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I've never been a fan of pop. Most people here will know this. I don't like the way the industry takes a nobody, gives them a song and a video, then once they have made their cash they drop them and get someone else to lure the change out of the kid's pockets.
What always makes me chuckle about it though is the miming. No other music genre would be allowed to get away with it. Definately not the metal scene, that's for sure. Nirvana classicly made a point of their miming on TOTP a while back, playing no chords whatsoever on the guitars and Kurt was obviously saying 'blah, blah, blah', but apart from that, bands that feature real instruments generally play live on shows.
This is because they can. Many of the rock/metal artists you see started out as pub giggers, where the pop princesses were plucked out of the crowd for being pretty and launched into stardom.
It's pretty easy to spot a faker, the lip syncing is the usual giveaway. Some of them - the more rehearsed/established acts - do a very good job of their mime. but this is not the point. The point is that we know as a nation that a recording studio can hide a multitude of sins (Victoria Beckham), but we want to know that the singer on stage is actually capable of singing the tune they have released on their name.
Some shows have realised that this is what the people want to see. Top of the pops generally has someone actually playing live on their show, though the odd mime slides in occasionally - usually with the dance tracks. Programmes like CD:uk, T4, Pepsi Chart, they don't care about it, and miming is throughout the show.
There are other reasons why the acts mime other than their lack of ability. Some shows, like live saturday morning kids shows, just cannot technically support a live act. There is a bit more to it than just plugging it all in, and this is fair enough I suppose, though I have yet to see Holly Valance play live, which makes me suspicious about her ability, and the ability of other, similar acts.
When an act like Holly Valance mimes, she will be wearing a headset microphone to give the illusion that she is doing it for real. People in the background may even have instruments and backing singers open and close their mouths in the right places. But we can always tell it's a mime, and you would have thought that the record companies would have put that little more effort into the illusion if they were trying to fool us.
The most obvious ones (apart from dodgy sync) are:
Second tracks. Usually on the last chorus, the act sings a vocal line disjointed from the main tune, yet the original tune can still be heard. What's worse, as Holly demonstrates, that these tracks sometimes overlay, and she has a go at doing them both.
Instruments. Generally, the people that are playing behind the act can actually play. Not true for all dance acts (spot the drummer), but some. Suspiciously though, you don't always see the instruments plugged in. Electric guitars need that little lead connected up to them for them to be heard and we know it. Drums are never miced up. We're not that think, you know...
But probably the biggest giveaway is effort. You see any act live, and they get tired. You watch something like an award show where an act sings and dances, and they get tired, though you never see the mimers out of breath...
Yes, there are times when miming is accepted - like live on Rise when they don't have the time to set up like that perhaps, but if an act want to prove they can do it, then they have to do it for real.
It's just a shame that people buy the records regardless, letting the record companies think they're getting away with it.
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Cheers for making it all the way through, it was a lot longer than I thought it would be.
Slave.
What always makes me chuckle about it though is the miming. No other music genre would be allowed to get away with it. Definately not the metal scene, that's for sure. Nirvana classicly made a point of their miming on TOTP a while back, playing no chords whatsoever on the guitars and Kurt was obviously saying 'blah, blah, blah', but apart from that, bands that feature real instruments generally play live on shows.
This is because they can. Many of the rock/metal artists you see started out as pub giggers, where the pop princesses were plucked out of the crowd for being pretty and launched into stardom.
It's pretty easy to spot a faker, the lip syncing is the usual giveaway. Some of them - the more rehearsed/established acts - do a very good job of their mime. but this is not the point. The point is that we know as a nation that a recording studio can hide a multitude of sins (Victoria Beckham), but we want to know that the singer on stage is actually capable of singing the tune they have released on their name.
Some shows have realised that this is what the people want to see. Top of the pops generally has someone actually playing live on their show, though the odd mime slides in occasionally - usually with the dance tracks. Programmes like CD:uk, T4, Pepsi Chart, they don't care about it, and miming is throughout the show.
There are other reasons why the acts mime other than their lack of ability. Some shows, like live saturday morning kids shows, just cannot technically support a live act. There is a bit more to it than just plugging it all in, and this is fair enough I suppose, though I have yet to see Holly Valance play live, which makes me suspicious about her ability, and the ability of other, similar acts.
