Why Your Band Should Use Backtracks

So this is a touchy subject for some, and I feel like the internet is full of people who say that bands should not use back tracks.
The “nays” have had their say.
So let’s go ahead and assume that you read those articles/blogs/facebook conversations and you are undeterred.  Welcome!
Backtracks are great for a bunch of reasons:

• Finding great musicians isn’t always easy.  Maybe your town has zero reliable keyboard players.  Maybe your rhythm section is solid but can’t sing.  Does that mean you aren’t allowed to play what you want to play?

• The audience usually doesn’t care.  Why should they?  If there are 5 people on stage putting on a great show why would they care about the 1 person who’s not there?

• You may need tracks for only a handful of songs. Do you need a sax player?  Do you need him for more than 1 song?  Do you think a sax player will come out to play one song and then leave a gig feeling good about it?

• It can tighten your band up fast, even on songs there aren’t tracks for.  If your band is used to playing with a click track they can play to a click for other songs that don’t require tracks.  Your band will instantly sound tighter and more professional.

• They can help you get subs worked in easier.  Is your bass player going to his cousin’s wedding the same weekend of that big gig?  How are you going to get a new guy up to snuff quickly?  Most backtracks contain THE ENTIRE ARRANGEMENT OF THE SONG.  As a sub how great would it be to receive a dropbox link with the isolated tracks of exactly what you needed to play?  In another blog I will show you how to set up these learn folders and save your players time and make you a superstar MD.

One final thought:  if you play in a band you are not in the music business, you’re in the Entertainment Business. If that is the case your obligation to your audience is to provide the best possible performance for the best value.  Does that sound like something backtracks can help you do?
And for the naysayers putting “100% Live, No Tracks” on your flyers; are you getting better gigs?  Is Aerosmith putting that on their posters?  Every band at a certain level uses tracks to some extent.  Your job is to put on a show.  Put on a good one.