Yup. Many, many pros use stage monitors exclusively, especially in larger venues.
I’ve been using in-ears for a number of years now, and they are a quantum leap forward from floor monitors.
While I won’t say yea or nay to whether he was lipsyncing, I could hear the age in Petty’s voice versus original studio recordings.
Since “Hannah Montana” is a fictional character anyway, what difference does it make who’s portraying her on stage or who’s doing the singing? The lip synching (which all these pop tarts and boy bands do in concert) and the body double can be defended from accusations of deception by pointing out that Hannah Montana does not actually exist, that the audience knows that, and that no deception is therefore possible. It’s more like a play than a concert. If it was being billed as a Miley Cyrus concert, that would be different, but it’s not, it’s “Hannah Montana” and Hannah Montana can be played by whoever they feel like putting up there. They can put a fat guy in a dress up there if they want to.
What is the appeal of this little girl anyway? They’re charging $15 a seat for that stupid concert movie up here. Why would anyone pay 15 cents to see this pre-fab, forgettable little teeny bopper? Are there that many 8 year old girls out there?
No way does Tom Petty lip synch. Those old school rockers would die before they lip synched. Tom Petty is a grizzled rock and roll veteran and a pro’s pro who’s been playing stadiums since before today’s modern crop of teeny boppers was born. Anyway, there was enough roughness and off-kilter timing that I could tell he was singing live.
I was in a borders to pick up a few books I had on my list two days ago and there were two instances in my whole 15 minute sof being there with two completely seperate little girls running to and clinging with a Hannah Montana doll like it was their long dead father come to visit them. In short, yes there are that many obsessed 8 year old girls out there.
This is very true. I sang the national anthem in the Big House at Michigan many moons ago, and the “slap back” of the sound careening off the lower brick ring wall around the field combined with the delay from multiple speakers spread across huge distances was disorienting and painful. However, I did not need an earpiece or a recording to help me. Lip Synching is almost always the result of one of two things: lack of real-time ability (“studio” voices) or unwillingness to take risks. I also thought Jordin Sparks lip synched her anthem, and in her case I suspect it was just her handlers and the producers of the broadcast deciding to eliminate all the variables. Which sucks, but I don’t really care.
ETA: (oh yeah…the OP… :smack: ) I’ve done some pretty physical stuff while singing in opera productions. If you’re in shape and have the time to rehearse, you can do it without sacrificing too much vocal quality. But you do have to be in shape.
As I said in another thread, it seemed very clear to me he wasn’t singing. Everything looked ‘off’. The performance had zero energy. There was a point where he tried to yell something ad libbed to the crowd and you only heard the last half of what he said. His mic was clearly off, and someone turned it up quickly when they saw he was trying to talk.
Three things: It is being billed as a Miley Cyrus concert: It’s the “Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds” tour. I was thinking, like you, that they theoretically could change the person playing Hannah, but I doubt that would fly with the vast majority of the fans.
Second: the movie is in digital 3D, which always commands a premium price. And it was originally slated only to run for a week, which probably also allowed them to jack up the price a bit. However, after the first weekend they have announced that the run will be extended.
Third, yes there are that many 8-year-olds (+/- 4 years). The theater I was in last night was nearly full, and it was at least three-quarters girls between the ages of 4 and 14. The other quarter was moms and the occasional dad. Virtually every show of the first week has been sold out in every theater, nationwide. It earned $29 million in three days in about 650 theaters. On Super Bowl weekend.
The inexcusable deception that is still unexplained is why they need a look-alike on-stage while she is off-stage.
Oh give it a rest for crying out loud. Inexcusable deception? It an entertainment show for 10-year-olds.
You’re probably right about concert venues, but I’ve seen and handled hundreds of reels of 2"/24trk Master recordings of various recent sessions (only a year or two old) to dispute your assertion about studio work. It may not be ubiquitous anymore, but it’s hardly uncommon.
See, I was right all along! 
I should’ve used the word “track”, shouldn’t I? I knew that, but because it wasn’t the aspect of the matter I was focussed on, I just typed “tape” without thinking.
I was never into MV in the first place, but I found the furor over the whole thing pretty funny. Especially when I heard about people demanding refunds on the records. My thought was this: If you honestly liked the music, then does it really make all that much difference whether or not the guys pictured on the sleeve were the ones who actually sang it? The impression I had was that those who were demanding refunds were the teenaged girls who only bought the record because “SQUEEEEE! They’re so cute!” To me, that’s like hearing a song and saying, “Hey, that’s a cool song! Who is it?” Then, upon hearing that it’s a band I don’t like, changing my mind and deciding, “Well then, that song sucks. I hate those guys!”
Still, MV provided fodder for a great joke on In Living Colour. In a skit involving those two inept con men, one of the characters threatens to “go all Milli Vanilli on you”. When asked what he meant by that he explains, “That’s where I pretend to kick your ass and then get somebody more talented to do it for me!” 
Can somebody explain this to me? Because I’ve wondered for years why female singers feel compelled to make multiple costume changes throughout their concerts. It seems like they all do it, regardless of genre. It’s a concert, not a fashion show, dammit!
Much the same as the appeal of any teeny-bopper* idol. Who did you listen to when you were 8? 
And yes, there are that many out there. Three (9, almost 7, and 6) in my household alone. If it were a $4 matinée instead of $15 each, you’d see me there with all of them.
- Yes, I am dating myself. Why do you ask?
The concept of multiple quick costume changes is at least as old as Liberace and Charo. One must amaze the paying customers. The concept of a performer on stage who plays another character on stage probably predates Kiss Me Kate, but that’s the earliest I can think of. I am tired, so allow for that. :smack:
Far too late to Edit, but correction: meant to say "Many, many pros use in-ear monitors.
Interesting. Any idea what professional studios those came from? They really have operating 24trk decks for anything except backup or archive tapes?
I thought even 2-inch 24 track started to fade out in the 90’s. Alesis made the ADAT that could be ganged into 96 tracks for so much less money than a washing machine-sized floor-standing deck.
While I would hate to see the audience’s appreciation of artists with genuinely impressive stage skills diminished, it seems we might as well protest the “fraud” of Lassie (and other animal acts) or the use of twins for many child roles (e.g. the Olsen tins on “Full house”)
It’s a performance, not a competition. It is all for effect, not virtue.