Various people in the country of Australia are upset at Britney Spears for lip syncing — and feel that it is dishonest for the pop star not to disclose that sometimes she’s just mouthing along while she dances.
Britney’s spokesperson defended her lip syncing by saying that it wasn’t exactly a secret or anything.
“It’s been all over the internet for nine months,” Dainty said. ‘The inference is that we tried to hide this. It’s been the opposite.
“This show is about an incredible spectacle, which it is,” he said.
Secret or no, Australians seem quite serious about their objections. From The Age:
Last week, NSW Fair Trading Minister Virginia Judge proposed that disclaimers be printed on tickets and promotional material to inform consumers if a concert would be pre-recorded and mimed.
Victorian Consumer Affairs Minister Tony Robinson said if concert promoters misrepresented whether an artist was performing live or was miming, they could be in breach of the Fair Trading Act.
Is a disclaimer needed? Or should everyone just expect people like Ms. Spears to be faking it?
(Photo:ninja IX)
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These people should be ashamed for not knowing that she lip-syncs. Seriously? Does it matter anyways? Would they rather she huff and puff through the songs?
I see rock shows because of the live sound, but I don’t expect it to sound exactly like an album. These people apparently can’t tell the difference.
@ScubaSteveKzoo: Clearly you’ve never been to a Rush show. It simply amazes me how much the live performance sounds like a live performance of the album.
The band has said, on numerous occasions, that they strive to make their live show as accurate as possible to the album’s recording. They do use pre-recorded sounds and such to fill in for instruments and people not on stage, but the band members themselves sing their songs and play their instruments.
Long story short, its totally possible for a band to accurately recreate their album experience live without lip syncing, but clearly that’s too much to ask of some artists and I do honestly feel that those artists should let their fans know that they’re not willing or able to actually perform on stage.
@Keavy_Rain: A lot of bands sound simular to their albums but to expect britney spears not to lip sync is like asking the wind not to blow.
@Keavy_Rain: Yeah, but Rush are MUSICIANS and consummate professionals.
Britney Spears, Black-eyed Peas, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, et al. are NOT primarily “musicians”. They are better defined as “performers” whose intent is not to provide a pure musical experience but rather to put on a good “show”. For these performers, music is almost an afterthought, more like aural wallpaper to provide a backdrop for the dancing and stage show than pure art in and of itself. Therefore lip-synching is probably a lesser “sin” for this type of performer than it would be for a true band (whose main purpose is to create music) such as Rush or Porcupine Tree. (Sorry, can’t help but name-drop my favorite musical discovery of the past 15 years! Any fan of Rush, Floyd, Radiohead, or any other heavier Prog act is highly encouraged to check them out!)
@Dawnrazor: Wait, wait, wait…why’d you go and hafta drag BEP into this? What’d they ever do to you?
@ScubaSteveKzoo:
I’ve been to concerts where it sounded as good as if not better than CD versions. I mean the AC/DC concert I went to was probably the best I’ve ever seen, could literally feel the music.
I’m pretty sure that Spears has already made it public that she lip syncs for her concerts.
Something about being unable to dance and sing at the same time, too much demand on the body.
@FreeShaggy:
How did singers ever become stars in the days before lip-syncing?
Next crazy thing you’ll hear is that baseball players can’t hit and run around bases without using steroids because it’s too stressful on the body.
@FreeShaggy: Um…..i think the deficit has less to do with the dancing and more to do with the fact she is an untalented hack who cannot sing in tune.
@FreeShaggy: Even if she were sitting still, there’s no equipment to make her sound like she has any singing talent.
Going to a concert like this is akin to being a 10 year old on Christmas morning. You know in your heart of hearts that it’s more likely than not lip synced, but being constantly reminded of that fact will probably diminish your enjoyment of the moment.
@chuckv: I was thinking it’s more like going to a WWE event and complaining cause the fights are fixed.
@chuckv:
I saw David Bowie sing “Fame” live on the Sonny and Cher show and felt ripped-off when he didn’t sing that falling pitch “Fame, Fame, Fame” bit. At least he didn’t fake lip syncing it.
