How long has Frankie Valli been lip synching his concerts?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by James Slattery, Jun 14, 2018.

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  1. Vaughan

    Vaughan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Essex, UK
    Not much of a surprise that, not if the guy on stage is miming. I'm having Top of the Pops flashbacks.

    Genuinely surprised at how many people here are okay with this. Live and learn. I've never bought a concert ticket just to see someone - usually from a poor seat, a muddy mix, and from a good distance - regardless of what they were doing. How much did these people (don't want to call anyone out) pay for their tickets? Was it truly value for money? I mean, you could have stayed at home with a cold one and played a live album, no? From my point of view, I'm never going to pay a decent bit of change to simply be in the same arena with someone. I get wanting to see the guy perform, but he's not.

    The classic guys are getting old, and are unable to perform. That's life.
     
  2. Socalguy

    Socalguy Forum Resident

    Location:
    CA
    Is anyone seriously complaining that an 84-year-old man is lip-synching instead of live singing?

    Holy crap... seriously?
     
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  3. Grassy Sound

    Grassy Sound Hopeful yet discontent.

    Location:
    Wildwood, NJ
    Daltrey now indeed fakes the scream.
     
  4. bRETT

    bRETT Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA

    I would have complained if Tony Bennett had stopped singing for real when he was 84 (seven years ago), but he didn't.

    People may be satisfied on some level if they see a beloved performer lip-sync, but there's something genuinely thrilling about seeing an older singer at something approaching peak form. I'm sure that people walk out of Bennett's or Colin Blunstone's performances a lot happier. Bennett's performances aren't what they were, but by all accounts there are still moments in every show where he nails it.
     
  5. Socalguy

    Socalguy Forum Resident

    Location:
    CA
    I’m happy to see both guys on stage, alive and breathing. I think you need some compassion and perspective.
     
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  6. Vaughan

    Vaughan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Essex, UK
    Yep, seriously. I'm wondering why you're surprised. He's selling tickets to a live show, and his performance seems to be standing on stage and moving his lips to a recording.

    I don't think anyone is complaining that an 80+ years old can no longer sing, that's understandable. They're saying that having been sold a ticket to a live performance - billed as a live performance - he should actually perform. Not mime. For some, myself included, this stretches the term "live" to its limits, and beyond. I suppose he's simply cashing in on his name, but since he hadn't said he'll be miming on this tour, it comes across as dishonest.

    Why do you think there's a lack of compassion? The guy is advertising a live performance, and he's not performing. I don't think anyone expects him to sound like he's 20 years old, it's fine of his voice has changed. But not like this, imo.
     
  7. bRETT

    bRETT Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    I am happy to see them alive and breathing, and I hope Frankie Valli continues to live a long and happy life. I just don't need to see him onstage if he's not gonna sing.
     
    Last edited: Jun 14, 2018
  8. bRETT

    bRETT Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    And I hate to pick on Frankie Valli, but the lip synching may have begun when he was as young as 67-ish. Same age as Joan Armatrading, who I fully expect to sing for real when I see her next week.
     
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  9. Vaughan

    Vaughan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Essex, UK
    Really? Okay, so what's going on here? I can see someone miming because they simply can't perform. I don't condone it, far from it, but I can see some logic there. Ian Anderson, for all his faults, is at least singing, even though it's thin and reedy these days. But live is live. clearly if he can actually perform, he is, such as it is.

    So what's going on? Is it because, perhaps, the audience have overblown expectations, in that they wouldn't accept a performance that doesn't match the artists heyday? Is it because people can't/won't accept an 80 year old man sounding like an 80 year old man? Is it because it's a matter of "I either lip-sync or won't go on the road"? What's the thinking? I'm really baffled. I assume it's the latter, but I guess the draw of the money was too much to resist.
     
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  10. HarvG

    HarvG Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago Suburbs
    Has absolutely nothing to do with age, if a "live" performance is lip-synched, then it should be disclosed upfront when purchasing tickets.

    On the other hand, whether it's Frankie, Brian Wilson, Paul McCartney or Mick Jagger, aging voices are to expected and not a surprise in the least.
     
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  11. PretzelLogic

    PretzelLogic Feeling duped by MoFi? You probably deserve it.

    Location:
    London, England
    Contextually, I saw teen-pop sensations Steps do an entire set of very obviously lip-synced hits in 1999, and none of the audience gave a hoot.

    It’s pop music; artistic respectability is optional, not essential. When Frankie turns up at Carnegie Hall pretending to be first chair violin during a recital of Beethoven’s 5th, then I’ll be upset. Until then, I’ve got better things to worry about.
     
