbed side room for cake and blowing out candles. There were no noisy fun arcade games in the room, no skee ball, no whack-a-mole, just a curtain and tables. The acoustics of the room were eerily void-like, contrasting shockingly with the raucous beeping and shouting and ching of coins coming from the arcade. Once gathered in this room, someone who got invited by mistake, usually, would activate the animatronic band, causing the curtain to rise, and the rattly animal-robot-humans to being playing. The cacophony of buzzing electric motors, ungreased metal parts jerking around, and prerecorded children's music was a thing made of pure nightmares, which inspired games like "Five Nights at Freddy's" and rock bands like "GWAR".


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## Element0s (Jan 25, 2017)

bostjan said:


> For those who don't know- When we were kids, we would have birthday parties and whatnot at places like "Major Magic's Arcade and Pizzeria" or "Chuck E Cheese's Pizza Time Theater." Such venues were basically a huge arcade that served the cheapest pizza. You could eat greasy pizza, then run around and wipe your greasy hands all over tons of arcade joysticks while your parents contemplated adopting you to Nigeria for 4-5 hours. An obligatory part of this tradition was to gather everyone in a dark conwebbed side room for cake and blowing out candles. There were no noisy fun arcade games in the room, no skee ball, no whack-a-mole, just a curtain and tables. The acoustics of the room were eerily void-like, contrasting shockingly with the raucous beeping and shouting and ching of coins coming from the arcade. Once gathered in this room, someone who got invited by mistake, usually, would activate the animatronic band, causing the curtain to rise, and the rattly animal-robot-humans to being playing. The cacophony of buzzing electric motors, ungreased metal parts jerking around, and prerecorded children's music was a thing made of pure nightmares, which inspired games like "Five Nights at Freddy's" and rock bands like "GWAR".


This was beautiful. Thank you. :')

OP: Lots of great advice in here already but if you're worried about people looking down their nose at your over the use of backing tracks, maybe try brainstorming a few ways to make the use of backing tracks more interesting and "part of the show". I've seen a lot of one-man bands back themselves up by creative use of loopers, synths and literally anything that requires a measure of skill, timing and taking interesting musical risks to pull off. If you're just a dude playing guitar along to background music safely pre-loaded on your laptop, then your gig is gonna be just that: safe background muzak that more-or-less runs on rails. People like risks and conflicts and they like seeing someone overcome them.


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## cwhitey2 (Jan 25, 2017)

bostjan said:


> It's Munch's Animatronic Make Believe Band. I thought it was fairly well known, but I guess it's a regional thing in the midwest...




I grew up with that crap 

Looks exactly like that!


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## ZXIIIT (Jan 25, 2017)

You pretty much described my old live setup. At a show, I always got the "oh great, a one man band" followed by an eye roll, but that disappeared after playing. If you sound great and really want it, you'll make it happen.


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## Rachmaninoff (Jan 25, 2017)

RobertVII said:


> is using a backing track bad?



If I go see a gig and there's a backing track, I just turn around and go away.


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## Science_Penguin (Jan 26, 2017)

My band shared the stage with a guy who had to plug a laptop running Ableton into the board and sing over his studio tracks because his backing band bailed on him. It was basically karaoke of his own music, but he still put a s..t-ton of energy into his set and managed to give us a good show.

Most people aren't gonna care, as long as you have charisma, good material, and they know you're doing SOMETHING on stage. If anything, they may just come away from the experience saying "Well, hey, that was interesting!"

As for bands who have backing tracks... Nobody complains about that but snobby musicians and armchair "keepers of the laws of Rock n' Roll"... best advice I ever got: you really shouldn't care what those people think. 

In fact, after a while, you may start to realise how fun it is to piss those people off.


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## GunpointMetal (Jan 26, 2017)

Rachmaninoff said:


> If I go see a gig and there's a backing track, I just turn around and go away.



That's okay, we didn't really want you there anyways.....

The only time I have any issue with backing tracks is when you can't tell what's live and whats not or worse, when the performer is obviously faking a component that's already on stage. Both of my bands have keys and samples on backing tracks (and bass in one band), but there's obviously not a keyboard player on stage, and none of us is pretending to be doing live sampling or playing keys...so whatever. The pretentious nerds that wanna talk crap about a band using orchestration they don't have the members for don't really matter anyways, because they surely hate everything, are probably only OK at any given instrument, and 90% of the time will never be bothered (or motivated) enough to actually get on stage and do anything anyways.


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## Descent (Jan 26, 2017)

@Morphesia - pretty cool although the lone BM dude on stage looks kinda funny, like High School talent contest. 

I saw Jennifer Batten live on a tour last year with Uli Roth and another shred guy, she played by herself and was super weird. Didn't sound very good. She was definitely the downside of the night.


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## bostjan (Jan 27, 2017)

I saw Jeff Beck play to a bunch of backing tracks, and it was weird, for me. I guess it can be used in vary amounts of taste, like anything else, but, I don't believe there is really a way to do a one man show with backing tracks that won't seem weird to at least 10% of the people in the audience.