I guess Brittany Spears just doesn’t measure up to David Bowie.
dead-pan like Steven Wright!
get off my lawn!
I don’t see why this matters. It is more of a “show” and I don’t see how her vocals could not be winded during dance routines. I think more people would be pissed to hear her gasping for air mid-song.
@whysthsncnsmrst: That’s what I don’t understand I guess. I listen to a band’s album then I see them live because (usually) the live show is more energetic, you get to sing along, maybe get the mic in your face for a singalong part. But what’s the fun in watching a live music video? They’re selling the act more than the music.
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised with this, but I still don’t get it.
I went to see Nsync once (I don’t care what you say, it wasn’t creepy at all that 14 year old me wanted to marry a 30 year old in a boyband) and they had a song where they were bouncing off of trampolines onto a velcro wall while singing without interruption.
It’s common sense. It’s not rocket surgery.
@TheWillow: I need 20ccs of A-1 Stat! Come on people this baby isn’t going to the moon unless we can get that coolant leak plugged.
@TheWillow:
What is this “common sense” you speak of?
I saw Metalica back in the late 80s and even they played a portion of the concert to a backing tape.
If this becomes mandatory, it’ll be on every ticket because everyone does it.
@GMFish: Metallica? in the late 80s? a little part of me just died. unless it was just chopper noises in the beginning of One or something like that this is just unacceptable.
I wouldn’t want to go pay $300 to listen to the PA system. MJ could do both
it’s hard to believe that lip-syncing devestated Milli Vanilli, leading to one of their suicides, and now it’s accepted as a given. has music really degenerated that far since the late 80s?
@craptastico: The difference is it was not Rob and Fab who recorded the tracks that were used for lip-syncing. Britney, at least, records her own vocal track that she lip syncs to.
Absolutely, let’s do this in the U.S.! I rarely go to concerts because so often “artists” don’t actually sing. There is a realness to singing live that you can’t convey in a recording; and hearing a mistake isn’t a show-ruining moment either. It’s life, and it’s live music.
Next up, Aussies sue Michael Bay after learning that Transformers aren’t real.
@Steel_Pelican: I think he deserves it just for making Transformers 2.
Yeah, I think they should disclose it just so that you know and are aware of it. Even if its something that’s on every ticket, at least they can say you are warned ahead of time.
Although it should probably be disclosed BEFORE you purchase the ticket, not sure how this would be done, but it does seem useless to disclose it on the ticket after you have the ticket in your hands and already paid for it. You know kinda like some theme parks disclose what rides are closed/open AFTER you have already paid to park and paid for your tickets, they got you even before you get in the gate.
Do we know of any performer who can pull off dangerous stunts, a lot of dancing and actually sing live at the same time?? I don’t think so.
I think its a little bit ridiculous to expect a performer to sing through the whole concert especially if there is rigorous dancing and dangerous stunts involved. If they are standing or sitting or doing light running then that is different.
I suspect most big-name pop concerts are pre-recorded in the studio, so they are not using the album version, they are using a recording made specifically for the concert.
I also think that performers should at least do a song or 2 live for each concert, even if that means they are sitting down or standing. This way you would have visual entertainment with lip-synching and you would have live singing, which should be a happy enough mix to please everyone. People who pay for the tickets deserve at least that.
This is why I only go to Beyoncé concerts!!
@willfromtexas: Well, in that case, I hate to be the one to break it to you …
@willfromtexas:
My wife does the same thing too.
And this is why I support local music artists, and the occasional established artist where I *know* I’m going to get value for my money (e.g. I recently saw Jane Siberry at a small, intimate venue for $20 and it was worth every penny, and then some). Performers who are trying to make a living (as opposed to funding a pool) are more likely to give back to the audience rather than just “phone it in.”
Unless one is doing an homage to Dario Argento, I expect performers to be live in *every* aspect.
@JollyJumjuck:
+1
niice.
Wow, you people are just aching to line up and get taken. You know, if you can’t repeat a performance on CD live, then don’t perform the way you’re performing. If it means not dancing around like a fucking moron for some sections of a song then don’t dance around like a fucking moron for those sections of the song. It’s very simple. Spectacle can be created without sacrificing performance.
