Megadeth Festival = No amps anywhere for ALL bands!!!

[Markedman]

You read that right - no amps or amp heads for the guitar players. The only bands that had cabinets on stage where Coheed & Cambria and Shine Down. There were some Ampeg bass stacks in some bands back line but not many, the most notable was Shine Down with 4 Ampeg bass stacks. I went on Sunday only so I didn't see Lamb of God.


http://www.revolvermag.com/news/rockn-derby-announces-lineup.html

 

[Markedman]

So 32 people have looked at this post and no comment? Are all of you thinking, "Wow, this guy just realized nobody uses amps anymore?" Just because guitar playing is going the way of the horse and carriage, I'd thought amp makers would hold on until this last nail in the coffin was knocked in!

 

[MichaelC4]

I've been watching a lot of the Rig Rundown videos on YouTube.
Those professional techs have it down pretty good backstage, running two rigs - one for the stage and one for the PA.

I honestly do not like large shows. Almost hate them.

The last big show I went to was Anthrax, Testament and Death Angel.
The PA was so boomy with the low end, the whole show sucked sound wise.

Add in D.R.I. and Voivod, and that makes 5 bands I've loved since the '80s.

I watched both of those bands in bars recently.
They used amps on stage.
The sound was awesome.
Plus, it's easier to meet the band.

 

[screamingdaisy]

So 32 people have looked at this post and no comment? Are all of you thinking, "Wow, this guy just realized nobody uses amps anymore?" Just because guitar playing is going the way of the horse and carriage, I'd thought amp makers would hold on until this last nail in the coffin was knocked in!

I think it's more that we aren't that interested in modellers.

 

[YellowJacket]

So 32 people have looked at this post and no comment? Are all of you thinking, "Wow, this guy just realized nobody uses amps anymore?" Just because guitar playing is going the way of the horse and carriage, I'd thought amp makers would hold on until this last nail in the coffin was knocked in!

I think it's more that we aren't that interested in modellers.

S'truth. I own a Torpedo Live and it's super awesome but I'm not going to be selling my cabs anytime soon!

 

[domct203]

So 32 people have looked at this post and no comment? Are all of you thinking, "Wow, this guy just realized nobody uses amps anymore?" Just because guitar playing is going the way of the horse and carriage, I'd thought amp makers would hold on until this last nail in the coffin was knocked in!

Wow dude, relax.

Most bands these days will have their rigs off stage, some using an iso-cab (or box) for FOH send, and in-ears for monitors.

What made you think they are not using traditional amps?

A clean stage seems the be 'the thing' lately. Personally, I like to see amps on stage, but at a multi-band event there's an advantage to the backline being off stage as the next band's rig can be set up and ready to go before they get on stage.

Dom

 

[Markedman]

Schmier: "It's just a sad fact that a lot of rock and metal bands nowadays are using backing-track tape for backing up the band, with vocals, and strings, and backing vocals, and guitars, and keyboards, and all kinds of ****. For me, when you play live, there should be no backing track. A lot of vocalists also back up their whole lead vocals with backing tracks nowadays, and that's a very sad fact. In that song 'Elegant Pigs', I'm asking 'What the **** happened to rock 'n' roll?' It's lying. The fans don't know when the band is cheating, but for me it's a ******* topic that I want to talk about. A lot of my musician friends don't like the fact that I'm talking about it, but I don't care. For me, rock 'n' roll is a holy spirit, and it's a ******* no-go to do this in this kind of music. A lot of pop bands have been doing this for generations, but not in heavy metal. Yeah, I'm dealing with stuff that is basically bothering me. It's also a big release for me to write lyrics — kind of my own psychological session."

Read more at http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/destructions-schmier-says-heavy-metal-bands-using-backing-tracks-in-concert-are-lying-to-fans/#yEJGTRiF80Ggicd5.99


I forgot to add that some bands, for sure Shine Down, had multiple backing tracks.

 

[JT_Marshmallow]

(It's not a Boogie Board thread unless someone mentions Petrucci, eh?)

This reminds me of when I went to see Dream Theater in 2014 and I was all excited to stare at his refrigerator rack for the whole show. But... nothing. No racks, no heads, no cabs. Nothin. What the hell? The worst part is, that he had some sort of fake cartoony-looking facade of an amp behind him, but I had to stare at it for like a half hour to realize it's not some whacky looking amp, it's just a facade. Needless to say I was slightly disappointed not being able to see his amp...

... so, OP, I totally feel you.

 

[elvis]

I see a lot of interviews and rig rundowns where the on-stage guitar is a traditional amp, but FOH is an AXE FX.

A lot of guys try various technologies and what you see today is gone tomorrow. It's kind of funny to see a guitarist with 3 totally different rigs in 3 tours over maybe 6 years. Guess they get GAS too.