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## RobertVII (Jan 27, 2017)

This input so far is really amazing and eye opening! The general feel I'm getting is that this is totally do-able, but it's gonna be a little odd to some people. I'll have to be really engaging with my audience to really solidify myself though. Any ideas? I know I can talk to the audience in between songs and dance around like a fool during each song, but is there something more I can do?


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## bostjan (Jan 27, 2017)

Hmm, what does your EP sound like?

In general, I think if you take the show seriously, but don't take _yourself_ too seriously, things could stay above water level. Certainly it'll be more challenging without another musician or two.

Also, what is your aversion to hiring a couple of people?

Also also, where are you playing and how much time do you have to prepare?

Other than that, I think you have some darn good general advice here already.


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## RobertVII (Jan 28, 2017)

bostjan said:


> Hmm, what does your EP sound like?
> 
> In general, I think if you take the show seriously, but don't take _yourself_ too seriously, things could stay above water level. Certainly it'll be more challenging without another musician or two.
> 
> ...



https://soundcloud.com/r0bert-1/cold-calculation-demo This is an old demo of one of the songs.

My aversion to hiring people is that I'm a college student and can't really afford it.

I'll have a lot of time to prepare. The place I plan on playing at first is an open mic night at a bar. I was told that this place doesn't allow backing tracks, but another friend of mine has played there plenty of times using his backing track. The entire situation made curious on what people thought about backing tracks.


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## bostjan (Jan 30, 2017)

RobertVII said:


> https://soundcloud.com/r0bert-1/cold-calculation-demo This is an old demo of one of the songs.
> 
> My aversion to hiring people is that I'm a college student and can't really afford it.
> 
> I'll have a lot of time to prepare. The place I plan on playing at first is an open mic night at a bar. I was told that this place doesn't allow backing tracks, but another friend of mine has played there plenty of times using his backing track. The entire situation made curious on what people thought about backing tracks.



Ok,I'll offer a few thoughts, but keep in mind that it's based solely off of what you posted.

1. If you are playing solo guitar to that backing track, a healthy portion of it is going to be you standing around doing nothing while the piano track plays. I hope you have a plan for that.
2. You would need a piano player and maybe a drummer. Find them. A three piece would go over a hundred times better live than a backing track for material like that.
3. Since this is kind of shreddy-ish stuff, I think you could get away with the backing track. But, that said, it's far from ideal. If you have any technical issues with the backing tracks playing, you are going to be in a really awkward situation, because there doesn't seem to be a solid contingency plan in case something malfunctions, and it seems like you aren't planning on using the track as an embellishment, so much as you would be dependent on it.

EDIT: Maybe there's a generational divide or something, but for a one-off show, college kids my age would have been willing to play a show for a little gas money, a couple slices of pizza, or usually, just for fun. Maybe it's not like that any more, but I'd totally give it a try. I don't think the stuff going on in the backing track is too complicated for another musician to be expected to figure out, and the other instruments in your example have quite a bit of presence, so I think you should at least try that route.


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## Element0s (Jan 30, 2017)

Yeah man, I don't see why you shouldn't just ask around and get some folks on board. Does your college have a music program? Start hanging around there, put up some ads seeking musicians for an instrumental project. If $$$ is tight then your best bet would be to make actual friends who will be willing to play music with you without being "hired." 

After listening to the first track, I really don't see that going over well as a solo gig unless you're got a crafty and interesting way of getting through the sections with just piano. I notice the second song has guitar running throughout the entire track so songs like that might be an easier sell.

That all being said, with the right charisma you can pretty much get away with anything.


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## RobertVII (Jan 30, 2017)

Very solid points guys. I would be very dependent of this backing track and would be SOL if it malfunctions. I think I'm gonna give it a try though, but I'll be looking for a drummer probably as well.


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## iron blast (Jan 30, 2017)

Try to plan a backup incase your main source for backing tracks fails. My band have a stereo spliter cable and a ipod with the tracks for if our ipad and interface fail. It is not ideal but atleast able to keep us playing. We are planning on getting a dedicated laptop with a solidstate drive and fast processor to run our guitar and bass cab impulses, click track, midi patch change, lighting, and our backing tracks.


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## bhakan (Jan 31, 2017)

So this is only my opinion, so take it with a grain of salt, but for the type of music in the soundcloud link, I think a one man band with backing tracks would be pretty boring live. I think a super charismatic frontman can pull off playing over a drum machine or something, but with no vocals and just riffing over a backing track it seems like it may come across pretty boring. 

I have no clue how you would possibly pull it off with metal, but maybe incorporate some of the types of ideas Mylets uses? 

Watching him loop everything live makes his solo performance into a spectacle instead of looking like watching someone practice.


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## RobertVII (Jan 31, 2017)

I'm thinking I could pull it off if I have a light show to accommodate me. I feel that will make it much more pleasurable to watch. I'm trying to find some budget options now.


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## PBC (Jan 31, 2017)

Totally doable with a backing track, just like other said it depends on the venue or music. 