I think with Britney that most people already know that she lip-syncs, I think the only time she sang live was on SNL and you couldn’t even hear her over the band . . . I don’t think that was by accident. If I went to a Britney concert I would not be expecting her to sing live.
As far as having all musicians declare if they are lip-syncing, I think they should. If for nothing more than the shaming factor. I don’t go to concerts that often but I’d be upset if I spent a lot of money on tickets & find out that they were faking it. I think I’d be more inclined to spend money on concert tickets if I knew it was live.
Ms. Spears to be faking it
When I see a reference to a woman “faking it”, “IT” better damn well be something other than singing.
I go to Vegas for the shows and I don’t care if the Dancers are singing–I’m there for the performance of physical talent. I go to small nightclubs for musical performances where I listen to the music.
It seems that the promoters are specifically NOT marketing the musical, singing or concert aspects of the show, but the performance / entertainment aspect.
It is the Circus Tour, starring Brittany Spears. [www.britneyspears.com]
And if exacting musical standards and delivering a life artistic musical performance are of interest to these Aussies, exactly why are they buying Brittany Spears tickets?
Just look for the video on youtube of Enrique Iglesias without his support vocals and you can see how crappy he really is. The problem is not the lip syncing but that they autotune these bastards into sounding like they can sing. The albums should have a warning on them.
If I’m going to see a show then fine to some lip syncing during more physical section, but if I’m going to a CONCERT where a musician (singer/band) is performing I expect the music to be live.
If I was to see a Britney show I’d expect to see a lot more than her just singing, it it was a concert, I expect her to sing
The poll is ineffective. Just because its too be expected doesn’t mean people shouldn’t be informed.
A better, more consumerist oriented poll question would merely be: Should people be informed or not?
My wife and I saw Green Day this past July. Not one note was prerecorded. The closest they come is the use of backup musicians – a guitarist and a pianist (the new CD had piano in it), neither of whom are official members of the band. Were they backstage? Were they on tape? Hell motherfarking no! That wouldn’t be rock and roll, and that’s what Green Day’s fans expect.
If you want me to STFU about Britney Spears being a no-talent hackette, she ought to be made to actually sing on stage. That is, if she can read the teleprompter without staring at it.
If you’re going to a Britney Spears. it’s not like you give a shit about music anyway so I don’t see why a person like that would care if she singing or lip syncing
I like live music a lot. I also expect that a band playing and singing live will not sound like the CD, sometimes it is better, sometimes it is worse. Being able to puton a great show is important, and im ok with it not sounding as perfect as the album, but there really are some bands that wouldnt be around if it werent for being able to fix the mistakes via a computer, and that is a shame.
Y’know, Jerry Garcia’s singing may not have always been letter-perfect all those years, but at least it was his voice.
I think the rule of thumb should be this: if the lead performer is going to do a lot of dancing (Britney, Janet Jackson, etc), assume most if not all of the songs will be lip-synched. There’s no way on earth a performer can dance that much and carry a tune… hell, even Olympic athletes are huffing and puffing in interviews after competing, and that’s only for a few minutes of exertion. You can’t expect even better stamina and control from a singer/dancer.
As for the comments about Broadway: having been a professional stage performer, I can tell you there’s a difference. Next musical you attend, watch whoever is singing the lead; they won’t be dancing up a storm the way the dancers in the chorus are. The people in the chorus are able to sing and dance that hard because they are all helping each other out… they learn to stagger their singing, and mouth the words in some parts, in order to save their breath. It sounds awesome, but that’s because not everyone is singing the entire time. It just looks that way. If the lead performer is sick/loses their voice, they have an understudy that can go on… Britney can’t have an understudy, so if she’s suffering from vocal fatigue from all those shows, the show can go on and the audience gets their entertainment.
Oh — and some musicals have lip-synching by the leads. I toured with a show where we all recorded “click tracks” before the tour started… 2 weeks into the show I lost my voice for several weeks, and to save my voice I’d speak my lines but the “click track” would kick in when it was time to sing. So yes, it’s done there too!
