There have been several posts recently that contain statements like "thank god for my laptop" or "I was able to finish the gig with my Iphone" or something similar when confronted with an equipment emergency during a gig. Pardon me for being 'old school' or maybe just 'OLD' period, but what the heck kind of gig can you successfully complete with an iphone or a laptop? Does that mean that years of lessons and practice, hours and hours of synth and/or arranger programming, thousands of dollars worth of keyboard equipment, gallons of sweat spent hauling everything from B3's and Leslies to G70's up and down stairways can all be replaced in an instant with an iphone or a laptop? If that's true, then I have totally lost my understanding of what a GIG IS....or at least what it WAS when I was gigging. Also, if that's true, why bother with all the gear in the first place? Is the 'look' or the PERCEPTION of playing important enough to justify a $5000.00 Genos when a $300.00 laptop will do the job?

Now I'm not putting down the quick-turnaround OMB nursing home gig, but in my mind, that's probably the only type of gig where that would be a suitable 'back-up'....the reason being, the short duration (1 hour) and an audience that is least likely to complain. In any other venue, C&W bar, Rock joint, and especially a Jazz club, you might find yourself about 4 ft. in the air as you went sailing through the exit door (followed closely by your iPhone ).

Now, modern keyboards rarely 'die' on the gig, but if they do...here's what I think: If, and I say IF, you can play, a cheap 5-10 yr. old MOTL backup is a much more suitable solution than a poor man's karaoke act with your Iphone (I just can't imagine anything looking more unprofessional....except maybe in the NH). Of course this raises another question; is an arranger keyboard (when used in a OMB gig) anything more than an expensive prop? But of course that's a topic for another post (one which I, for one, don't have the courage to start ).

Just food for thought, folks. Would be interested in hearing yours.

chas

Chas, the sad news is that the customers really don't care what is generating the music. Many assume the arranger is already doing everything automatically.
One time, several years ago, I arrived at a nursing home in another town and found I'd forgotten the keyboard. I did the show singing with midi files from my computer and they never knew the difference. BTW I almost never use "backing tracks" whether MP3 or midi, but that's because I love to actually play.
It's rather sad, but the vast majority of one-man acts around here use midi or karaoke tracks from their pads or phones and play guitar and sing with them.

Great post Don... So true also.

Depends on the type of gig.
A jazz gig i where people come to hear musicians play instruments at a high level. Or a concert or even a bar gig where people came to see/hear a band play. Or the prevalent acoustic guitar player singesr all aroudn here on the bar decks. They see him strum 4 chords and sing so something they can see is happening.
A party or casual get together or even a dance club? No one cares how the music comes out as long as it sounds good and they can dance to it. It can be a DJ or now a DJ who sings. Same thing, no one cares. They focus on the vocals. I've seen it numerous times.
I'll relate just one example. A good friend back in NJ used to do a keyboard / vocal / DJ thing. He stopped bringing the keyboard and now stands up and just sings to backing tracks. Uses two Ipods. He's still doing the same parties and restaurants he did before for the same money. Go figure.

I agree with Don - the audience, for the most part, does not care, but if and only if, you have great vocals. The audience came to hear you sing and play, and if you don't play, but instead, use MP3 backing tracks or a midi/karaoke file, and sing, they're usually pretty happy. So, if the keyboard were to crash and burn, you could still finish the night and get away with it.

Now, if you are not a great singer, but a fantastic B3 player in a jazz club, yep, if the B3 crashes and burns the show IS OVER! No doubt about it. When I played the Baltimore Bars and Nite Clubs I relied heavily on my vocal ability. My vocals are what landed me those jobs, not my playing skills. Sure, I can play, but just enough that I have some great accompaniment for my vocals. Most of these jobs, nite clubs, restaurants and bars, were 3 to 4-hour jobs with 10 minute breaks every hour - not 1-hour nursing home performances. Though all eyes were usually on me some of the time, in all those years in the nite club circuit, no one ever came up to me and said anything about my playing ability, but I often got wonderful comments about my vocals and song selection. I guess my point is, the audiences really didn't pay much attention to your playing skills, but instead, concentrated on the songs you selected and your ability to sing them.

Good topic, Chas,

Gary

AHA! Keywords here..."PLAY guitar". That automatically means that there's a musician in there somewhere. But in any case, your opinion doesn't count; Why? Because you're an actual PROFESSIONAL who is several cuts (actually many cuts) above your average OMB NH warrior or weekend warrior. Clearly none of these people could maintain the kind of super long-term gig that you've managed to maintain all these years. Jeez, you're like Bobby Short at the Café Carlyle in New York City . He went in for what was supposed to be a two-week gig and ended up playing there until the end of his life. Everyone thinks you're in hog heaven gig-wise but most people don't realize how incredibly demanding it is to play the same venue night after night, week after week, year after year, to essentially the same audience. Of course you will have a following and they will be more forgiving if one night you have to pull out an Iphone to finish the night but you probably aren't going to draw huge crowds or new customers with a big sign outside saying "LIVE ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT - FEATURING DON MASON ON THE IPHONE 10X"......or maybe you would .

I had occasion to go to a NH facility a few days ago and happended to walk in on the entertainment. As if God were trying to punish me, it was an old guy playing an even older acoustic accordion. No singing, just playing. The sound was so grating (sorry Tony, it really sounded like ten cats in heat) that I couldn't tell if he was good or bad but I suspect bad. Nevertheless, the elderly audience politely, if not enthusiastically, clapped after each number. I learned a lot that day, about myself AND NH audiences. Hmmm, getting off track here so I'll stop .

chas

As an emergency back up to finish a job is one thing.. then the laptop or smart phone would make sense.

But if you actually play an instrument, there must be some self satisfaction in playing that instrument.

I cannot see myself wanting to perform or entertain without a keyboard... My first preference is to be satisfied by playing. Vocals are not even my consideration (average). I even rather not use arranger features or limit parts when I do.

I don.t see failures with most top equipment, so no need to worry about back up... Worst scenario... I go home

I think I will leave the Karaoke path to the girl acts , where they don't play an instrument, or maybe a solo instrument like a flute.

This idea of carry light or sparse equipment, and little effort...is just for the money.... and that is not me.

... and how is that different from the days when that same guitar player/singer played with a band, and he/she just played guitar and sang with them?
As I see it - that performer is doing the same thing that they always did ... just to a different backup band.
Not starting trouble ... just putting in my 2 cents.

I've thought of dumping backing tracks and playing George Benson, Lee Ritenauer....even some John Mayer.

But, since I do almost exclusively dining rooms as a solo, I can always pack up the keyboard and finish the night on the guitar.

In a dining room, I use a nylon string and play about 50% solos.

Laptops and the like...not for me at all.


Russ

Gotta agree 100% Dave with you...
being able to do it all in "many ways" is where the talent lies.
I never liked a one trick pony show.