Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott has defended his band towards accusations they use backing tracks throughout their live shows.
Throughout a dialog with Stereogum, the singer addressed rumors that Def Leppard’s performances are technologically enhanced.
“I don’t usually touch upon this type of stuff, however a buddy of mine simply despatched me some hyperlink to one thing on YouTube, a latest posting by, forgive me, I don’t know his identify, Chuck one thing from Testomony [singer Chuck Billy], I feel it’s, and [ex-W.A.S.P. guitarist] Chris Holmes accusing us of utilizing backing tracks,” Elliott defined. “I don’t get offended at this. I’m flattered as a result of their requirements have to be very totally different to ours. For anyone that thinks we use backing tracks, it should imply that after they hear us, they’ll’t imagine how good it’s for actual.”
‘We Do not Use Backing Tracks. We Use Results.’
“We don’t use backing tracks. We use results,” Elliott defined. “God, who wouldn’t? When there’s 4 individuals singing, we use results. There’s no tapes of backing vocals.”
Whereas the singer was adamant that Def Leppard doesn’t use any recorded vocals, he admitted they do make the most of another onstage wizardry.
“We use keyboards. We use a number of drum loops as a result of, in equity, two-armed drummers use drum loops, however Rick Allen, to play a tune like ‘Rocket’, it’s a cacophony of toms that one arm couldn’t play. So, yeah, we use a triggered loop, which is a part of his drum equipment, however [U2 drummer] Larry Mullen’s been doing that for years. So have 1000’s of different drummers to boost a sound. However backing tracks or taking part in alongside to a backing observe — we’ve by no means completed that, by no means. We’ve by no means mimed to the vocals, or we’ve by no means had multiples of stuff on tape. It’s actually dwell.”
READ MORE: The Most Performed Track Stay by 20 Hair Steel Bands
Elliott stated he’d be “comfortable to ask” any of Def Leppard’s doubters to “come stand aspect stage with a pair of headphones on so they may really hear what’s popping out of the stage.”
“If we’re operating at about 90 p.c [live], it’s greater than most individuals’s 100%. As a result of we do play and sing, it does take a toll. You’ll be able to, say, play Denver, the place it’s a mile above sea degree, and when you’ve acquired a gig the subsequent day, your voice goes to be fairly shot. We have now to get to a degree the place if it’s a little bit beneath final evening, it’s nonetheless acceptable to the viewers due to the adrenaline and the truth that it’s dwell and you may hear possibly a little bit of hoarseness or any person’s fingers slip as a result of it’s so chilly, they’ll’t preserve their fingers on the strings. Issues like that occurs to each single band, and that’s what brings the humanity to it. However we’re very happy with the truth that we play dwell, and we sing dwell, and we don’t use tapes.”
Bands Who Have Admitted to Utilizing Backing Tracks
These musicians say backing tracks assist them placed on one of the best present they’ll and haven’t any disgrace in confessing it.
Gallery Credit score: Todd Fooks
Supply hyperlink