@swingchickie:
I have seen people in Broadway shows and musicals singing their guts out at top volume AND dancing. Yes, it’s strenuous, but all the more impressive because of it.
@swingchickie: Obviously you’ve never seen Beyoncé perform live.
We seem to have dancers we call singers. I doubt many of these “singers” can actually sing well. A cow pissing on a flat rock can sound good with enough sound engineering.
Anagram of Britney Spears: Bray, Siren Pest
I think there should be some disclosure about it, and not a fine-print one either. If I’m going to a concert I want to see the person perform how they should. With people like britney spears she only sings, that’s it. She doesn’t have to play any instruments at all, so at the very least she should at least sing. With bands there’s even more because they have the instrumental players and the singer. How would one feel if they went to a band concert and they’re pretty much playing air guitar/drum/bass/etc AND lip-syncing? It wouldn’t exactly be that much different than watching a music video.
So you mean that even if I’m nailing all the notes in Guitar Hero: Van Halen, I’m not really Eddie and shouldn’t be charging people to watch me play?
Looks like I’ll have to start charging more so that I can budget for a legal defense fund now.
If the promoter advertises a “live performance” of a singer, I expect that person to actually be singing; A live SINGING performance.
If the performer is just going to lip sync a recording, why should I pay the exorbitant prices? My wife could do that for me…
)
Luckily the sort of music performances I attend are much, much more likely to be “live” as I don’t believe most jazz or classical audiences would as easily put up with listening to a recording while the performers simply mime.
If I’m going to listen to a recording, I can do it more easily, less expensively, and likely with better fidelity at home in my music room.
Should fake performances be clearly stated in the advertising? Absolutely! Live music performancees should not be redefined as “pre-recorded music performance with a peson on stage faking it” – Unless it Milli-Vanilli…
[en.wikipedia.org]
If I wanted to listen to pre-recorded music, I simply click the mouse. When I want to hear “live” music performed, I buy a concert ticket.
Concert: performance of music by players or singers
If the band or vocals are “pre-recorded” that needs to be disclosed since they are no longer “performing” the songs.
It’s pretty simple … doesn’t matter how long somebody has been mis-representing themselves or if they shaved their head at some point in their life.
If you sell “concert” tickets, especially “live concert” tickets, you better be performing it live.
I agree with David.c – I think if a show is going to have any vocals or music pre-recorded, They shouldn’t charge such a premium for a “live” performance.
If you want to hear her ACTUAL voice, go to
). Believe me, you would rather have her lip-sync.
I’ve seen Britney twice (shuddup, I have a daughter) in her younger years and I can tell you that her shows are, well, pretty damn incredible. Like her or not, the shows are entertaining and wild with great dancing, amazing sets, explosions and everything else. I didn’t go expecting to see a supreme vocalist, and neither did my kid, we went to see a spectacle and that’s what we got.
On another note, I was a huge Iron Maiden fan as a teenager and saw them several times live, the last time around 1990. It was festival seating and I wanted to get out of the crowd, so I walked up to a seating area that was right behind the sound board. I watched as a technician played a keyboard right along with Steve Harris’ bass line. THAT was devastating….
I’ve heard Britney Spears singing on Demo tracks, and she isn’t lip synching because she’s dancing, she’s lip synching because she can’t sing very well.
Most of her “dancing” is walking around, so COME ON.
Lip sinking is kind of like buying a high quality fake Rolex watch. The fake look, feels, and works like the real thing, but its not the same.
I think the words “lip sync” or something very distinc that will identify the performance as “taped” should have to appear in the title of the show, otherwise it’s like false advertising.
There are gray areas here. Lots of live shows use electronic sampling to fill in the sound, although they are singing and playing their instruments live. Back in the 60s, the Beatles, Moody Blues, etc. used a Mellotron to recreate the sounds of orchestra instruments. That’s why they don’t need a full orchestra on stage with them. Now it’s done with digital sound. That is all fine with me, although I’d also like the raw sound of just the live singing and instruments.
