aint it the truth

[joshnich]

http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/stop-the-presses/gene-simmons-tommy-lee-slam-rihanna-lip-syncing-165048764.html

[Schu]

my two channel can tell the difference.

[Rivernuggets]

Simmons quote from the article:

"I love all karaoke singers," he told TMZ. "I like all the girl singers who get up and sing with tapes. Shame on you."

Simmons described lip-syncing as dishonest. "I don't care what your music is, have some integrity, be real, or full disclosure before the fact," he said. "Hold up a sign that says, '70 percent of what you hear is fake. It's a tape. I'm a karaoke singer.'"

[Audible Nectar]

Simmons quote from the article:

"I love all karaoke singers," he told TMZ. "I like all the girl singers who get up and sing with tapes. Shame on you."

Simmons described lip-syncing as dishonest. "I don't care what your music is, have some integrity, be real, or full disclosure before the fact," he said. "Hold up a sign that says, '70 percent of what you hear is fake. It's a tape. I'm a karaoke singer.'"

I agree with this. If it isn't truly live, don't call it "live".

[Rivernuggets]

I agree with this. If it isn't truly live, don't call it "live".

Yeah, with lip syncing folk it could still be called a 'performance'. Madonna performed at the Super Bowl.

[dtel]

Yes it's the truth, a little talent goes a long way these days, mix that with little talent getting it on a Cd or whatever media and you get junk, I'm just glad I don't care for at least 99% of it.

Being old does have some benefits, you heard real musicians and even sometimes got a great recording.

[T.H.E. Droid]

Given what passes for music these days, I suspect that concertgoers are lucky to get a rehearsed, edited recorded performance with the singer at least gyrating in front of them.

I had the misfortune to go to a Doors concert and I only wish Jim Morrison had been lip syncing. As bad as he sounded on Doors records, he was infinitely worse in person. I can only speculate that he sold his soul to the devil and his success had something to do with demonic intervention. The actual music and performances shouldn't have carried him any farther than the local bowling alley.

[Quiet_Hollow]

I had the misfortune to go to a Doors concert and I only wish Jim Morrison had been lip syncing. As bad as he sounded on Doors records, he was infinitely worse in person. I can only speculate that he sold his soul to the devil and his success had something to do with demonic intervention. The actual music and performances shouldn't have carried him any farther than the local bowling alley.

That sucks...especially when you pay for the tickets. I've heard the same about the Stones and other big names.

Summerfest here provides a wide spread of talent. Of course there's the suck, then there's been some real gems...particularly at the smaller stages.

[skonopa]

Well, this just shows that to find the "real" talent anymore is to go deep underground and find/listen to the acts that actually care about the music they are making and still treat it as the artform that it is, instead of just making something to shovel out to the masses, to make a buck to later blow on drugs, expensive cars, expensive houses, etc. I will put up any of the bands that I've seen performed at ProgPower US against any of the tripe that is on the top-40 pop airwaves, and I'll show you what "real" talent looks like, compared to all that souless, dull, mainstream crap. If anybody thinks the Grammies is the epitome of what is offered in music, they are sorely mistaken. They can hand out as many awards and pat themselves on the back as much as they want, but it still does not change the fact that much of what they put out these days is pretty much crap.

Seriously, how much staying power is something like Justin Beiber or Rihanna is going to have? Who is still going to be listening to Justin Beiber thirty years from now? For that matter, who still listens to N-Sync anymore? Have not heard anything of the Jonas Brothers recently, now that I think about it! Do anybody even still listen to them? I remember a conversation I had with one of my co-workers when I was dissing on how bad the Jonas Brothers were. He commented, "well that is what the kids are listening to". I then asked him just how much staying power do you think something like that will have? When I was a kid (at the age that was targeted by the likes of Justin Beiber or Jonas Brothers), I was listening to Rush, Yes, Styx, Asia, and Pink Floyd. Guess what I am still listening to 30 years later from time to time - Rush, Yes, Styx, Asia, and Pink Floyd! Just found out over the weekend that Rush is going to be playing this area in September - and I do intend on going to see that show!

To be honost, I don't think this is just because I am getting older. I
am hearing the same thing from many a teenager (who this $#!+ is
supposedly marketed to), and nearly all of them say that the music today
is complete crap. Recently, while I was at the river, I had one just go off on how much most of this music today really sucks - I was actually really surprised as he seemed to be the type that would be listening to this crap. In addition, over Christmas, I was playing some of the stuff that I like to listen to (underground power/progressive metal), to my 15 year-old nephew and he was blown away at just how awesome some it was! He was making comments like "Holy crap, that sounds awesome! Who is that? Could I have a copy?" No wonder that these older acts seems to be getting some popularity again, such as the Kiss and Motley Crue thing in that original article.

I 100% whole-heartedly agree with what Gene Simmons said in that piece. Believe me, he is not the first musician I've heard it from, and he will certainly not be the last either. At least it is nice to finally hear it from one that has some actual mainstream pull, though.