Live Performance

[Sincock]

With the project I'm working on at the moment, we've realised that we're going to have to put together a live show in the future to promote it.

So I've been thinking on how to go about it. I understand there's as many different ways to do it as there are people who do it but I'd be really interested to know how any of you do it: do you play to a CD, DAT, straight off the laptop?; how much is actually played live?; what equipment you use and how you use it etc etc etc.

I'd really like to know how you do it. I've played live in bands before but electronic/ hip hop music is completely different.

Thanks

 

[UNORTHODOX]

I ususally just use a CD but the more u do live (keyboards, MPC, even making a beat live) the better the show. the only real limitation is time and how much yall can handle

 

[Relic]

If everyone can play live people like that, but what with most of our stuff comming from a single drum machine we just mix inst that have backing vocals on them and the hooks to cd and then play from there.
Makes setup a breeze!

 

[Ash Holmz]

ideally the more elements you can incoroporate live the better. sometimes u are limited by the venue/situation. i swear u could play the exact same song twice one with live instrument one with a cd even if they sounded the exact same you would get a better response from the live one. i dunno thats just how it is. it really helps to at least have a dj if u dont have a band. going from the cd in the hands of a stranger can be problematic if the dj/soundman has a bad ear or just doesnt give a shit (alot of them dont). i was just at my boys show last weekend where my the dj was playin the beats way too loud and the performers were screaming themselves outta breath to be heard over the beat. it sounded horrible. not to mention dude skipped over a song then had to go back a track and fucked up the whole flow of the set.

 

[Sincock]

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. That sucks for your man though. Just using a CD seems a bit of a cop out; although that's about all I could do right now. My setup's not really portable. I was thinking of getting a laptop and some sort of control pad rather than use my keystation.

 

[UNORTHODOX]

or u could get a band to interpolate your songs, record the performance and offer the live stuff as bonus material

 

[God]

Sin,

Congratulations on getting your act ready for a live set. I've been to far too many live hip-hop shows, so here's my two cents:

Try to have your music run off a hard disk. CD's can skip and I would generally not recommend them for a live performance.

Ash is right, try to incorporate as much of the original music as possible. So if you have backing vocals, include them on the track that will back you up live.

Avoid having 20 of your friends join you on stage to assume the position of "hype-men." They usually sound like shit. Even 1 or 2 friends ending your lines for you sounds like shit if they've not practiced.

Try to have the sound engineer crank your vocal so you're not forced to inflect or shout. Generally rappers get excited because they're onstage and have a propensity to shout. They think that will somehow relay energy to the crowd. You may have a problem with this, since experienced live sound-engineers usually crank the beat up because so many rappers that have come through their venue suck live. Consider controlling your levels from your own mixer hooked to the house system.

I suggest using Keith Murray's stage presence as a template for your live performance. He is the ONLY rapper from the countless professional and unsigned hiphop acts I've seen that consistently gives awesome live performances (not 50 Cent, not any of the popular cats you hear on the radio) - from larger venues to the small attendance of music/radio industry venues He invokes energy by having confidence in himself, physically showing energy by jumping, stage diving and constantly engaging both the left right and center portions of the crowd. It's much like the lead singer of a rock band. He also "warms up" the crowd by engaging them in some verbal back and forth. Do a search on YouTube.

Remember to practice in your living room and in front of a mirror.

Don't forget to thank the friends that came to your show by throwing a good afterparty somewhere.

 

[Sincock]

Good (not advice), thanks.

 

[God]

good (not advice), thanks.

lmao.

 

[eldiablo]

i use a hard disk recorder. since the hero has effects on his voice its just easier for me to run the music and the vocals myself. all the engineer / p.a. dude has to do is turn it up. and another thing about using hard disk recorders is you can change your show up on the fly. cd's get scratched and computers crash. when im on stage i will not stand for any inconsistencies, my only goal is to rock the crowd.