Britney’s show is different. It should be advertised as what it is: A person dancing (but mostly just strutting back and forth across the stage) to prerecorded music. If I want to see someone bad enough to go to one of their concerts, I try to get a close seat. It’s easy to tell from there that the singing and playing is live. The occasional flaws and bum notes are part of the live show. If I went to a concert that was lipsynched, I’d be upset.
My problem with her miming live is the she sells music CD’s not dance videos. An other posters have covered, singing while is done in musical theatre and if it was easy everyone could do it. If Brit-Brit has to tone down her dancing so she can sing, that’s what should be done. If she can’t really sing – then put out dance videos and tour as a dance troupe.
The issue here isn’t just that Ms Spears admits she lip-syncs. As has been pointed out, that’s not news. The issue, rather, is whether or not concert promoters generally should have to report that performers lip-sync.
While I’m not one for “government mandates,” this is not something that should cost anyone any money, though, and it promotes transparency, which is always good for consumers. So there’s little reason not to do it. Online ticket vendors could easily add into the description of some concerts a line like, “This concert may feature simulated vocals” or something along those lines.
One more thing … a lot of commmenters have suggested that it’s somehow not reasonable to expect performers like Ms Spears to dance and sing simultaneously. While it’s true that some exertions can stop vocals, I disagree that it’s impossible to choreograph something really astounding which prevents someone from singing. I’ve spent a few decades doing amateur theater and know MANY performers who were able to both sing and dance — and even perform what might best be called “gymnastics” — at the same time. If amateurs who get paid nothing can do it, then it’s not unreasonable to assume Ms Spears … whose pay for the tour will no doubt be in the millions … can do it.
It may be simply a matter of designing a routine that matches the performer’s ability … but that’s why tours hire choreographers.
Dear God, is there any limit to which government will not go to nanny its subjects?
If you’re so dim as to believe talentless pop hacks are actually performing live, you probably also believe recorded performances are faithful reproductions of their angelic singing voices and that the Photoshopped models in womens’ magazines are all really that perfect.
Shall we require iTunes customers to click through a disclaimer that musical performances have been heavily edited and synthesized or require Photoshopping disclaimers on every altered photo (ie every photo that ever appears in a magazine?).
Go to the damn show, enjoy the spectacle, but don’t think you’re in the presence of true talent, and don’t expect government to warn you that you’re not. They should have better things to spend your money on, and if they don’t, like the old Australian singer used to say, they should just “give it back.”
Britney Spears or not. I want to know if I’m paying for a live performance or a recording. I got burned years ago – paid a lot of money for a “live” concert only to find 5 musicians on stage and a big tape recorder in the back of the auditorium (yeah this was some time ago). Anyway, I thought I was paying for a full orchestra and all I got was a recording. The concert was, to say the least, disappointing. Watching a video would probably have been more entertaining.
This is what happens when you go to see “performers” and “singers” instead of musicians. If you go to see superficial crap, you’re going to get superficial crap.
People who go to see real music (guitar/bass/drum bands, jazz groups or classical orchestras) don’t have this problem. Any bands or groups that faked it on stage would lose all their fans.
I saw the concert. Mouthing the words would have been totally fine . . . IF Brit had put on a real show, rather than just casually walking back and forth across the stage as her backup dancers REALLY danced. Anyone who has seen a previous tour should have known from the first song that Brit was just filling the coffers and in no way ready to get back on the road as the great show-woman she once was. THAT’S what Oz should be mad about.
Most definately they should disclose if they are lip syncing or have prerecording instrument tracks. You are paying for a LIVE show.
One of the most recent examples I can think of was when I think it was Shakira lip sync’d on NBC’s America’s Got Talent. It was totally contradictory to what the contestants were having to do – perform live under pressure. It was in conflict with what the show was about. What a hypocrite pop star and network for letting her do it.
@Smashville_now with Monster Energy: Not only that, but I saw her once when she first came on the scene. (insert lame story about accompanying younger sibling here)
She actually did sing some of her songs. She would stand or sit, and sing. And it was HORRIBLE. I don’t know what key she was trying to sing in, but it wasn’t the key of the songs.