When an act like Holly Valance mimes, she will be wearing a headset microphone to give the illusion that she is doing it for real. People in the background may even have instruments and backing singers open and close their mouths in the right places. But we can always tell it's a mime, and you would have thought that the record companies would have put that little more effort into the illusion if they were trying to fool us.
The most obvious ones (apart from dodgy sync) are:
Second tracks. Usually on the last chorus, the act sings a vocal line disjointed from the main tune, yet the original tune can still be heard. What's worse, as Holly demonstrates, that these tracks sometimes overlay, and she has a go at doing them both.
Instruments. Generally, the people that are playing behind the act can actually play. Not true for all dance acts (spot the drummer), but some. Suspiciously though, you don't always see the instruments plugged in. Electric guitars need that little lead connected up to them for them to be heard and we know it. Drums are never miced up. We're not that think, you know...
But probably the biggest giveaway is effort. You see any act live, and they get tired. You watch something like an award show where an act sings and dances, and they get tired, though you never see the mimers out of breath...
Yes, there are times when miming is accepted - like live on Rise when they don't have the time to set up like that perhaps, but if an act want to prove they can do it, then they have to do it for real.
It's just a shame that people buy the records regardless, letting the record companies think they're getting away with it.
------
Cheers for making it all the way through, it was a lot longer than I thought it would be.
Slave.
Page:
*I really like love*
*It doth cometh from above*
*like a falling dead dove*
*poisoned by a squirrel*
*done by Diana's butler Burrel*
*desperate for something to rhyme*
*with miming crapo band who doth do it all the time*
*It doth cometh from above*
*like a falling dead dove*
*poisoned by a squirrel*
*done by Diana's butler Burrel*
*desperate for something to rhyme*
*with miming crapo band who doth do it all the time*
I don't mind if people don't write their own songs as long as they don't act like they do.
Frank Sinatra never wrote songs, doesn't mean he wasn't a great artist and performer.
Frank Sinatra never wrote songs, doesn't mean he wasn't a great artist and performer.
I don't mind the occasional group that don't write their own stuff - The Hives are one of my favourtite bands, and they write neither the lyrics nor the music. Doesn't stop them doing a blinding live show. But the thing that annoys me is that even when some high flying producer or the like is brought in to write the lyrics, they're still poo. Apparently the cheeky girls' mum wrote their latest - and I'm hoping only - song. I had my money on the "chimps with typewriters" thing. Which could still be true I suppose. Heh.
Combine this with the fact that most of them mime, and what do you have? A dancer? As most *sensible* people don't give half a faecal deposit about the dance aspect of the industry, this renders popstars completely useless.
Combine this with the fact that most of them mime, and what do you have? A dancer? As most *sensible* people don't give half a faecal deposit about the dance aspect of the industry, this renders popstars completely useless.
gamezfreak wrote:
> Gareth Gates mimes at his concerts (due to his speech impediment).
A speech impediment doesn't affect singing at all.
> half of them don't even write their own songs
If a song is nice, and someone sings it well, does it really matter who wrote it? Singing itself is a talent, just like playing an instrument or being a songwriter, so why only criticise singers?
Many of those considered to be among the greatest singers in the world have never written a note of music or written a lyric in their life.
I agree that there's a lot of duff music around, but my idea of duff music may be very different to yours. Like videogames, there's no accounting for taste, and whatever you turn out will always appeal to *someone* - it's all down to personal preference.
As much as you or I may hate the fact that the Cheeky Girls were ever given the chance to get near the charts, it has a catchy dance beat, and people are obviously enjoying it.
I honestly think a lot of this is simple music snobbery. I'm guilty of it myself - I dislike most of the girl/boy bands, and the solo 'pop' artists - but most of them have produced at least one track that I've really liked.
> Gareth Gates mimes at his concerts (due to his speech impediment).
A speech impediment doesn't affect singing at all.
> half of them don't even write their own songs
If a song is nice, and someone sings it well, does it really matter who wrote it? Singing itself is a talent, just like playing an instrument or being a songwriter, so why only criticise singers?
Many of those considered to be among the greatest singers in the world have never written a note of music or written a lyric in their life.
