Whether a ‘true’ artist should use backing vocals during live shows has long been debated. While some artists see no issue with it, others oppose the normalization of relying on backing tracks. As it appears, Joe Lynn Turner is one of them. Speaking to Syncin’ Staley, Turner said he prefers delivering a bad show rather than lip-syncing on fake vocals.
Technology allows artists to use various instruments to enhance their live shows. When they are having a bad day, they can use backing tracks to help them deliver a better performance or use a teleprompter to remind them of some songs’ lyrics. And yet, many don’t consider these as something a true artist should rely on.
In the current music scene, lip-syncing is common among artists of various genres. However, some believe using pre-recorded tracks during live shows takes away the authenticity of the performances. Recently, Ratt’s Stephen Pearcy joined among those who disapprove of the use of backing tracks by saying that he favors Taylor Swift over Mötley Crüe for that reason.
Joe Lynn Turner also joined the debate and said that he never synced his vocals during live shows while admitting he used some backing tracks on songs like ‘Heaven Tonight.’ He then claimed a lead singer shouldn’t lip-sync because it’s considered cheating. As Turner said, he’d prefer a bad show rather than using fake vocals.
Here is what Joe Lynn Turner said about lip-syncing:
“I’ve never synced any vocals up live on stage for myself, no. Never. I’ve had some backing tracks, like ‘Heaven Tonight’ with Yngwie Malmsteen. I’ve never used any instrumental backing tracks, although, who knows? I might just use some keyboards or some extra instrumentation at some point, but I haven’t yet.
How do I feel about it? I don’t think a lead vocalist should really use sync tracks. I mean, this is why it’s a lead vocalist. I understand in this era, a lot of people are doing it. But I think, personally and ethically, you’re cheating yourself and the audience by doing that. I’d rather have a bad night than use faked vocals.”
Lip-syncing artists are a hot topic the media likes — KISS’ Paul Stanley made the headlines last year when he was caught off-guard using backing vocals during a live show. However, a great number of artists seem to disapprove of lip-syncing, including Joe Lynn Turner.
