Fight On, Radiohead!

[MarkGrace]

Just watched it again. I really liked the SC band yelling "hey" in place of the little kids. I did that at their concert and my wife told me to shut up. Also, big ups to Gwyneth as I thought her into was great.

I thought what I'd really miss without the rest of the band was Ed's guitar and electronic effects (he always gives their songs such great texture), but it was Colin's bassline. And I didn't think Thom did as good a job singing the melody as he has in the past.
[YOUTUBE]
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[MarkGrace]

Best of Show: Who else? Radiohead, with a surprising assist from the former rhythm section for Fleetwood Mac -- the University of Southern California marching band. Thom Yorke, looking more like a rock star than he ever has, took the stage after a reverent introduction by Chris Martin's wife, Gwyneth Paltrow, and showed Coldplay and everyone else how it was done with a stunningly rhythmic and beautiful "15 Step."

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09040/947906-388.stm

[Guest]

You know, being the country’s coolest marching band is like being the world’s tallest midget.

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/20...mmy-awards/?hp

[cougjunkie]

Not sure what was worse the SC marching band or radiohead. They were both awful, you couldnt understand a word the guy from radiohead was saying, kind of like a homeless mans Bob Dylan.

[TripletDaddy]

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/20...mmy-awards/?hp

If I am going to be a midget, might as well be the tallest one. Although I don't like midgets.

I like how Gwyneth basically undercuts her own husband's band with her radiohead intro.

[YOUTUBE]7IMiiJRwhS0[/YOUTUBE]

And for good measure, a little bit of Outkast a few years ago, as well. I am glad that the UCLA band is not invited to these prestigious events.

[YOUTUBE]FrdbD6H42KQ[/YOUTUBE]

[TripletDaddy]

Not sure what was worse the SC marching band or radiohead. They were both awful, you couldnt understand a word the guy from radiohead was saying, kind of like a homeless mans Bob Dylan.

The SC band was fine. As I pointed out before, the sound boards are set for the house speakers, so you could not hear much of what they were playing at home on TV. I wish they had upped the sound a bit more for the band. If anything, you just couldn't hear them.

Thom started off shaky at the beginning, but his delivery is what it is. I wasn't a fan of his astronaut basketball shoes.

[creekster]

The SC band was fine. As I pointed out before, the sound boards are set for the house speakers, so you could not hear much of what they were playing at home on TV. I wish they had upped the sound a bit more for the band. If anything, you just couldn't hear them.

Thom started off shaky at the beginning, but his delivery is what it is. I wasn't a fan of his astronaut basketball shoes.

I don't think what you are saying about the soundboards is true, and if it si, the director and producers should be fired. It's not like they put a little bitty TV microphone in the middle of th ahll and broadcast whatever comes out. The board will have direct outs and these should go to a seaprate board for the broadcast.

Shaka can probably comment more intelligently than either of us on this issue.

[RobinFinderson]

And for good measure, a little bit of Outkast a few years ago, as well. I am glad that the UCLA band is not invited to these prestigious events.

[YOUTUBE]FrdbD6H42KQ[/YOUTUBE]

LOL! I hadn't seen that Outkast performance before. I love the hot plains indians chicks... the original leather fetishists. But Andre's singing on that version isn't so good, sounding more like me in my car than the album version.

[TripletDaddy]

I don't think what you are saying about the soundboards is true, and if it si, the director and producers should be fired. It's not like they put a little bitty TV microphone in the middle of th ahll and broadcast whatever comes out. The board will have direct outs and these should go to a seaprate board for the broadcast.

Shaka can probably comment more intelligently than either of us on this issue.

Have you ever been a show and then listened to the same show on TV? it isnt the same. just watch the youtube clip. you can barely hear the band. Are you suggesting that the band purposely pretended to play large brass instruments but in reality no audible noise was coming out?

The broadcast last night was especially unimpressive. lots of examples of poor job on the sound. The sound for U2 was not good. The sound for Coldplay was not great. If you watch Viva la Vida, you can barely hear the bell being struck over and over. However, if you see it live, you can clearly hear the bell. Staples is a lousy venue for acoustics, so that could have played into it as well.

you are correct in that in many instances, people that operate soundboards should be fired. more often than not, they get something wrong.

there is a reason it takes a long time to mix a live album. the band doesnt walk offstage and then release the feed for purchase.

[TripletDaddy]

LOL! I hadn't seen that Outkast performance before. I love the hot plains indians chicks... the original leather fetishists. But Andre's singing on that version isn't so good, sounding more like me in my car than the album version.

he sounded terrible. or, more accurately speaking, he sounded like he normally would sound without the benefit of being in a studio to cover up all his vocal flaws.

[cougjunkie]

he sounded terrible. or, more accurately speaking, he sounded like he normally would sound without the benefit of being in a studio to cover up all his vocal flaws.