I agree that there's a lot of duff music around, but my idea of duff music may be very different to yours. Like videogames, there's no accounting for taste, and whatever you turn out will always appeal to *someone* - it's all down to personal preference.
As much as you or I may hate the fact that the Cheeky Girls were ever given the chance to get near the charts, it has a catchy dance beat, and people are obviously enjoying it.
I honestly think a lot of this is simple music snobbery. I'm guilty of it myself - I dislike most of the girl/boy bands, and the solo 'pop' artists - but most of them have produced at least one track that I've really liked.
Gareth Gates mimes at his concerts (due to his speech impediment).
Sometimes is just plain wrong to mime, I'm not a pop fan myself but i'm passionate about music and seeing acts mime is stupid! I'd be surprised if any of these "pop" acts actually have any talent at all, half of them don't even write their own songs let alone sing them. Blazin Squad are a prime example, They are the most pointless band ever and everyones bums em, Yet I have seen them mime quite a few times on television programs.
Sometimes is just plain wrong to mime, I'm not a pop fan myself but i'm passionate about music and seeing acts mime is stupid! I'd be surprised if any of these "pop" acts actually have any talent at all, half of them don't even write their own songs let alone sing them. Blazin Squad are a prime example, They are the most pointless band ever and everyones bums em, Yet I have seen them mime quite a few times on television programs.
I was watching a program some time ago - after the launch of Hear'Say (can't remember what it was) on which they gave a reason for miming.
Allegedly, on a lot of these shows they HAVE to mime because the acoustics of the studio are so poor. Hear'Say wanted to perform live, but were told that they couldn't.
Which - for me - would seem reasonable. Whether you like the music these people make or not, I don't think there's any doubt that they can sing - at least in the case of those off of the new 'reality TV' shows.
I have to admit that I do have respect for Will Young in particular. He has told his bosses that he doesn't want to make a career on covers of other people's songs, and wants to be involved in the writing and creative processes. And I say good luck to him. I've no doubt this sits well with the powers that be, as it was pretty obvious that they wanted Gareth Gates to win anyway.
I don't doubt GG can sing, but his vocal range, facial expressions and on-stage mannerisms are always the same. Will Young on the other hand has an excellent and powerful voice, and I think he has a good career ahead of him if people forget how he started and give him a fair chance.
Allegedly, on a lot of these shows they HAVE to mime because the acoustics of the studio are so poor. Hear'Say wanted to perform live, but were told that they couldn't.
Which - for me - would seem reasonable. Whether you like the music these people make or not, I don't think there's any doubt that they can sing - at least in the case of those off of the new 'reality TV' shows.
I have to admit that I do have respect for Will Young in particular. He has told his bosses that he doesn't want to make a career on covers of other people's songs, and wants to be involved in the writing and creative processes. And I say good luck to him. I've no doubt this sits well with the powers that be, as it was pretty obvious that they wanted Gareth Gates to win anyway.
I don't doubt GG can sing, but his vocal range, facial expressions and on-stage mannerisms are always the same. Will Young on the other hand has an excellent and powerful voice, and I think he has a good career ahead of him if people forget how he started and give him a fair chance.
Miming should be made illegal, and the Ministry of Sound should set up a policing unit to kill all artists who do so.
Saying that...some acts are AWFUL live. Did you hear Sum 41 on Top of the Pops a while back? They tried it live, but ran out of breath half way through! I don't like Sum 41 anyway, so maybe they should mime, and then get punished for it.
Saying that...some acts are AWFUL live. Did you hear Sum 41 on Top of the Pops a while back? They tried it live, but ran out of breath half way through! I don't like Sum 41 anyway, so maybe they should mime, and then get punished for it.
Actually, ever since the PopStars thing there are LOADS of people that now sing live!
As much as you may not believe it, Busted sang live a few months ago, the wern't playing their Guitars but they sang live and proved that they can manage it!
PopStars has done somthing good!
Less people mimbing!
As much as you may not believe it, Busted sang live a few months ago, the wern't playing their Guitars but they sang live and proved that they can manage it!
PopStars has done somthing good!
Less people mimbing!
Anybody who pays £25 to go and see somebody mime is a moron
" No, but they dance as well. "
" Shut up "
" No, but they dance as well. "
" Shut up "
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