Read my lip-synch
Roll up, roll up, the circus is in town. Yep, it’s Britney, bitches!
No stranger to controversy, Britney Spears has arrived in Australia to yet another groundswell of hoopla. This time it’s her lip-synching drawing attention, with suggestion tickets should carry disclaimers if concerts are pre-recorded.
But is this a generational thing?
Much like her life, the shows are touted as spectacles, production extravaganzas — and yet younger fans don’t seem to mind paying up to $1500 to be a part of her Circus. Marcel Marceau must be turning in his grave.
Cunning stunts with audio aren’t uncommon for stadium productions, and artists like Madonna, Cher and Kylie have all relied on the occasional tweak. I haven’t seen Britney, but Madonna and Kylie were corkers; and when considering the choreography and production demands, maybe it makes sense to lip-synch parts of live shows.
Ask any drag queen about the benefits of mime. But the whole show, Brits?
Artists like Pink have proved it is possible to have the pipes and stamina to sing live hanging from trapezes. But I’ve heard Britney’s raw vocal, and I think I’d prefer the lip-synched version, just quietly. Might also help if she mimed in time, right?
I guess if you’re a fan, you’re not expecting the blistering vocal gymnastics you’d get from Aretha Franklin or Christina Aguilera, and La Spears did once have it going on. But her recent gigs just look lacklustre and trite.
So what makes her such a source of fascination, kids?
As her lyrics often lampoon, her very existence is synonymous with controversy. Scandal and misfortune simply fuel her career. And she has her fair share of queer appeal too. I find it all a bit blah, but maybe I’m missing something.
Is it the flashes of gash? The drug scandals? Dropping the baby? The attraction to bad-boy tools? Or is she channelling our inner yokel?
Maybe we’re just hooked on public disgrace and drama; the cruel streak in us aching to see how far she falls when the next saga unfolds? Evil queens waiting for another fail. You should all be ashamed of yourselves! Poor girl.
Overdose on stage, anyone? Now that’d be a spectacle.
True, Kylie prides herself on her vocals, despite the rumours. As it happens, I know one of the sound engineers from the Oz leg of one of her tours – and while she doesn’t mime as such, certain ‘enhancements’ were apparently made to audio. But her concerts were still awesome, and I think more and more bigger stadium gigs are relying on understated tweaks.
Same with Madge – she’s known for using a combination of enhanced live vocals and lip-synching. And sometimes I think it’s appropriate. Check-out the below footage of ‘Justify My Love’ from her Girlie Show in Sydney – she mimes parts, and sings parts. The lip-synched bits seem to be where the ‘spoken vocal’ just wouldn’t work if she attempted it live. But it still rocked.
Rose – I can’t see how this is about gender, but again, no offence was intended.
Okay, that’s enough from me. Almost another column! Who knew I had so much spare time? LOL.
Thanks for the comments.
http://tinyurl.com/yafoyoy
“Poor is the man whose pleasure depends on the permission of another”
ROSE DARLING…. As for M.J who i have meet MIMING 2 concerts you so have got it wrong. As 4 Britney i have heard dogs bark better then her live singing, and yes she is hot and is a great dances er. and puts a good video together…. and as 4 Liza that i had prawns with 2 weeks ago 4 someone that could not sing walk or talk 3 years ago you so have got that right.XOX
Britney is HOT I wonder if we would be so critical about MEN who mime?? Like Michael Jackson??! Old greats like Liza sing LIVE and she is a fabulous FEMALE act ! Hmmmm??!
Britney Spears is the fervoured manifestation of extrememist celebrity fixation [yes I used a thesauras] “Circus” is a good description too lols
heHe….. we all love a diva meltdown…… I have got to go to Britney and Kylie and you could tell bits of Kylies concert had something done to the sound….. they all do it….. I dont know what the fuss is I love her regardless!!!! LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE!!
Kylie has nothing to do with this, she is a pop artist..You obviously have not done your homework. She prides herself on her live vocals….She would not want to fool anybody… She is an Aussie after all…