Shaun puts on an absolutely killer show 

I just saw Inquisition. They used some backing, but mostly it was the two of them and they slayed. Even bigger bands use backing tracks and it's fine. I think the only time it would bother me is if the, assuming, guitarist/vocalist didn't play his instrument most of the time like a soft verse/loud chorus type structure.


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## Drew (Jan 31, 2017)

RobertVII said:


> I'm thinking I could pull it off if I have a light show to accommodate me. I feel that will make it much more pleasurable to watch. I'm trying to find some budget options now.



Throwing it out there, if the music won't stand on its own, relying on a light show is not going to help the music, and a light show and a laptop is going to make you look pretty ridiculous, IMO. 

If you're going to gig playing alone on stage with a laptop to backing tracks, I'll echo the earlier advice and say go out there, play your ass off, but also make it clear you're having fun and taking your music seriously but not taking yourself too seriously. A light show is the antithesis of that.


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## RobertVII (Jan 31, 2017)

Drew said:


> Throwing it out there, if the music won't stand on its own, relying on a light show is not going to help the music, and a light show and a laptop is going to make you look pretty ridiculous, IMO.
> 
> If you're going to gig playing alone on stage with a laptop to backing tracks, I'll echo the earlier advice and say go out there, play your ass off, but also make it clear you're having fun and taking your music seriously but not taking yourself too seriously. A light show is the antithesis of that.



Dude you're right. I feel confident that I'll stand out, so I think I'll just go for it. Thanks for this everyone!


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## SamSam (Feb 5, 2017)

At Euroblast last year I was initially shocked by how many bands were using backing tracks. And I think occasionally it was somewhat excessive. Ie: when guitarists were stood around doing nothing during the odd clean segment. But overall it changed my perspective on the whole concept and really filled up the live sounds nicely. 

It's something I've been looking into recently being in a four piece proggy metal band.


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## zombieritual (Feb 5, 2017)

if you want to play with yourself in front of a bunch of people, then play with yourself in front of a bunch of people. i think that's weird that places would have a problem with that, if you're going to have enough of a draw that shouldn't matter at all. i've played a bunch of shows where i had all of my stuff on my laptop as backing tracks and no one complained at all, i have a few friends who have done the same. someone mentioned putrid pile, he's doing an australian tour with black dahlia murder coming up and i'm pretty sure he'll just be bringing his guitar and his j-station and his ipod like he always does and people will go ....house like they always do. just go up there and do it and have fun, if you put on a good show it won't really matter. just don't stand there all stiff and not moving at all, have a good time. if people like it sweet, if they're like that one guy who said he'd turn right around and leave then .... them because they're assholes who will probably miss out if they don't at least give it a chance.


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## primitiverebelworld (Feb 8, 2017)

The bigger the stage the more weird it will probably be and there is nothing you can do about it. On the other hand small intimate stage with a dude shreding his solo material is totally fine by many including me.


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## bostjan (Feb 8, 2017)

primitiverebelworld said:


> The bigger the stage the more weird it will probably be and there is nothing you can do about it. On the other hand small intimate stage with a dude shreding his solo material is totally fine by many including me.



As a general point of discussion, this works both ways: I've seen four piece and even five piece bands playing at coffee shops and breakfast nooks and it get's awkwardly loud and feels cramped.

We used to play a lot of shows and see a lot of shows at a local restaurant that used to pride themselves on supporting the local music scene. I had the luxury of seeing some singer-songwriters there playing solo, and it was great. I saw a few three piece rock groups play there and it was great, although quite loud, and at least a dozen or more metal bands playing there and it was loud as hell and so cramped that if everyone inhaled at the same time, someone would have been squeezed out the front door.

I have seen some really cool acts play with looper pedals and do the one man band thing, and it certainly has a pretty wide appeal. I'm just trying to be constructive here when I say that I've seen people do similar things with a laptop and a pre-reocrded backing track, and it was generally not well received; however, out of the 6-7 acts I've seen do this, at least one was really good anyway, but to be fair that guy stopped using backing tracks after a few weeks. Also, in all fairness, a bunch of the pre-recorded one person acts I've seen were clearly people with little or no stage experience. Also, one was a hip-hop artist, so that worked, but the style of music totally lent itself to that sort of act. And the other was Jeff Beck- and I love Jeff's work, but that show was really weird, but not so much the pre-recorded tracks as the deviation of the material from that era and what I expected, based on material with which I was way more familiar. Buckethead does the shred-over-a-pre-recorded-track thing quite well, so if you can embrace the uniqueness of it all, I think you'll be better off.


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## GunpointMetal (Feb 8, 2017)

Just don't pull a Marc Rizzo and set up off to one side of the stage and have a crappy paper banner held up with clothespins. Weirdest/worst show I've ever opened.


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## ZXIIIT (Feb 8, 2017)

In the end, however you do it, weather it's you and backing tracks, LED lights to accent your show, banners, corpse paint, candles or projection screens or other members, what people walk away from is the SOUND, are you comfortable enough to play your own material at your best by yourself infront of an audience?

I just did a show last week, went on first and played for about 30 minutes. Everyone complimented my sound and composition more than me being by myself.


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