So like 99% of musicians.

[TripletDaddy]

So like 99% of musicians.

basically. didn't someone start a thread on CG of vocal tracks without accopanyment? I seem to recall a Britney one and a DLR one...both were hideous.

[creekster]

Have you ever been a show and then listened to the same show on TV? it isnt the same. just watch the youtube clip. you can barely hear the band. Are you suggesting that the band purposely pretended to play large brass instruments but in reality no audible noise was coming out?

The broadcast last night was especially unimpressive. lots of examples of poor job on the sound. The sound for U2 was not good. The sound for Coldplay was not great. If you watch Viva la Vida, you can barely hear the bell being struck over and over. However, if you see it live, you can clearly hear the bell. Staples is a lousy venue for acoustics, so that could have played into it as well.

you are correct in that in many instances, people that operate soundboards should be fired. more often than not, they get something wrong.

there is a reason it takes a long time to mix a live album. the band doesnt walk offstage and then release the feed for purchase.

Now you are mixing several different issues (get it? mixing?). Youtube, due to video soundtrack compression and quality issues, is another matter. TV depends on your system and the interest that the producers have in giving you a good signal. All true and I am sure we agree. House mixes can be horrible. (as an aside, whenever we gig at a large house or outdoor venue were I am not running my own mix, I always go visit the sound board guys early on, ask them what their favorite beer is and then go buy a couple of six packs. This way, when I talk to them about the mix, they usually apy more attention and at least try to get it right) So we agree on all this.

You said that the reason the video sounds bad is becasue the sound board mixed for the house and not TV. I don't think this is likely to be true, and not for that venue. The TV folk should have their own mix based on direct lines from the house board. It is certainly very possible for it to sound bad, but not likely that it is becasue they mixed it for the house and not the TV. A minor point, perhaps, but it is mine.

[TripletDaddy]

Now you are mixing several different issues (get it? mixing?). Youtube, due to video soundtrack compression and quality issues, is another matter. TV depends on your system and the interest that the producers have in giving you a good signal. All true and I am sure we agree. House mixes can be horrible. (as an aside, whenever we gig at a large house or outdoor venue were I am not running my own mix, I always go visit the sound board guys early on, ask them what their favorite beer is and then go buy a couple of six packs. This way, when I talk to them about the mix, they usually apy more attention and at least try to get it right) So we agree on all this.

You said that the reason the video sounds bad is becasue the sound board mixed for the house and not TV. I don't think this is likely to be true, and not for that venue. The TV folk should have their own mix based on direct lines from the house board. It is certainly very possible for it to sound bad, but not likely that it is becasue they mixed it for the house and not the TV. A minor point, perhaps, but it is mine.

Ah, I see the distinction you are trying to make. You very well could be right. With an event as large as the Grammys, it would make sense. However, if the TV broadcast had its own board, then you are also right that they should be fired. Seriously, if I were U2, I would be very annoyed. Wasn't a great way to open the show...the song was lame to begin with. The sound quality made it worse.

Also, didn't the Macca/Foo Fighters "I Saw Her Standing There" sound messy, as well? I felt like his bass was purposely turned up and I think there was one part where the mics were turned up too high....they tried to harmonize and it sounded too loud.

For some reason, I felt like many of the songs were tainted by the poor sound quality.

While not a huge fan of the coldplay/Jay Z collaboration, I thought Chris Martin's piano solo sounded pretty nice. Also, the JT/TI duet sounded nice.

[creekster]

Ah, I see the distinction you are trying to make. You very well could be right. With an event as large as the Grammys, it would make sense. However, if the TV broadcast had its own board, then you are also right that they should be fired. Seriously, if I were U2, I would be very annoyed. Wasn't a great way to open the show...the song was lame to begin with. The sound quality made it worse.

Also, didn't the Macca/Foo Fighters "I Saw Her Standing There" sound messy, as well? I felt like his bass was purposely turned up and I think there was one part where the mics were turned up too high....they tried to harmonize and it sounded too loud.

For some reason, I felt like many of the songs were tainted by the poor sound quality.

While not a huge fan of the coldplay/Jay Z collaboration, I thought Chris Martin's piano solo sounded pretty nice. Also, the JT/TI duet sounded nice.

In defense of somethign like the grammies, it can be really hard ot get the levels right if you are constantly switching set upsd and artists. This is especially true if the artists won't show up and do a thorough soundcheck, and I am guessing they don't get alot of that for the grammies (although I have no idea).

I actually didn't see it at all. In a tribute to pelagius and to keep my wife happy, all I saw last night was the second episode of the masterpiece classic prodcution of Sense and Senisbility where, once again,a bunch of English people in old-fahsioned clothes refused to tell each other how they really feel until, when all hope is seemingly lost, some remarkable tunr of events leads to happiness for the heroine and despair for the unruly cads that had mistreated her (or her family) in the beginning.