I will agree that lately it seems like the guys running FOH are incompetent. I used to love medium and larger venues, but these days they run WAY too much volume and saturate the venue. You can't hear anything, and it's painful even with good ear plugs. I've walked out of 50% of the last few shows I went to. BFMV and Alter Bridge were the worst (Warfield, SF). Opening bands sound GREAT, headliners volume went up 20dB and it was just mush.

 

[elvis]

So 32 people have looked at this post and no comment? Are all of you thinking, "Wow, this guy just realized nobody uses amps anymore?" Just because guitar playing is going the way of the horse and carriage, I'd thought amp makers would hold on until this last nail in the coffin was knocked in!

I don't see how it affects me, other than pretty soon it will be easier for me to gig with a rack emulator, since they are really pushing the tech and quality of them. I have a room full of gear that could be mistaken for a music store. I will always have my amps and cabs.

 

[screamingdaisy]

I see a lot of interviews and rig rundowns where the on-stage guitar is a traditional amp, but FOH is an AXE FX.

I've seen similar with speaker sims and iso cabs. I think a lot of it is that artists (or their soundmen) are looking for consistency. Eliminating the mic achieves that, as does reducing the number of mics on stage.

 

[vick1000]

Yeah, most big touring bands use rack rigs backstage with iso-cabs. A lot still use tube amps and pedals chains, just racked and maybe a backup amp in there that's not used. Then in ear monitors of course.

 

[Dreamtheaterrules]

I went to see Gigantour a few years ago. GIGANTIC sound system, WAY WAY WAY too loud to get anywhere near. We started with Dream Theater playing and we were 5 feet from stage. I had no ear plugs with me and immediately almost ran out to the side and first tried about 30 feet back, then settled about 60 feet back. I ended up standing right next to the mix tent. The two hippies "running" the mixer were standing there talking the whole time. The mix was terrible! I'm a sound man, btw. I leaned over after 3 songs and first nicely said that we couldn't hear the guitar solos or keyboards." They guy just looked at me like he didn't care.

But before they started playing, I heard the setup for JP's guitar when the PA was muted and it sounded killer.

I'm really into Circus Maximus. Best new band I've discovered in years. Since Dream Theater, in fact. Their guitar player has gone almost exclusively to Axe. Why? Well, think about this. They are incredible, but haven't really hit big so they tour constantly and have to "travel light" whenever possible. Axe/in ear monitors travels way lighter than even a half stack for bands that are touring all over Europe, etc. Many bands are going to them as a way to save space, travel costs, setup hassles, etc.

That said, yeah MM I'm with you. Next time I see Dave and the boys, I will be disappointed if there is not a Marshall on stage as there has been every other time I've seen them. Just doesn't seem right. Now that JP has a signature amp, I'm sure we won't see him ampless on stage any time soon, but again, seeing him onstage without a Mesa just wouldn't be right.

The new breed of modelers is incredible, but this IS rock and roll and WE NEED TUBE AMPS! We used to see walls of amps behind a guitar player for the visual effect, when they were only using one. Now we've come all the way to where many of them don't even have an amp onstage. It's just wrong.

 

[Jorn218]

Schmier: "It's just a sad fact that a lot of rock and metal bands nowadays are using backing-track tape for backing up the band, with vocals, and strings, and backing vocals, and guitars, and keyboards, and all kinds of sh!t. For me, when you play live, there should be no backing track. A lot of vocalists also back up their whole lead vocals with backing tracks nowadays, and that's a very sad fact. In that song 'Elegant Pigs', I'm asking 'What the f%&# happened to rock 'n' roll?' It's lying. The fans don't know when the band is cheating, but for me it's a f%&# topic that I want to talk about. A lot of my musician friends don't like the fact that I'm talking about it, but I don't care. For me, rock 'n' roll is a holy spirit, and it's a f%&# no-go to do this in this kind of music. A lot of pop bands have been doing this for generations, but not in heavy metal. Yeah, I'm dealing with stuff that is basically bothering me. It's also a big release for me to write lyrics — kind of my own psychological session."

Read more at http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/destructions-schmier-says-heavy-metal-bands-using-backing-tracks-in-concert-are-lying-to-fans/#yEJGTRiF80Ggicd5.99


I forgot to add that some bands, for sure Shine Down, had multiple backing tracks.

Everyone is too worried about being album perfect live. Schmier is dead ******* on about this. Same goes for over produced metal recordings where nowadays metal has become more distorted guitar techno where everything is quantiZed until there is no soul to the music. Recording to a click to ensure changes and measures are nailed, but when slip editing is used to perfectly place notes and transients within the grid sucks balls. Then there is the laughable use of Autotune on growled vocals. Metal is the black sheep offspring of rock and roll and should act like it. Not wannabe techno.

 

[Silverwulf]

Using back tracks (at least for vocals) is standard practice these days for a lot of professional/touring rock bands. Seen it on shows we played, declined a guitarist slot with a band (toured too much for my liking these days) that played high profile shows and has some small radio acclaim, and it was one of the first things I was told (in regards to backing tracks)..."Everyone is doing it these days".