Singers/guest players using guitars as props.

streethawk

Does this pee you off (perhaps more than it should)?

I'm watching the Pretenders here and Hynde keeps swapping Tele's that look as good as her, but are mostly mute.

Arrrrgh!

I mean I realise that sometimes the rhythm guitar can be buried way down in the mix but sheesh...

Grumpyrocker

It used to annoy me more than it does now, but I know exactly what you mean. I began playing guitar as a teen in the late 80s and I got very fed up of endless bands on TotP holding guitars they didn't even know how to play (along with the ubiquitous DX7 not plugged into anything).

Was a big Springsteen fan, and yes I know he can play very well, but more than half the time you get the impression you're not hearing him in the mix. That said - the Dancing In The Dark video shows what happens when he doesn't have his guitar as a prop, so maybe he should keep it.

4114Effects

I nearly always sing whilst playing my guitar as I front the band. Every now and again I'll be asked to sing a couple of songs to backing tracks, or a pianist. In that setting, I have literally no idea what to do with my hands. They sort of hang limply at my sides, or make the odd floppy token gesture. I'm sure I must look a bit special. I'd kill to have a guitar to hold, even if it's not plugged in. Makes me appreciate the stagecraft of decent solo singers.

xSkarloey

I think the all time classic example was David Bowie in the late 80s/ early 90s.

I vividly recall seeing him on telly playing a one string guitar ( maybe a V).

EdGrip

4114Effects;660576" said:

I nearly always sing whilst playing my guitar as I front the band. Every now and again I'll be asked to sing a couple of songs to backing tracks, or a pianist. In that setting, I have literally no idea what to do with my hands. They sort of hang limply at my sides, or make the odd floppy token gesture. I'm sure I must look a bit special. I'd kill to have a guitar to hold, even if it's not plugged in. Makes me appreciate the stagecraft of decent solo singers.

Just need to channel bits of Jarvis and Mick and Thom etc and let it happen. Otherwise the danger is you'll look like Constable Fraser in that Due South episode where he sings in a bar. #obscurereference

usedtobe

@4114Effects Have you thought of going down the Joe Cocker route, when you sing without playing guitar?

Grumpyrocker

Or go the Freddie Mercury route - carry around the top half a mic stand to do air guitar with.

KKJale

Skarloey said:

I think the all time classic example was David Bowie in the late 80s/ early 90s.

I vividly recall seeing him on telly playing a one string guitar ( maybe a V).

1990 tour with Belew on guitar... pretty sure he actually played that V a bit, though, for the riff on Fame 

HAL9000

Paul Carrack on the Strat Pack DVD - no point whatsoever in him wearing a guitar.

Philly_Q

I guess for some people it is quite literally a "prop", something to hide behind and boost their confidence?  It can't do any harm.

But I must admit I had to laugh a little when Bono had that cycling accident and said he might not be able to play guitar again...

EricTheWeary

I remember an interview with Mick Jagger where he said if he held a guitar on a few numbers he didn't have to do so much running around. But it is something to do with your hands and, mebbe, puts you psychologically in the rock'n'roll zone.

Moss

Philly_Q;661070" said:

I guess for some people it is quite literally a "prop", something to hide behind and boost their confidence?  It can't do any harm.

But I must admit I had to laugh a little when Bono had that cycling accident and said he might not be able to play guitar again...

Can't imagine that Bono would have confidence issues

Philly_Q

Moss said:

Philly_Q;661070" said:

I guess for some people it is quite literally a "prop", something to hide behind and boost their confidence?  It can't do any harm.

But I must admit I had to laugh a little when Bono had that cycling accident and said he might not be able to play guitar again...

Can't imagine that Bono would have confidence issues

No.  I probably should've made those two separate posts....  >:D<

bingefeller

ICBM

I'm still unconvinced that's genuine, since there are a couple of places where what you hear apparently isn't the same as what her hands are doing, and there's absolutely no handling noise or anything else in the guitar sound which you would expect from a Rickenbacker on a noisy stage. Considering it was published by someone with a grievance against her, how difficult would it have been to dub on a badly-played guitar track and try to make her look bad… and why would there even be a dry feed from the guitar if she was just using it as a prop?

I'm not a fan or have any other reason for defending her, but something about it just seems fake to me.

streethawk

ICBM said:

I'm still unconvinced that's genuine, since there are a couple of places where what you hear apparently isn't the same as what her hands are doing, and there's absolutely no handling noise or anything else in the guitar sound which you would expect from a Rickenbacker on a noisy stage. Considering it was published by someone with a grievance against her, how difficult would it have been to dub on a badly-played guitar track and try to make her look bad… and why would there even be a dry feed from the guitar if she was just using it as a prop?

I'm not a fan or have any other reason for defending her, but something about it just seems fake to me.

The sync issue is explained in the description - same performance but not his video source.

Handling/string noise, could there not be an eq or noise reduction explanation?

The rest of the show is available too and I can't imagine anybody being that dedicated to performing a prank!

bingefeller

streethawk said:

ICBM said:

I'm still unconvinced that's genuine, since there are a couple of places where what you hear apparently isn't the same as what her hands are doing, and there's absolutely no handling noise or anything else in the guitar sound which you would expect from a Rickenbacker on a noisy stage. Considering it was published by someone with a grievance against her, how difficult would it have been to dub on a badly-played guitar track and try to make her look bad… and why would there even be a dry feed from the guitar if she was just using it as a prop?

I'm not a fan or have any other reason for defending her, but something about it just seems fake to me.

The sync issue is explained in the description - same performance but not his video source.

Handling/string noise, could there not be an eq or noise reduction explanation?

The rest of the show is available too and I can't imagine anybody being that dedicated to performing a prank!

You're right about the handling noise, when she lets go of the guitar there's no sound.  Maybe, as streethawk says, there is a noise reduction unit, with a heavy clamp on it. 

Having said that, Courtney has been around a bit, and you'd think from all the time she's been playing with her Hole that she would have picked up some kind of basic guitar skills.  She sounds like a beginner in this clip.  

I remember reading that Richey Edwards couldn't really play a guitar and he more of less used it as a prop on stage and his guitar was very low in the mix.  Not sure if there's any truth to this though.  

Sassafras

Don't know what to do with your hands?

Play Harmonica.

ICBM

bingefeller said:

You're right about the handling noise, when she lets go of the guitar there's no sound.  Maybe, as streethawk says, there is a noise reduction unit, with a heavy clamp on it. 

Having said that, Courtney has been around a bit, and you'd think from all the time she's been playing with her Hole that she would have picked up some kind of basic guitar skills.  She sounds like a beginner in this clip.

If it's real, and she's not in the mix - which she clearly isn't, since there's no trace of any of the clashing chords when you hear the full thing - then why would she bother playing accurately? If anything, it's surprising it's that *good*, particularly if she isn't in the monitors either - it's really hard to play well when you can't hear yourself at all.

Who cares anyway? The full gig sounded fine.