Author Topic: Why do bands always sound terrible on the Late Night shows?  (Read 3595 times)

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Offline Sigz

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Why do bands always sound terrible on the Late Night shows?
« on: April 30, 2010, 11:27:25 AM »
Like Jimmy Fallon, Leno, Letterman, and SNL. Every band, no matter how good they normally are, sounds like shit. Do their producers just have no idea how to get a good sound? Or do they just not care?
« Last Edit: April 30, 2010, 11:33:24 AM by Sigz »
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Re: Why do bands always sound terrible on the Late Night shows?
« Reply #1 on: April 30, 2010, 11:58:12 AM »
I remember watching Mastodon on one of those shows, and they sounded shit. Saw them live in person not long after, and they sounded incredible.

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Re: Why do bands always sound terrible on the Late Night shows?
« Reply #2 on: April 30, 2010, 12:18:36 PM »
I remember Megadeth sounding terrible on Jimmy Fallon, and Anvil sounding incredibly amateur on Conan O'Brien. That's a good point there, Sigz, but I don't know the answer.

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Re: Why do bands always sound terrible on the Late Night shows?
« Reply #3 on: May 01, 2010, 12:04:47 AM »
There's probably a significant difference in the acoustics in a tv studio compared to a music venue.
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Offline Super Dude

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Re: Why do bands always sound terrible on the Late Night shows?
« Reply #4 on: May 01, 2010, 12:18:50 AM »
And actually I feel like the more "radio friendly" acts don't have such a hard time.  I saw Barenaked Ladies on either SNL or MadTV (I can't remember, it was many, many years ago), my first ever exposure to Barenaked Ladies, a live performance no less.  They sounded great. :hat
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Offline shadowfex

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Re: Why do bands always sound terrible on the Late Night shows?
« Reply #5 on: May 01, 2010, 02:30:18 AM »
And actually I feel like the more "radio friendly" acts don't have such a hard time.

Many of them mime though.
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Offline ReaperKK

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Re: Why do bands always sound terrible on the Late Night shows?
« Reply #6 on: May 01, 2010, 07:12:06 AM »
I imagine it's because they have to do a quick job eqing the band and setting everything up, it's a very different venue from what they play.

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Re: Why do bands always sound terrible on the Late Night shows?
« Reply #7 on: May 01, 2010, 07:26:46 AM »
I don't agree or disagree with this statement.  I've seen some great sounding songs on talk shows.
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Offline kirbywelch92

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Re: Why do bands always sound terrible on the Late Night shows?
« Reply #8 on: May 01, 2010, 10:10:45 AM »
I think it's because there is next to nothing when it comes to sound check, which is incredibly important. The stage they play on is often set-up after the host no longer intends to use it, so they just have to roll the equipment out there and get it set-up in time before the commercials end.

But vocally Mastodon is terribly live.....*runs and hides*

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Re: Why do bands always sound terrible on the Late Night shows?
« Reply #9 on: May 01, 2010, 10:54:12 AM »
I think it's because there is next to nothing when it comes to sound check, which is incredibly important. The stage they play on is often set-up after the host no longer intends to use it, so they just have to roll the equipment out there and get it set-up in time before the commercials end.

But vocally Mastodon is terribly live.....*runs and hides*

Strange coincidence that this thread inspired me to check out their performance of Oblivion on Letterman. They've certainly done a passable job at the very least considering that all 4 band members sing at various points in their songs and usually over odd rhythms and also there's the fact that their original singer left before Remission their debut EP, Lifesblood, even came out and they mentioned in the Workhorse Chronicles DVD that they more or less patched a broken pipe with used bubble gum by simply taking on vocals primarily by Brent and Troy and foregoing the option of getting a true vocalist.
« Last Edit: May 01, 2010, 06:41:37 PM by black_floyd »
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Re: Why do bands always sound terrible on the Late Night shows?
« Reply #10 on: May 01, 2010, 01:28:49 PM »
Blink 182's performance of "Down" on one of those late night shows is what turned me off of them.
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Offline kirbywelch92

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Re: Why do bands always sound terrible on the Late Night shows?
« Reply #11 on: May 01, 2010, 02:27:52 PM »
Strange coincidence that this thread inspired me to check out their performance of Oblivion on Letterman. They've certainly done a passable job at the very least considering that all 4 band members sing at various points in their songs and usually over odd rhythms and also there's the fact that their original singer left before Remission even came out and they mentioned in the Workhorse Chronicles DVD that they more or less patched a broken pipe with used bubble gum by simply taking on vocals primarily by Brent and Troy and foregoing the option of getting a true vocalist.

I didn't know they had a singer, but I don't listen to Remission very often so that's probably why. Either way, everything they've written past that point has been covered by their vocals, the problem lies with their bass player as far as I can tell. Getting a true vocalist would be nice, but hopefully one that's more Blood Mountain/Crack the Skye-esque than one who would sing Remission type music.

Offline SinisterMinisterX

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Re: Why do bands always sound terrible on the Late Night shows?
« Reply #12 on: May 01, 2010, 03:44:15 PM »
I imagine it's because they have to do a quick job eqing the band and setting everything up, it's a very different venue from what they play.

An exception to this is SNL, which starts setting up the musical guest and soundchecking on Thursday. So they have no excuse... but you're right for all the others, I think.


