During a recent interview with Talkin’ Rock with Meltdown, Fozzy frontman Chris Jericho talked about bands using backing tracks. He mentioned groups such as Guns N’ Roses, Queen, and Def Leppard, among the names using a background in their performances.
The backing track is basically to have the recording of a song’s particular portion to be played on stage. Many bands use this method during live performances for specific instruments or parts of a piece. People have been discussing whether groups should use it or not, some criticizing it while others think this is something bands have to do.
In an interview, Chris Jericho mentioned that rock musicians using backing tracks does not mean that they do not play on the stage. He explained that because they were using various tracks while recording, the songs do not give the same sound as they have limited instruments on stage if they do not use a background.
Jericho explained these by giving examples from bands Guns N’ Roses, Def Leppard, and Queen. He said that Def Leppard had to use backing tracks because they recorded ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’ with many guitars tracks. Jericho also added that Queen used backing tracks in the ’70s while they were playing Bohemian Rhapsody on stage.
Jericho said in the interview about using backing tracks that:
“We use backing tracks for some songs, and everybody does. Unless you’re Guns N’ Roses. Let me rephrase that. If you’re in Slash’s band. Guns N’ Roses has backing tracks. They have a keyboard player. It’s just the way of the world right now. It doesn’t mean we’re not singing and not playing.
If you’re listening to a record, you go to a Def Leppard gig, and you hear ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’ that was recorded with 25 tracks of guitars, you can’t just go with two guitars on stage and in your right mind think there wasn’t something building up the background there.
It’s just kind of the way that bands are. It doesn’t make you any less of a band. ‘Cause, you know what? Queen used tracks in the ’70s. If you don’t believe me, watch it when they play ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ live.”
Chris Jericho explained that using backing tracks is a part of playing in a band. He expressed his opinion by mentioning that it does not mean that they do not play the songs on the stage. They were using many instruments and tracks in the process of recording while they had limited instruments on the stage. That is why many bands have to use it to perform the songs correctly.
