Coldplay's use of Backing Tracks: good or bad?

[falshirmjager42]

Coldplay's live sound has really gotten "full" sounding over the years - especially with the VLV tour. If you listen closely, you can hear original tracks being played from the album: tambourines, organ, synths, guitars, even vocals.

What does everyone think about this??

[Pseudonym]

Kind of annoying, but if that's what they want to do, I trust them

[yellowtalk]

it doesn't really pain me, i mean they are doing alot of the work and if that creates a better concert experience for everyone i don't see why they can't be used. Where exactly are the vocals back tracked?

[toole13]

I think it's a little cheap, but they played the tracks in the first place. They have such a full sound that it's impossible to create it all onstage with 4 guys. I don't blame them at all. It's a little disappointing, but can you blame them? My love for their music isn't diminished at all.

[Ebs757]

It just kind of disappoints me that a band like The Killers has music with tons of instruments except they can reproduce everything live, Tuba, violin etc.

[A RUSH OF VIDA]

Other bands actually put other people on stage to play the instruments and Coldplay can do that aswell but i read Chris say that they only want them 4 on stage...so thats why i guess that dont do it.....

[gotcheese2768]

well i think it is ok...i mean come on when you go to a coldplay concert you aren't like omg why do they used backing tracks...you're like omfg i'm seeing coldplay live!!!

[yonan32]

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gotcheese2768;2770704
well i think it is ok...i mean come on when you go to a coldplay concert you aren't like omg why do they used backing tracks...you're like omfg i'm seeing coldplay live!!!

---

i have to say i disagree with your opinion.. i mean, i go to a coldplay concert to see them live, not to see them playing over pre-recorded tracks. it's a bit like seeing them playing Guitar Hero or Rock Band on a grander scale, isn't it? well yes not exactly since they play real instruments, but it's missing an organic feel.

by using backing tracks, they're not in total control of the music we hear. for example there's no way the coulda stop in the middle of Viva La Vida and ask the audience to sing the whoa-a-a-oh part over and over as they'd like, they have to stick to the original composition.

please don't hate me.

[yellowtalk]

I'm pretty sure that the Whoa-a-a-oh part is NOT pre-corded as Will Champion introduced the song by singing it a number of times over.

[r2ro]

I don't mind if it's the odd extra instrument they are playing as a backing track but I'd rather they do it all themselves live or have other people in the wings playing it live. It's not quite as authentic if they are just playing over a backing track.

I notice that loops are used a lot in this tour, particularly to allow Chris to jump around and not be stuck behind the piano.

Still, we never hear what these songs sound like without all the extra MIDI sounds being played. It might turn out that without these backing sounds the songs sound rubbish, so if that was the case then the backing tracks are a good thing.

[yonan32]

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by yellowtalk;2796240
I'm pretty sure that the Whoa-a-a-oh part is NOT pre-corded as Will Champion introduced the song by singing it a number of times over.

---

what i meant was, they couldn't stop in the middle of the song, and ask the audience to sing the Whoa-a-a-oh part. like the old sing along trick, ask the left-side audience only first, then the right-side audience only, then the female only, etc. ok bad example maybe. point is they can't change a song structure spontaneously.

[A RUSH OF VIDA]

Its not a bid deal cause its not like its every song....Who cares their GREAT!

[bearcat1229]

It doesn't bother me one bit that they use backing tracks. What DOES bother me is that there are certain songs that use backing tracks to that really could be played live. examples:

Lovers in Japan: There are multiple guitar parts in this piece, however Jonny plays the easiest part live and backing tracks play the more complicated parts.

Lost!: The organ sound really could be played by Chris, but he's too busy jumping around which I guess is his perogative.

Viva La Vida: Would have been a SWEET encore if they could play that with a live Symphony.

Life in Technicolor: Jonny could play the intro riff on his guitar...that would be sweet.

In the end though the backing is kinda needed with the new stuff since it is so layered. Its just like watching Jon Hopkins, alot of his stuff pre-recording parts and drum loops because...well he is only one man.

[Stefan-C8]

I have to say... I don't care. They can play the cd and just jump up and down for 90 minutes, I'd still like it

.. ok that's not true. But it didn't bother me at the concerts I was at.

[majgirl]

I don't mind it here and there in a concert. I know they used them in the twisted logic tour, but the live instrumentation was heavy enough to overpower it...not so on this tour.
If I cant tell where the cd stops and the live show begins, theres too much tape. Thats just how I feel, and a couple times during the show I knew they were playing the cd louder than they had the band turned up. Thats a no no for me, especially at those ticket prices. It doesn't help that every song was played very stream line either, unlike in past tour there was very little festive embellishment of the songs which reiterated just how not live sections were.