Former Megadeth guitarist Jeff Young recently discussed pre-recorded tracks and the difference between Queen frontman Freddie Mercury and KISS frontman Paul Stanley. In a video recorded for Syncin’ Stanley, the guitarist read a question asking for his opinion on bands like KISS and W.A.S.P. being caught lip-syncing. Young replied to the question by comparing Stanley’s lip-syncing to Mercury’s. He said:
“Not a big fan — not a big fan at all. Maybe if you need it for some extraneous, extra orchestral parts or a huge choir. Think of Queen when they did Bohemian Rhapsody live back on the News Of The World tour. They would leave the stage during that middle part and let a tape roll, and then they’d come out for the rockest rock ‘n roll ending. That’s the way to do it.”
Young also revealed what he doesn’t consider ‘artistry.’ He continued:
“But if you’re getting out there Milli Vanilli-style and lip-syncing your vocal, I don’t consider that artistry; it’s a little more akin to ‘con artistry.”
KISS frontman has been accused of lip-syncing during a show in Antwerp, Belgium in June of last year. The fans noticed that the vocal track was playing while the frontman appeared to not be at the microphone, which led to suspicions of lip-syncing.
However, Stanley’s manager, Doc McGhee, clarified that the lead singer does sing live during performances but uses backing tracks to enhance the overall experience for the audience.
See Young’s video below.
