In the light of the fact that most (if not all) of Britney Spears', ahem, Live performances during her "Circus" tour are being lip synched, I think the time has now come for a proper debate on this issue, because it seems to becoming more and more common.. We're not talking about a TV appearance here, where one would perhaps expect lip synching simply because it may not be practical to go through the whole sound-check process on a Saturday Morning kids' TV show, or summat like TOTP, I'm talking about proper TOURS, which people are paying money for, so the expectation that an artist is performing the songs live should surely be taken as read....

 

I've heard people being interviewed on telly saying stuff like "I dont care if she sings live or not", and frankly, I just have to wonder how thick these people are, I just dont understand why anyone would be willing to pay £100 quid or over to see someone lip synch, when they could just listen to the CD.. Yeah, I know, the whole "Atmosphere" thing, sure, but I dont see how an atmosphere can be created when the act in question isn't actually performing the material, a live concert, should be, LIVE.... The excuse people use is that it's impossible to dance like that and sing at the same time... So, er, dont dance like that then... :rolleyes: Kylie manages to perform her material live, as do Girls Aloud, Lady Ga Ga, Sugababes, even The Saturdays who I've been critical of, have managed to sing live, so, sorry, but what gives Brit....?

 

I'm putting this thread here and not in Britney Spears forum because, firstly, it's a general question/debate not really JUST about Britney (although obviously I'm focussing on her because she's the main culprit of this practice as I see it..) and secondly, it's hardly a Britney fan thread is it....?

 

Anyway, on with the debate.... My own answer to the question, Lip synching should NOT be allowed at LIVE concerts which people are paying a hell of a lot of money for......

Totally agree. There's genuinely no excuse for it which is why I'd never go to see Britney on tour, although her live singing voice is reportedly so disasterous that I'm not sure actual live vocals would be an improvement...

she just can't sing...she doesn't have a voice...but still love her to death :w00t:

Just to take the metaphore into other music genres... If, say, Slash were to fake playing a guitar solo because he couldn't then play the guitar with his teeth, feet or whatever other appendage, I somehow doubt that the fans would accept that as an excuse.... It would be a case of, "well then dont play the guitar with your teeth you prat...." :rolleyes:

 

I'm paying £40 quid to see Nine Inch Nails, believe me, if Trent Reznor comes on and bloody lip synchs because he's "feeling tired" or summat, regardless of me being a fan, he can fukk off and die..... I'd burn all by NIN CDs without question, simply because I'd feel cheated......

she just can't sing...she doesn't have a voice...but still love her to death :w00t:

 

Well, that's not really relevant, most of the bands I go to see, the singers cant really sing all that well, but I'd still rather see it performed warts and all than not.... Perhaps she should get vocal tuition...? Not as if she couldn't afford it.....

 

If a bunch of late-teens, early 20s kids can get up onstage on a Friday or Saturday night at a Camden bar or nightclub and give their all, then someone like Britney can surely do no less.....

Well, that's not really relevant, most of the bands I go to see, the singers cant really sing all that well, but I'd still rather see it performed warts and all than not.... Perhaps she should get vocal tuition...? Not as if she couldn't afford it.....

 

yeah but Britney music just seems like it's too overproduced and she could never make them sound good if singing 'live'.

 

but in the other hand, she got ballads that she could sing them live...or at least try singing first 5 songs live or get some serious back-up vocalists that can help u whenever is hard for you.

 

If a bunch of late-teens, early 20s kids can get up onstage on a Friday or Saturday night at a Camden bar or nightclub and give their all, then someone like Britney can surely do no less.....

 

u can hardly call someone a kid when they're at 20's

 

but that's how it is...u would never go see Britney even if she would sing live and I will never go and see NIN live or lyp-syncing.

It shouldn't be allowed, I'd feel ripped off if I paid the amount Britney fans have for their tickets just for her to mime.

u can hardly call someone a kid when they're at 20's

 

Bear in mind, I'm 37 mate.... :lol: Anyway, I'm using the term affectionately, not in any derogatory sense....

 

It shouldn't be allowed, I'd feel ripped off if I paid the amount Britney fans have for their tickets just for her to mime.

 

If you see all the fans reactions though on some of the media reviews of the shows - her fans don't actually mind her miming. In fact - many of them say they thoroughly expect her to mime - they go to see her. The show-sets I believe have been brilliant and her dancers have been really good - although not her apparently - all she needs to do is strut around the stage and, well just basically, be there. It is her name bringing the spectators in to see the show that has been put on. She's just the cherry on the top of the cake as it were (a very expensive cherry). If her fans don't mind paying money to see her mime ... then I can't see what the harm is ... its their money. It isn't as if they're being ripped off because they expect it.

 

It does make me question though - if she always mimes - always has done (and this is from fans of hers who've seen her shows) - who is actually singing on the records?

 

By the way ... I'm not defending miming (I was very, very disappointed that Take That mimed at this year's Brit Awards!) However as the original poster said - for an artists own concerts - it is just f ucking lazy to mime.

