This JOHN 5/BACKING TRACKS Controversy May Have a TWIST!

I'm far more concerned with Vince Neil's terrible vocals.

Fun fact. RUSH used to play to a click track. The click track was named Neil Peart…

I was not even 10 feet away from Nuno at a small club date and watched him play (not just chords, not just double-stops, PLAY! ) for 1-2 minutes while he got a drink of water and talked something over with the drummer for a while. I remember my guitarist and drummer friends and I looking at each other with our jaws on the floor saying "Holy shit!" over and over. This was for their "Waiting for the Punchline" tour.

Personally, I wish bands with only one guitarist wouldn't have the rhythm track behind the solo even on the album. Pantera did it on some of their songs and it sounded fine.

People should respect the fact that even Mick Mars supported John 5 for this spot…

Dimebag didnt use a backing track during solos live and it didnt suffer. It also showed how good Rex is holding the groove

Don't tell Eddie Trunk!

As much as certain older musicians get flack for "not sounding like they used to" (especially singers) I appreciate the ones that still do it old skool. I think the click, and more to the point miming, is more for Nikki than anyone else in this band. "If you can't do it in blue jeans and a T-shirt under one light bulb, you can't do it." - David Lee Roth Oh, and John 5 definitely is playing. He could play these songs while playing other songs simultaneously. He's just that practiced.

I saw John 5 and backing track in the title and immediately was ready to defend John 5. But I see you really examined this closely so thanks for that :)

John 5 knows the material inside and out. I have every confidence in him. I liked both versions of the solo, with or without rhythm guitar. It's a good solo

Having played this song 8 bazillion times, it was obvious that they have rhythm tracks going even when John is playing. It's not just him playing everything you hear. He missed those chords and you hear pick strikes not hammer ons. It's Motley Crue these days sadly. It's about the show more than the music.

I totally agree with you about the version without a rhythm guitar track. It sounds better. I've never been a big fan of overdubs.

Bass player in a 3 piece here, when the guitar takes a solo i click on some extra gain/grit and its my solo too. Im not sure 2 guitars is always necessary.

Ain't no way Nikki Sixx is playing the bass on any of their songs.

This might be personal prefference but I don't think there should be rythm guitar backing track. If your songs don't sound right with one guitar, hire a second guitarist IMO.

🤘🏻🔥 Love this. Super interesting to hear about what could be going on here. I do prefer the old school way myself too 🙂. Podcast studio looks absolutely amazing! Really looking forward to the first podcast video in the new setup. Congrats on 888k Subscribers too!

I kind of miss the art of making a live arrangement. Bassists used to have no problem filling in the band underneath the solo without a rhythm guitarist. Live At Leeds by The Who manages to sound huge even with the guitar and bass panned to opposite sides.

I don’t think they “bring in” rhythm guitar “when needed”. I think he IS playing, but along to a pre-recorded guitar track throughout the ENTIRE song. And I’m willing to bet that the pre-recorded guitar track is in the mix louder than the live one, until a lead is being played. Hammer ons don’t sound as loud or as strong as picking the strings. In this video, there is no difference in volume/power. The whole band is playing along to a recording.

My take on live performances is "what woukd Rush do?". And watching the first ten minutes or so of Dua Lipa on the TV coverage of Glastonbury tonight I was honestly wondering how much or how little of what I was hearing was actually being done live. When I see a band live I expect it to be live. I am 100% happy with changes to accommodate limitations on instruments. I saw Noah Guthrie earlier this year on his solo UK tour. Just him and a guitar. And it was great. Not like the recordings but still great. That is the essence of live performance.

Ozzy used to have another guy sing live for him backstage and mime to it. And greenday used to have the 2nd guitar player stand offstage.