I am in the middle of reading the Rolling Stone article on the Canadian band Rush when I come across this whopper that RS should have known better:
Lee multitasked, holding down bass and vocals while also using every available limb to play synthesizers and trigger backing parts — a feat that pushed virtuosity into the realm of circus act. "Every rehearsal, I was screaming, ‘I can’t do it!’ " says Lee. “But it just felt wrong to have another dude onstage with us. We talked about it all the time — we still talk about it! But it’s a no-go zone, can’t do it.”
THEN, I see THIS video at 0:45 where unless Geddy Lee has the psychic ability to press keyboard pedals with his mind, its obvious that Rush DOES use recorded tracks, or a musician hidden behind the stage:
Don't get me wrong, I like Rush, and think they are great musicians, but don't give me this bullshit that Geddy Lee is singing, playing bass, keyboards, and triggering sound effects all at the same time. I don't blame Rush for perpetuating this horses ass shit, but doesn't Rolling Stone have the responsibility for at least questioning the claim????
I am not a musician but when the magazine are quoted in the OP as saying Geddy Lee does ‘***trigger backing parts’ *** isn’t that a straight out acknowledgment the band are using at least some pre-recorded parts in concert?
Triggering samples is not always “OMG! They are FAKING!” Sometimes it’s an easy extender for bits and pieces. You control where you trigger it, it does its job. It is not “push this button to sound like a symphony.”
To be clear: I am not even remotely a Rush fanboy. They are a fine band, but not my band. But russian heel, you are quibbling at the margins here. They are fucking awesome musicians, and Geddy’s multi-tasking live remains one of those “bwah?” accomplishments that most musicians respect deeply, regardless of their views on Rush - just like Peart’s drumming. If Geddy wants to hit a trigger or two - jeez, let him.
In the first example provided, I presume you’re talking about the higher pitched synth line. If you’ll look at Alex Lifeson you’ll see him triggering those with his foot pedals.
In the second example the intro is triggered by Neil on his sound pads. You can see them to his left in the overhead shots of his kit. He triggers a lot of the effects through those for samples while the others are busy. You can also see Alex’s foot pedals again in that song.
And man, Ged’s voice really is going, isn’t it?
ETA: During the early 1980s Geddy really DID have to do all of that at once. That’s when their stage set up included full keyboards for Alex, too. It was too much for one person to take care of. So Ged would have three or four keyboards and other sets in front of him and Alex would have a smaller set off on his side. In the mid-80s the technology caught up so it could be one keyboard - or two - and sound effects could be loaded via disk and triggered elsewhere.
WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, STOP THE CLOCK.:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
I think I made it clear in the OP I wasn’t ripping Rish as musicians.
But all I see in the video I posted is Geddy Lee walking away from there synthesizer and suddenly out of the clear blue air notes being played.
But, I am NOT musician and ready to learn.
What the FUCK are these “triggers” and how do they work on a live show?
AND, wouldn’t it just be easier to hire, for $100,000 a year, a keyboardist on stage to do all this? I would think Geddy would have more fun doing it this way. JMHO
Triggers: Musicians pre-record bits, and have the ability to Trigger them, often based on a drummer or a keyboardist having a “trigger pad” next to their gear which they can use to kick off each trigger.
Uses:
> A vocalist has a “full song trigger” of a backing/guidetrack. Ashlee Simpson was famously hosed on SNL when her drummer hit a trigger by mistake and her full vocal was triggered, making it clear she was lip synching. Bummer.
> To add big substance to the sound - i.e., to add players like a horn or string section, or add a backing synth track like ZZTop when they are known for being a 3-piece boogie band. Add thick backing vocals to beef out a vocal sound for key parts of a song, etc.
> To add “spice” to the sound - i.e., you are creating 95% of the sound, but need a bass pedal bit for 4 measures right there. Hit a trigger - you’re all set. AND - if you want room to improvise, those triggers are short enough that you can hit them and use them as part of stretching out jams, etc., too.
Some uses cross a line of live vs. pre-recorded. Many don’t.
