Should it be mandatory for audiences to know when bands are miming?

[Fangz]

It is being considered to make it mandatory for music fans to know if the band they are listening to are singing live, or just miming, whether the fans are at the performance or watching it on TV.
There would be signs declaring the show as 'live' or 'miming.'

Personally I think this is a great idea, if I was watching a band on the telly, and could see that it was just miming, then I wouldn't bother watching it, even if it was my favourite band.

What are your thoughts?

[Red Moon]

As a fan of live music I think it a great idea.

[Corkie]

very good idea

[Fangz]

I think it's only fair for people to know what they're paying for, and making a decision based on that information.

[Red Moon]

Also if you go and see a band based on a TV performance and it's mimed how do you know they are going to be any good.

[BigSister]

Yeah I agree miming on TV sometimesd the producers say they HAVE to do it but they should sing live on tour

[CharlotteSometimes]

It's not likely to happen as far as tv is concerned, though. Quite often, the musicians involved aren't even there. It's just a bunch of dancers that have been hired to do the job. And what would they do for sampled vocals? The best performance I've seen on tv as far is this is concerned was The Art Of Noise - they played their keyboards with on hand, and had the plugs clearly visible in the palm of the other hand. It's nice to see that you watch Newsround though, Fizz! :bouncy:

[ThaGazBoi]

Some people mime if they have to dance in thier routine which is FINE but their is so many people nowadays who cant sing like Westlife etc

[Siouxsie]

rock on:dazzler:

[Kaz]

Couldn't agree more, Fangz. :thumbs:

As a fan of someone who has NEVER mimed during a TV or live performance, I think anyone who does this is 'short-changing' their fans. In one of his books, Will said that early on in his career he was asked to mime at a TV performance. He replied "No. Why should I when I can sing?". :laugh:

Quite often due to the problems in soundchecking an entire band to play completely live on programmes such as TOTP where there are a lot of acts on in a short space of time, the band 'mime' to a pre-recorded backing track, but there's absolutely no reason why the singer shouldn't sing live.

It's pretty easy to spot the mimers, though IMO ...... exaggerated lip movements, no movement from the throat muscles, the voice sounding exactly the same no matter how near or far the mic is held from their mouth ......... and the performance sounds exactly the same as the record. :bored:

[Lance]

Originally posted by CrazyGazza
Some people mime if they have to dance in thier routine which is FINE but their is so many people nowadays who cant sing like Westlife etc

Well, not really, whether people have to dance or not in the US the majority of artists/bands sing live there.

It seems to be a UK thing this whole "Oh, we have to dance, we can't do both." Not looking at anyone in particular but a certain girlband seem to think they're Aloud to use this excuse.

[ThaGazBoi]

Love the way you worded that, But i like girls aloud, and some do have to sing and dance, and they cant do both.

Pussycat Dolls are brilliant love though, as is Sugababes and Jamelia, I should know. One group who i did like but they sounded terrible live was S club 7, and Jo has a horrible voice live.

[Dan_]

I don't really like seeing bands and solo artists miming on these shows, they may aswell not turn up and just stick the video on. I also like to hear if they can actually sing well live.

[Z]

I was rather annoyed when, at "Free at the Dee" in 2005, Rachel Stevens mimed her whole act. She was booed off the stage and people were throwing things. Brilliant to think about now, but at the time was just utter crap. I don't really see what telling people the miming/singing thing would do, other than lose TV channels money. Good idea, but in practice isn't such a good idea.

[Sunny_01]

Rachel Stevens nearly always mimes - singing is beneath her!

I agree with the majority here, I would like to know what I am paying for. Nothing worse than buying tickets to see someone who you have seen on tv and getting there to find they are pants live!

Also why are they in the industry if they can not sing live, Will Young has a great ethic when it comes to this, he doesnt short change his fans, nor does Robbie, he sounds totally different live but is still amazing!

[Z]

Robbie would be insane to mime. I mean imagine if he had done so at Knebworth! He'd have been slaughtered!

[Ruth]

I would feel very cheated if I paid to see someone live and they just mimed. And when I see someone miming on tv it always makes me think that they are probably not very good at singing live - whatever the reasons for miming are.

[Slartibartfast]

Miming just isn't on, in any situations. (well except for actual real mimes, they're fine!!) I know there's those who say artists can't be expected to sing and dance at the same time, but my problem is that this leads to acts being put together by record companies or whatever who can't sing but they throw together a dance routine to justify miming their way through a song.

Miming at a live concert is completely loathsome, there is no justification for it.

But this whole issue is reflective of the current trend in modern music. It's more and more about image these days rather than the quality of the song, the voice of the singer or skill of the band. One of the theories for this that I subscribe to is that younger and younger kids these days have a higher disposable income than ever before. Record companies know this and create bands, not renowned for their music, but who have a nice marketable image which will appeal to the kiddies who go out and buy the records. Personally, I blame the Spice Girls, who were the ultimate example of marketability over talent. (although it arguably started before the Spice Girls, i find them to be the one of the most abhorent examples of this happening).

Keep music live, dude!! :dazzler:

[Kore]

yes because people are payign to see a fake performance. its the bands way of cheating loads of fans into getting lots of money.

[James]

Top of the Pops went through a phase a few years ago when they made everyone sing live. Some of them were pretty bad!

The pop business basically changed when promo videos were introduced, it's been more and more about image since then.

[Sunny_01]

I remember that James - it made me feel ill listening to some of them live, and actually put me off spending my money on their records :laugh:

[cc100]

Yeah, its absolutely disgusting when bands/singers mime on telly, even Oasis mime. Whats the point in turning up just to mime? They may as well just show the video.

As for live concerts containing miming- thats got to be illegal, surely?