It’s probably a much better show now that she sings none of it live.
@Smashville_now with Monster Energy: Yeah, that’s why all those Broadway shows are lip synced too!
@Smashville_now with Monster Energy: THE HELL?? You take those words RIGHT BACK or I’m unhearting you FOR EVER!!!.
How could you say something like that?? Please tell me you dont mean it… please?
@ElizabethD: You should go to basement shows. It doesn’t get much more real than that.
@GitEmSteveDave_OverSleptThisMorn:
I beg to differ that she actually sang the song in the studio. Yes, maybe sound came out of her mouth, but most of it was studio engineering.
In any case, its still beside the point – any person who proposes that they are a singer, should be able to sing. Live. If they aren’t, then we’re talking about performance art, now, not a concert. That fact should be disclosed.
@GitEmSteveDave_OverSleptThisMorn: I’d imagine that britney “sings” a couple slow songs which would demand she not move around as much.
@philipbarrett: This has been an industry practice for quite some time. It’s why Milli Vanilli wasn’t immediately outed as frauds when their vocal track began to skip during a live performance.
Although the fact that broadway actors can pull it off means they are either more talented, or their dance numbers are not as high energy.
@philipbarrett: not trying to defend Brittany Spears here, but most Broadway dance numbers have a couple dozen singers. When it’s a solo act, the performer is usually still or walking.
@pecan 3.14159265: Probably because Britney refuses to go to anyone’s home and bounce around while lip synching to the CD.
@MostlyHarmless: @Smashville_now with Monster Energy:
Not for nothing gentlemen, but I’m reading your comments as though they are to be spoken with a pompous English accent.
Thanks for the chuckles! Cheerio.
@FreeShaggy: Yet people like Michael Jackson did it so well without lip-syncing.
@philipbarrett: Good one, Leno.
@vladthepaler: GIRL YOU KNOW IT’S GIRL YOU KNOW IT’S
@vladthepaler:
Except it is actually her voice on the track…
I never really understood all of the Milli Vanilli comparisons… she’s not using somebody else’s voice on the CD and then claiming it as hers…
@RecordStoreToughGuy_IsBeing(pur)SuedByAMonster: Yeah, didn’t she say they started playing the wrong song? What’re the odds on 4 or 5 dudes all starting to play the same wrong song at the same time? Hrmm…
@RecordStoreToughGuy_IsBeing(pur)SuedByAMonster: My favorite part was the impromptu “jig/ho-down” she did before bolting.
@rooben: So the reason most artists are popular is they release songs NOT done in a studio? She CAN sing. Like I said, when she’s dancing in addition, though, you can’t expect the theatrics to NOT bring down the quality of her singing. She’s concentrating on the choreography, in addition to running around, which unless you are an olympic athlete, will leave you breathing heavy.
@H3ion: Depending on the act, no. But while I expect when Weird Al is walking up and down the stage to actually sing while playing his accordion, if he’s doing somersaults, I could understand then bleeding in to cover until he’s back. I will guarantee that there is a trained audio tech who is getting someone like Brit’s feed directly into his ear and fades her in and out depending on how out of breath/voicing jumping as she jumps around is.
@H3ion: BIG difference. I agree if it’s a Bill Shatner on stage sitting on a stool lip syncing, then no, I wouldn’t be satisfied. He’s not exerting himself or giving my other senses a performance as well.
@Smashville_now with Monster Energy: I’m reading them with any imaginary French accent. Pure comedy gold.
@Batwaffel: Frankly, he ran circles around anyone in terms of dance and choreography, yet still managed to sound pretty much perfect. I have no idea how he managed that.
@Quake ‘n’ Shake:
Oh yeah:
You are ordering Rolling Stones Tour tickets.
WARNING: OLD. Singing and dancing on stage may be limited and/or bad due to performers advanced age.
@RecordStoreToughGuy_IsBeing(pur)SuedByAMonster: There are some decent pop singers that don’t lip sync.
Jessica, Brittney and this ilk aren’t them, obviously.
@starrion: There was a time when I would have gladly paid a premium to see the Stones in concert.
