i am x

[duhb]

i love this act
great sounding music with very catchy songs
anybody else here like this

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[seraphim]

You know, I really like IAMX, even more so than his previous endevours. However, my Wife just saw them live back in October and she was really disappointed by their show because they seemingly don't perform live, it's all on DAT and they just sing/play on top of that...such a shame for such a talented band. I'll still support them by buying their albums though.

[duhb]

You know, I really like IAMX, even more so than his previous endevours. However, my Wife just saw them live back in October and she was really disappointed by their show because they seemingly don't perform live, it's all on DAT and they just sing/play on top of that...such a shame for such a talented band. I'll still support them by buying their albums though.

well that sux.
i guess there is always some tape for the electronic acts but it sounds like they really made it more like team karaoke? still i luv the toonz.

[seraphim]

well that sux.
i guess there is always some tape for the electronic acts but it sounds like they really made it more like team karaoke? still i luv the toonz.


It was, from the Wifes account (and I admit she's harder on most bands since she herself is a musician) still entertaining and fun. I in no way mean to discredit their talent, because we're both still huge fans. Just saying that yes, while backing tracks are inevitable and often needed, I just would have expected a little more. Heh.

[Nautilus]

This is most definitely a talented act and is one of my discoveries this year thanks to some other posts here from the retired forum. These guys have some very nice song writing skills and the production goes to match. Great stuff for sure.

[Electroswank]

I really hate to disagree with Seraphim cos he's an old friend, and don't want to make waves, in fact I wasn't even going to respond to this topic, but one of my very good friends works with the band personally (handles the US Publicity as well as is an old friend of Chris Corner) so I mentioned this to him (partly because this comment shocked me and since I have a tie to this band I would hate for rumors like this to ruin his reputation and chances at playing any more live shows) and here's what he said :

Love it. I mean, seriously. Do people actually think Chris is sleep-walking through performances? I've seen him play a tiny club in Berlin (secret show), a festival in Brussels, illegally on a street in Downtown Manhattan for The Village Voice, and in about 20 different venues on the East Coast and in Austin, TX. If he actually employed a DAT, I'd admit it. It's too easy to be proven wrong and I've been in the business far too long to lie about my artists' integrity.

While I understand the suspicion that there's no WAY someone can sound that good live without faking it (i.e. Ashlee Simpson, Britney, Mandy Moore), it's more a testament to his live performance and his band's ability to keep things tight and sounding the way it does.

Next time he performs, I'll accidentally trip on the plug to the amps and we'll see if he is actually playing and if the band is actually plugged in. If the music continues through the boards, then you'll know for sure whether or not he's actually playing.

Obviously his response is sprinkled with a bit of sarcasm but you can tell this upset him... rightly so, he's been in the business about twenty years and has worked with an array of artists both mainstream and indie.

I've seen IAMX a bunch of times live too (once in Brooklyn, a few times in NYC and just this past October in Portland OR) - and though I know that doesn't make me an expert on live shows, I know that some bands at times use backing keyboard tracks to enhance a show; I never got that impression from IAMX. We saw them on their final show of this past tour where they made up (from audience requests) the set list for the two encores they did! I've brought industry people to some of his shows and they're blown away every time; amazed that there's no US label representation.

I'm not knocking bands who use pre-recorded tracks. I think when you put on a live show on you need to do what you need to do to make it your vision and sometimes that includes not hiring on a hundred people to play difficult keyboard parts on stage... I just think in this instance perhaps whomever saw this show and thought it was all playback may be incorrect.

Speaking to my friend privately he actually did mention to me that he brought this up with Chris as an aside soon after we had this conversation and without getting into drama of the details; suffice it to say think whatever you guys want to about the live show and take for it what you want to see. I'm not anyones spokesperson so it's not up to me to repeat conversations :) I know this band consists of insanely talented energetic musicians who put on a really kick ass rockin' live show. So I'll just stick with what I know! lol

xo

[Dusty Chalk]

I didn't think he was talking about the vocals, I thought he (or rather, his wife, indirectly, through his comments) was talking about the backing keyboard tracks. At least, that's how I read it.

And I would hope that wouldn't prevent anyone from getting gigs, as this is almost de rigueur for electronic-based acts -- I think most audience members have come to expect this. If someone performed their material entirely live, that would be rather exceptional and noteworthy.

PS That video was my first exposure to IAmX (although I've been meaning to try them out due to the Sneaker Pimps connection), and I have to admit to being impressed -- I liked it!

[seraphim]

Oh don't hate to disagree with me, it's all well and good; I didn't really expect to have no one disagree and I take no offense to it. However, I don't think anything I said or my opinion would ruin their reputation and chances at playing any more live shows (man if only I had that power or reputation, there are quite a few bands I'd like to stop); nor would it keep me from going to any of their live shows. I believe he was singing, and singing quite well and I never meant to make it sound as if he was pulling a Britney or Ashlee (i.e. not singing at all). My only point was that he, at least it seemed to the people there, was singing on top of vocals that were already present. Again, which is ultimately fine because with electronic music, if you don't sometimes have that extra layer the music doesn't seem as full and could suffer. The group of people I know (all long time musicians) who were at the show here in Seattle just found it suspicious as to just how much seemed to be on the backing vocals. He was running and jumping around so much that it's hard to believe he has that much breath control as to not have it affect his vocals.

I'm just sayin' and if he indeed uses no backing tracks or DAT then bravo, he deserves much respect.

My criteria was met for the show, which was "Did you have fun?" Which they did.