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"€69 for listening to Muse on tape" - Technician talking about the Werchter gig


WeirdF

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Maybe you don't think it's necessary because you've heard them playing with the backing tracks :p
Haha very possible, I went to the 2nd gig of this tour, but I guess they could have used recordings from previous tours.

 

Actually come to think of it, some of the sound quality on Emirates night 1 wasn't that great. I could barely hear Unintended over an incredibly loud distorted, single-tone bass sound fucking me in the ear, but that might have been because I was on the barrier directly in front of that huge tower of speakers.

 

If it helps sound quality and they are actually still playing live over the top of it, then I don't really mind that much.

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Where is the fb action at? :p

 

-

 

De Standaard has better comments, most of the people take their time to think there. I commented at the post on Nieuwsblad's wall because there were some really stupid comments there. There's someone who says that Muse sounds like his fridge. :LOL:

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I'm not too surprising given the number of songs using instrumentation that requires a lot more than three or four people and Muse's apparent fear about not getting things perfect on stage. Especially as stadium gigs focus heavily on the spectacle.

 

We all know that many songs require backing tracks for strings, synths, backing vocals etc anyway. But to what extent? None of these comments seem to qualify how much and what is pre-recorded. Muse gave up the idea of writing songs that were practical live with BHaR, which really necessitated things like touring with Morgan and switching things up in Hoodoo etc. I can imagine songs like Follow Me rely heavily on backing tracks.

 

The questions is does anyone really care enough to not see them live?

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We all know that many songs require backing tracks for strings, synths, backing vocals etc anyway. But to what extent? None of these comments seem to qualify how much and what is pre-recorded.

 

He says it's not only strings and backing vocals but also parts of guitar and parts of the drum!

But like I already said, this guy must be the best sound technician in the world if he can tell what parts are recorded because he wasn't working during the concert!

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I'm 100% positive that Muse use more backing tracks and additional electronic support than we know or would like to know about. This guy though seems to be taking it right out of his ass and doesn't seem to be specific about this gig or Muse but about all 'big acts' in general. It seems to me that Muse use basically none 'playback' as in the definition of a tape running in the background and Muse syncing along with it. It seems to be that all moments that might be tampered with are triggered by either Morgan or the techs, with Unsustainable or songs with string-arrangement as obvious examples. They've also said several times that Dom's drums are part electronic where sounds are triggered by his actual drumming making a more rich sound.

 

But it should be obvious that there are no 'tapes' running just by looking at this; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loZWxelAumw

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I totally believe this. Not that they mime, but that backing tracks are used to enrich the spine. Theres layers of drums in unsustainable for example. It doesn't mean they aren't playing though. I've never seen a performance though where matt has used a track for his vocals. (I mean aside from the old tv show where they all switched places)

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I totally believe this. Not that they mime, but that backing tracks are used to enrich the spine. Theres layers of drums in unsustainable for example. It doesn't mean they aren't playing though. I've never seen a performance though where matt has used a track for his vocals. (I mean aside from the old tv show where they all switched places)

 

 

I know it doesn't really count, but you said 'performance' not gig.

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Cant believe i'm going to say this but

 

HLN > Het nieuwsblad

 

http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/946/Muziek/article/detail/1655612/2013/06/20/Muse-en-de-tape-op-Werchter-tijd-om-even-te-nuanceren.dhtml?fb_action_ids=10200113119971086&fb_action_types=og.recommends&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%7B%2210200113119971086%22%3A386272461479046%7D&action_type_map=%7B%2210200113119971086%22%3A%22og.recommends%22%7D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D

 

I'll translate when i got time but it basicly owns het nieuwsblad his article in the face.

It says there is no playback and everything was live except for some backing tracks. But that all instruments were live basicly. Full translation when i got time :)

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Cant believe i'm going to say this but

 

HLN > Het nieuwsblad

 

http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/946/Muziek/article/detail/1655612/2013/06/20/Muse-en-de-tape-op-Werchter-tijd-om-even-te-nuanceren.dhtml?fb_action_ids=10200113119971086&fb_action_types=og.recommends&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%7B%2210200113119971086%22%3A386272461479046%7D&action_type_map=%7B%2210200113119971086%22%3A%22og.recommends%22%7D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D

 

I'll translate when i got time but it basicly owns het nieuwsblad his article in the face.

It says there is no playback and everything was live except for some backing tracks. But that all instruments were live basicly. Full translation when i got time :)

 

Great article! :)

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Translation:

"Not one band loves to admit it, but Muse used the tape a lot", says Patrick Demoustier from PRG Productions. "They overused it. But I know that it's tempting to use tapes for many bands." PRG Productions is responsible for the sound of all big productions by LiveNation, the organisation behind events including Rock Werchter. But they weren't responsible for the sound during Werchter Boutique, the crew of the band was at the controls here.

 

This part made me :LOL:

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Other newspapers publicized the same article as Het Nieuwsblad though. /:

 

Just de standaard and focus knack (focus knack allways give muse bad reviews anyway)

De morgen and HLN instantly deleted the article as they though about it twice

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There is a big difference between playback and what he describes. This is essentially live multi-tracking. Its obvious that Muse rely greatly on multi-tracking in the studio so it is even more necessary in a live situation where any weakness in the sound will be noticed by the crowd. It is not the crowds demanding perfection, its Muse wanting to replicate the largeness of the studio track.

 

I think there was a bit of sensationalizing on both sides. The guy shouldn't have said playback as it simply isn't playback as we commonly know it and the journalist for running with unconfirmed allegations.

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i dont imagine the whole sets are performed with backing tracks, but i have read recently that dom h uses recorded drum tracks which are played in tandem with dom hitting the drums at the same time. this produces a fatter meatier sound.

 

I dont know how much truth there is in the guitar backing tracks though. we all know how anti-miming the band are.

 

They did that kind of stuff in the Absolution days, wouldn't surprise me if they do it now but for the most part they seemed to have moved to getting a good enough sound out of their own instruments to not require double tracks.

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Just de standaard and focus knack (focus knack allways give muse bad reviews anyway)

De morgen and HLN instantly deleted the article as they though about it twice

 

Well Humo gave them a good review this time, must be the first time ever. :LOL:

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Cant believe i'm going to say this but

 

HLN > Het nieuwsblad

 

http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/946/Muziek/article/detail/1655612/2013/06/20/Muse-en-de-tape-op-Werchter-tijd-om-even-te-nuanceren.dhtml?fb_action_ids=10200113119971086&fb_action_types=og.recommends&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%7B%2210200113119971086%22%3A386272461479046%7D&action_type_map=%7B%2210200113119971086%22%3A%22og.recommends%22%7D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D

 

I'll translate when i got time but it basicly owns het nieuwsblad his article in the face.

It says there is no playback and everything was live except for some backing tracks. But that all instruments were live basicly. Full translation when i got time :)

 

Thanks for posting!

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