That time was 1978, and it’s long gone baby.
@H3ion: Or how would you feel about attending an exhibition of a certain artist, only to find that it’s nothing but prints and reproductions?
@diasdiem: That’s a good point. Would you go to a Rembrandt exhibit where everything hanging on the wall was a poster. I guess the issue is that if the gallery advertised that the exhibition was posters, I could make up my own mind to go or not. With a music performance, I expect to hear the singer(s) perform. If I wanted to just listen to their CDs, I could buy them.
@Coles_Law: This. Otherwise having a show called “A Chorus Line” probably wouldn’t make a ton of sense.
There’s a reason why Angel’s table jump in Rent isn’t during the middle of a line, y’know.
@Coles_Law: Usually, but not always. In Boy From Oz, Hugh Jackman was doing nearly all the heavy lifting in terms of singing and dancing, and he did both without needing to resort to lip synching (and on a broken foot toward the end of the run). While I can understand that it’s difficult for someone to do non-stop, high-energy dancing and singing for a two-hour concert, isn’t that where building a good set list and intermissions come into play? And more to the point, isn’t the fact that it’s difficult and not everyone can do it pretty much the justification for charging hundreds of bucks for concert tickets?
@Smashville_now with Monster Energy:
And by “tastes” you mean “spending hundreds of dollars to see someone pretend to sing”? I don’t think that’s a matter of taste; more a matter of, well, consumerist priorities.
@Awjvail: But how do you know for sure it IS her voice on the CD?
@ElizabethD: Yes. I can’t stand movies and don’t understand why someone would rather pay to see a screen than go see live theater, but that doesn’t mean they’re wasting their money. I *really* don’t understand why some people pay hundreds of dollars for a louis vuitton bag when I can get one for $10 on a street corner, but it’s their money, not mine.
I never understood why my guy friends like the WWE, it’s obviously fake (don’t know why people like real wrestling/boxing/ufc either). Then I went to a payperview royal rumble party and I actually had a good time – but it’s still stupid and fake.
If it makes them happy, let them spend their money.
@AdvocatesDevil: because if it isn’t, then surely they could have found a better one.
@TheWillow: I know WWE is fake, but enjoy the athletic ability and coordination it takes to make it look that good. If i liked an artist, and knew they were doing lip synch during dance numbers, i’d probably pay for the ticket to see them dance. Same basic thing. I agree with the Australian Govt. that it should be announced, but refuse to judge someone else’s tastes in comparison to my own.
@flugennock: I never got to see Pink Floyd live. Since they are my favorite band of all time, that makes me sad.
@H3ion: What’s not being able to read have to do with vocal range?
@H3ion:
To carry this analogy just slightly further, what if you paid to see a live performance and the artist just played a video of a previous performance. Wouldn’t you feel that you had been scammed?
Using an audio recording or a video recording of another performance without disclosure that this is what you will receive at the “live” performance, you are ripping off the ticket purchasers.
@GitEmSteveDave_OverSleptThisMorn:
Sorry, I call bunk pure and simple.
I have seen pop concerts, and broadway shows by the truckload that were in no way sedate and standing still. The artists involved always managed to perform to my expectations with out disappointing.
A “live” concert predicates a “Live” performance…if you are spending that much cash on a show you should get a true performance, or at least be told that you are paying to see Brittany dance. I have paid to go to the ballet before and have no problem with it.
@ElizabethD: Basement shows are THE best shows to see or play in.
@ElizabethD: You need to put The Middle East on that list. I’d much prefer that club than The Paradise. Oh, and Great Scott too.
@Sanspants:
Thanks for the venue tips!
@TheWillow: Which means Billie Joe’s vocal range is WAY better than Britney’s. Also, that’s three more chords than Britney plays.
@VioletPheonix: Nothing, but reading a teleprompter is kinda tough.
@Dawnrazor: Agreed. To add my own experience to this, I just saw Trans Siberian Orchestra this weekend, and HOLY CRAP were they amazing. And there wasn’t any lip synching there. They play instruments/since/dance all over and sound incredible doing it.