 

Norma

Edited June 5, 200916 yr by Norma_Snockers

but that's how it is...u would never go see Britney even if she would sing live and I will never go and see NIN live or lyp-syncing.

 

But again, that's irrelevant... It's the principle.... a live show, should be a LIVE, regardless of the genre or whether or not I like the act in question....... Even if I was a Britney fan, I still wouldn't pay the best part of a hundred quid, because I would KNOW that she aint actually performing, that's the point, the whole principle....

 

As to the person who talked about her stuff being overproduced... Well, then you arrange a song in such a way to be performed live, Lady Ga Ga did this, she did a totally different arrangement to Poker Face to make it sound more organic in a live context.... Goldfrapp is another act who arrange things differently live... If it really is that difficult to perform a particular song live, then you just dont play it, simple as..... I've got issues with some Metal/Rock acts who are overly-reliant on Playback to fill out their sound live... That's another form of cheating in some ways....

 

If you see all the fans reactions though on some of the media reviews of the shows - her fans don't actually mind her miming. In fact - many of them say they thoroughly expect her to mime - they go to see her. The show-sets I believe have been brilliant and her dancers have been really good - although not her apparently - all she needs to do is strut around the stage and, well just basically, be there. It is her name bringing the spectators in to see the show that has been put on. She's just the cherry on the top of the cake as it were (a very expensive cherry). If her fans don't mind paying money to see her mime ... then I can't see what the harm is ... its their money. It isn't as if they're being ripped off because they expect it.

 

It does make me question though - if she always mimes - always has done (and this is from fans of hers who've seen her shows) - who is actually singing on the records?

 

By the way ... I'm not defending miming (I was very, very disappointed that Take That mimed at this year's Brit Awards!) However as the original poster said - for an artists own concerts - it is just f ucking lazy to mime.

 

Norma

 

Couldn't have put it better myself Norma :D

If you see all the fans reactions though on some of the media reviews of the shows - her fans don't actually mind her miming. In fact - many of them say they thoroughly expect her to mime - they go to see her.

 

Yeah, I saw those vox pops too... I just thought to myself.... "Well, she sure saw you mugs coming....". :rolleyes: And, yeah, I DO think it raises questions of whether or not she really IS singing on the records... Anyone remember the Milli Vanilli scandal.....? :lol: She has a platform out there every night to prove her detractors wrong and put on a great LIVE performance.... She simply refuses to use this platform to do so, so the doubts about her supposed "talent" are always gonna be there.....

 

Black Label Society guitarist Zakk Wylde was quite correct to call her a fake....

 

i suppose it depends if you can sing live and britney obviously can't

Oh, and apparently Michael Jackson's another one lip-synching at his shows.... So, let's spread the blame out a bit.....

i suppose it depends if you can sing live and britney obviously can't

 

But wasn't she a part of this whole "Disney Club" thing in the US... I mean, she must've had to sing at some point.... :unsure:

 

Oh, and apparently Michael Jackson's another one lip-synching at his shows.... So, let's spread the blame out a bit.....

 

 

I'm sorry (and I'm going to be called mad here) but I think Jackson will do one better ... if those concerts do go ahead ... I should imagine it'll actually be a stand-in on stage - while he's back in the US sticking what's left of his face back together. Sorry to sound cruel!

 

Norma

I'm sorry (and I'm going to be called mad here) but I think Jackson will do one better ... if those concerts do go ahead ... I should imagine it'll actually be a stand-in on stage - while he's back in the US sticking what's left of his face back together. Sorry to sound cruel!

 

:lol: :lol:

 

Not cruel at all Norma.... Rather amusing, truth be told.... Jacko fans are another deluded bunch of cretins who honestly believe their "idol" can do no wrong.... I wont get into the child abuse allegations, but that level of sheer delusion is really quite worrying.....

 

But wasn't she a part of this whole "Disney Club" thing in the US... I mean, she must've had to sing at some point.... :unsure:

I'm not a big follower of Britney's career - I know most of the singles and have her last three albums - but I think she started out as a perfectly able singer and somehow entirely lost any ability to hold a note when live. If I'm not mistaken she performed live a lot more often during the earlier stages of her career and managed it, but from the early 2000s onwards only sang live when doing the odd ballad, and no longer sounds even remotely good.

I'm not a big follower of Britney's career - I know most of the singles and have her last three albums - but I think she started out as a perfectly able singer and somehow entirely lost any ability to hold a note when live. If I'm not mistaken she performed live a lot more often during the earlier stages of her career and managed it, but from the early 2000s onwards only sang live when doing the odd ballad, and no longer sounds even remotely good.

 

Sounds to me like the drugs have shot her voice to hell....

 

Frankly, if she cant "cut it" anymore, she should quit, or at least quit doing live shows and perhaps just concentrate on studio albums, because what she's doing at the moment is taking money under false pretences with these "live" shows....