While the sound is often iffy, I've seen a lot of superb performances on Letterman's show.

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Re: Why do bands always sound terrible on the Late Night shows?
« Reply #13 on: May 01, 2010, 06:45:17 PM »
Strange coincidence that this thread inspired me to check out their performance of Oblivion on Letterman. They've certainly done a passable job at the very least considering that all 4 band members sing at various points in their songs and usually over odd rhythms and also there's the fact that their original singer left before Remission even came out and they mentioned in the Workhorse Chronicles DVD that they more or less patched a broken pipe with used bubble gum by simply taking on vocals primarily by Brent and Troy and foregoing the option of getting a true vocalist.

I didn't know they had a singer, but I don't listen to Remission very often so that's probably why. Either way, everything they've written past that point has been covered by their vocals, the problem lies with their bass player as far as I can tell. Getting a true vocalist would be nice, but hopefully one that's more Blood Mountain/Crack the Skye-esque than one who would sing Remission type music.

My bad. Although they did have a singer he departed even before their debut EP, Lifesblood, was released so there is only the few and far between live clip of VERY early Mastodon material to see him on. I'll edit some links into this very post once I find them.

EDIT: Wowsers! Didn't expect to find it this quickly and what a setlist(the entire Lifesblood EP I think.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu-Cjd6d_d4
« Last Edit: May 01, 2010, 06:51:55 PM by black_floyd »
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Offline wolfking

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Re: Why do bands always sound terrible on the Late Night shows?
« Reply #14 on: May 01, 2010, 06:51:26 PM »
I think it's because there is next to nothing when it comes to sound check, which is incredibly important. The stage they play on is often set-up after the host no longer intends to use it, so they just have to roll the equipment out there and get it set-up in time before the commercials end.

But vocally Mastodon is terribly live.....*runs and hides*

Strange coincidence that this thread inspired me to check out their performance of Oblivion on Letterman. They've certainly done a passable job at the very least considering that all 4 band members sing at various points in their songs and usually over odd rhythms and also there's the fact that their original singer left before Remission their debut EP, Lifesblood, even came out and they mentioned in the Workhorse Chronicles DVD that they more or less patched a broken pipe with used bubble gum by simply taking on vocals primarily by Brent and Troy and foregoing the option of getting a true vocalist.

That's a great DVD.  A lot of rare footage.  Could have used some more pro shot footage though.  Would have liked the inclusion on the contamination festival performance.  Although the performance of Mother Puncher on the DVD kills.
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Re: Why do bands always sound terrible on the Late Night shows?
« Reply #15 on: May 01, 2010, 06:53:59 PM »
Strange coincidence that this thread inspired me to check out their performance of Oblivion on Letterman. They've certainly done a passable job at the very least considering that all 4 band members sing at various points in their songs and usually over odd rhythms and also there's the fact that their original singer left before Remission even came out and they mentioned in the Workhorse Chronicles DVD that they more or less patched a broken pipe with used bubble gum by simply taking on vocals primarily by Brent and Troy and foregoing the option of getting a true vocalist.

I didn't know they had a singer, but I don't listen to Remission very often so that's probably why. Either way, everything they've written past that point has been covered by their vocals, the problem lies with their bass player as far as I can tell. Getting a true vocalist would be nice, but hopefully one that's more Blood Mountain/Crack the Skye-esque than one who would sing Remission type music.

I love Troy's vocals myself.  I'll take him over Brent anyday.  I have gotten a bit more dissapointed every album because they are steering away from the Remission/Leviathan type thing.  Leviathan had a good balance of vocals between Brent and Troy, now there are too much from Brent IMO.
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Re: Why do bands always sound terrible on the Late Night shows?
« Reply #16 on: May 01, 2010, 07:23:05 PM »
I love Troy's vocals myself.  I'll take him over Brent anyday.  I have gotten a bit more dissapointed every album because they are steering away from the Remission/Leviathan type thing.  Leviathan had a good balance of vocals between Brent and Troy, now there are too much from Brent IMO.

I think he's kind of emerging as the front man but it just happened to take five albums for it to happen. I like Troy as well but lean a tad toward Brent overall since he's not noticeably any worse than colonel Sanders on the stoner-rock clean vocals(Josh Homme-core) and a good bit better than him at heavy shouts and roars.
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Offline wolfking

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Re: Why do bands always sound terrible on the Late Night shows?
« Reply #17 on: May 01, 2010, 08:05:09 PM »
I love Troy's vocals myself.  I'll take him over Brent anyday.  I have gotten a bit more dissapointed every album because they are steering away from the Remission/Leviathan type thing.  Leviathan had a good balance of vocals between Brent and Troy, now there are too much from Brent IMO.

I think he's kind of emerging as the front man but it just happened to take five albums for it to happen. I like Troy as well but lean a tad toward Brent overall since he's not noticeably any worse than colonel Sanders on the stoner-rock clean vocals(Josh Homme-core) and a good bit better than him at heavy shouts and roars.

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Re: Why do bands always sound terrible on the Late Night shows?
« Reply #18 on: May 01, 2010, 08:05:55 PM »

EDIT: Wowsers! Didn't expect to find it this quickly and what a setlist(the entire Lifesblood EP I think.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu-Cjd6d_d4

The whole Lifesblood EP  :hefdaddy

I'm off now, but I will be watching this whole thing later!!
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