toothace
Zombie Thirteen, DFZ
Have to say I was impressed with Lady Gaga's performance....but wasn't the highlight her guitarist sporting a PRS?
Have to say I was impressed with Lady Gaga's performance....but wasn't the highlight her guitarist sporting a PRS?
If I recall correctly, the vox are the only thing allowed live. I don't think she synced...at least not all of it. Vocal tracks, yeah, but I thought I heard a few slightly pitchy spots- not bad, but not album perfect either. I'd have to watch again without a bunch of people in the room talking.Should add - I'm not sure if they make all the vocals lip-synced. I can't remember if they mentioned that in the Flea article.
If I recall correctly, the vox are the only thing allowed live. I don't think she synced...at least not all of it. Vocal tracks, yeah, but I thought I heard a few slightly pitchy spots- not bad, but not album perfect either. I'd have to watch again without a bunch of people in the room talking.
Also need to remember that the NFL is an entertainment mega giant. They are there purely to make money. You might get a few live vox and an occasional live guitar, but they are throwing together a major production- set up and tear down inside a 1/2 hour. They can't afford technical difficulties and the the chances are just less without a full live band. They're there to appeal to the masses, so you're gonna get what they can pull off with the least margin of error(tracks with a couple live things). It is what it is, I don't expect anything more. Musicians argue about this every year, just like we argue over what music is popular. Bottom line is that it's what the masses want that makes the big $. That's what the NFL cares about.
Flea Defends Red Hot Chili Peppers' 'Unplugged' Super Bowl Performance
Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea has responded to reports that he and his bandmates' instruments were not plugged in during their Super Bowl performance with Bruno Mars last Sunday.
In a post on the band's website, Flea noted that the band was aware from the beginning that everything but the vocals would be pre-recorded. Although the group's stance on miming in the past has been "we will absolutely not do it," he wrote that the band chose to go through with the performance because "it was a surreal-like, once in a life time crazy thing to do and we would just have fun and do it."
"I am grateful to the NFL for having us," he wrote. "And I am grateful to Bruno, who is a super talented young man for inviting us to be a part of his gig. I would do it all the same way again."
The Chili Peppers performed the band's hit "Give It Away" toward the end of Bruno Mars' Super Bowl halftime show performance.
Read the full message below.
Dear everybody,
When we were asked by the NFL and Bruno to play our song Give It Away at the Super Bowl, it was made clear to us that the vocals would be live, but the bass, drums, and guitar would be pre-recorded. I understand the NFL's stance on this, given they only have a few minutes to set up the stage, there a zillion things that could go wrong and ruin the sound for the folks watching in the stadium and the t.v. viewers. There was not any room for argument on this, the NFL does not want to risk their show being botched by bad sound, period.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers stance on any sort of miming has been that we will absolutely not do it. The last time we did it (or tried to) was in the late 80's, we were thrown off of 'The Top Of the Pops' television program in the U.K. during rehearsals because we refused to mime properly, I played bass with my shoe, John played guitar atop Anthony's shoulders, and we basically had a wrestling match onstage, making a mockery of the idea that it was a real live performance.
We mimed on one or two weird MTV shows before that and it always was a drag. We take our music playing seriously, it is a sacred thing for us, and anyone who has ever seen us in concert (like the night before the Super Bowl at the Barclays Center), knows that we play from our heart, we improvise spontaneously, take musical risks, and sweat blood at every show. We have been on the road for 31 years doing it.
So, when this Super Bowl gig concept came up, there was a lot of confusion amongst us as whether or not we should do it, but we eventually decided, it was a surreal-like, once in a life time crazy thing to do and we would just have fun and do it. We had given this a lot of thought before agreeing to do it, and besides many a long conversation amongst ourselves, I spoke with many musician friends for whom I have the utmost respect, and they all said they would do it if asked, that it was a wild trippy thing to do, what the hell. Plus, we the RHCP all love football too and that played a big part in our decision. We decided that, with Anthony singing live, that we could still bring the spirit and freedom of what we do into the performance, and of course we played every note in the recording specially for the gig. I met and spoke with Bruno, who was a beautiful dude, a real talented musician, and we worked out something that seemed like it would be fun.
We recorded a track for the day, just banged one out from our hearts that was very like in spirit to the versions we have been playing live the last few years with our beloved Josh on guitar.
For the actual performance, Josh, Chad, and I were playing along with the pre recorded track so there was no need to plug in our guitars, so we did not. Could we have plugged them in and avoided bumming people out who have expressed disappointment that the instrumental track was pre recorded? Of course easily we could have and this would be a non-issue. We thought it better to not pretend. It seemed like the realest thing to do in the circumstance. It was like making a music video in front of a gazillion people, except with live vocals, and only one chance to rock it. Our only thought was to bring the spirit of who we are to the people.
I am grateful to the NFL for having us. And I am grateful to Bruno, who is a super talented young man for inviting us to be a part of his gig. I would do it all the same way again.
We, as a band, aspire to grow as musicians and songwriters, and to continue to play our guts out live onstage for anyone who wants to get their brains blown out.
Sincerely,
Flea
Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith also responded to the controversy through his Twitter page saying: "FYI.... Every band in the last 10 years at the Super Bowl has performed to a previously recorded track. It's the NFL's policy. Period."
AHS... Hmmm...I want to be a bigger fan of hers. I think she's really talented and a good entertainer (I really liked her on AHS) but it's the songs, man. She hasn't written anything that makes her "undeniable" for me, yet. Even her cover of one of my favorite songs of all time (I Want Your Love) didn't do it for me.I'm sure she's got it in her though.
I didn't really care for the show. Compared to last year's, and on a scale of Bruno Mars to Beyonce, I give her a Coldplay.