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  12. SoundAdvice

    SoundAdvice Senior Member

    Location:
    Vancouver
    Lightfoot is another one who kept to the idea doing it all live, regardless of his current unavoidable flaws.
     
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  13. SoundAdvice

    SoundAdvice Senior Member

    Location:
    Vancouver
    78 year old Tom Jones was all live when I saw him 2 weeks ago.

    Saw Tony Bennett maybe 3 years ago and he did a song without a mic for the audience of 2,000. That and a couple other moments had my jaw on the floor.
     
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  14. kreen

    kreen Forum Resident

    Uh, yes? Seriously.

    We don't expect them to sound like they did when they were 20, but we do expect them to SING. And if they can't sing at all, then be upfront about it: "Please note Mr. Frankie Valli will be singing to prerecorded vocal tracks". The fact they won't admit it proves we are right to complain; if it was all the same to people they would admit it freely.
     
  15. SoundAdvice

    SoundAdvice Senior Member

    Location:
    Vancouver
    I gave Dolly Parton a pass since she still sings on albums and the live show value is half in the banter/personality. Though I didn't like that she blatantly lied about after Glastonbury.

    I'm seeing Gary Numan for the 6th time in a decade, but I seem to be OK with a bunch of choruses being pre-recorded. Strobe lights and exaggerated dancing being the immediate give away.

    Vegas is now upfront about after some Britney fans sought refunds early in her residency. Use words like "Appearing" or "performing" in stead of "singing" or "in Concert". Fans were told straight as they were entering the venue by ushers. FWIW, Britney has done the odd song all live on various tours.

    I guess it's a similar deal with Mariah(50/50 live/tape?) and Jennifer Lopez in Vegas.
     
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  16. kreen

    kreen Forum Resident

    My guess is that Frankie Valli's audience, unlike that of, say, Paul McCartney or Brian Wilson, is to a large extent older people who simply would not accept to pay for a show where they can't hear those falsetto choruses that they're used to, but who at the same time are not "with it" enough to know about lip-synching, understand what it is or complain about it in high enough numbers to damage the artist's reputation.

    Basically the 30-year-old hipsters who go see Brian Wilson would rage about it on Twitter if the man mimed to a track when he does "Good Vibrations", but the 80-year-old man who pays to see Frankie Valli won't notice or care about it.
     
  17. SoundAdvice

    SoundAdvice Senior Member

    Location:
    Vancouver
    Some of it's is dealing with aging performers and demanding schedules.

    Some of it is insurance issues when you tour with a large set of production.

    Some of it is the youtube issue which is only really the past decade. Bob Dylan and Glenn Danzig being two sensitive acts who've yanked stuff from youtube they think may discourage future ticket sales.

    Apparently Live Nation aggressively push the idea on performers because they can get more shows a week and get longer tours out of acts.
     
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  18. Ryan Lux

    Ryan Lux Senior Member

    Location:
    Toronto, ON, CA
    He recorded new vocals at some point. He would've fooled a lot of us if they hadn't tuned the shirt out of them.
     
    Last edited: Jun 14, 2018
  19. SoundAdvice

    SoundAdvice Senior Member

    Location:
    Vancouver
    Brian's heavy live auto tune use on the 2012 Beach Boys reunion tour was strongly defended on this very forum. A few viewed it as a deal breaker and I passed on the tour because of it.
     
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  20. bRETT

    bRETT Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    Though autotune can also be applied to live vocals. That too sounds like crap.
     
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  21. Socalguy

    Socalguy Forum Resident

    Location:
    CA
    What a bunch of whiners. I’m guessing unless the shows are promoted as “Frankie Valli Sings Live”, you got what you paid for. Call his promoter if you feel deceived. Good luck.
     
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  22. milankey

    milankey Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kent, Ohio, USA
    If the public is stupid enough to pay to hear him lip-synch....
    They should pay him with fake money.
     
  23. Ryan Lux

    Ryan Lux Senior Member

    Location:
    Toronto, ON, CA
    So you're okay with a sweet little old man shoplifting? Oops I'm feeding the troll.
     
  24. Socalguy

    Socalguy Forum Resident

    Location:
    CA
    In which states is it against the law to lip-synch?
     
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  25. Ryan Lux

    Ryan Lux Senior Member

    Location:
    Toronto, ON, CA
    Thanks. We were having a nice discussion. Now that you've convinced us all that lip syncing is fine and moral, can we go back to it? Cheers
     
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