This is the first time this has happened to me... I called a coffeehouse about playing there. A couple of friends had said I should play there, 'cause they thought I'd fit right in. So, I gave their booking person a call. Told him what I do, and he asked was I a solo artist, or part of a band. I told him that I play solo, using backing tracks.
He replied, "we only use LIVE music." Then he muttered something about copyright, etc. But the point was not allowing folks to perform with "canned" music.
Grrrr... Yes, I know that it's always good to have live musicians. It's more exciting. And some people play along with tracks, and sound as canned as the music. I would like to think that I'm an exception to that - I try and tweak my tracks so that they don't just sound like music-in-a-box, but that they add to the performance. And frankly, for the amount I make at a gig, I couldn't afford to pay another player.
Just kind of stings when you believe that you're doing good stuff, and trying to keep it good, and you don't even get a chance. Just "oh - we only use LIVE music" and that's it.
Grrrr...
So, I won't be playing in Hudsonville. All because I'm not "live". Grrr...
Random Fluffy Foto!
Writing in bed, and Beka editing by ear. Really. The ear typed some letters. Really.
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2 comments:
That is an interesting philosophy they have on music. I do wonder though...let's say...Carrie Underwood (who is a singer, and not a musician) is in town, and wanted to do an impromptu show there, but only had tracks, they'd have to turn her down right?
SJMcJ
Exactly. I think they believe in this formula:
backing tracks = karaoke
(and all the horrors that go with the "K" word...) And even "live" shows often use tracks. My thought is, we say Vicki's going to play for me, go there, and she just triggers sequences and plays along with them. Does that make us "live?" Ah well... shake the dust off my feet and move on. :-D
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