Thread February 12, 2011 editorial: comments

Dear Fellow Audiofanziners!

I'd like to discuss the great American tradition of the Super Bowl Half Time Show.  I am not going to slam it for being too bombastic, over the top, gratuitous production- because it is what it is, a show, a spectacle within the greatest American sporting spectacle event of the year (yeah!).  I think it is a true challenge for any artist (and their live sound team) to try to pull off a musical medley that will sound decent to 100,000 people sitting in the stadium and then broadcast to millions of people around the world.  Really, I don't envy the Black Eyes Peas, whose highly produced music is hard to replicate in live setting to begin with, who faced the daunting task of leading the Super Bowl XLV Half Time Show.  To their credit they did actually sing live and did not use playback.  I don't have a problem with auto-tune and artists using it, that's what it's there for.  But Fergie was still struggling to hit notes and I am sure under different conditions she is a much more accomplished singer.  So all in all, I was disappointed by the execution of the show, it sounded really strained and did not flow.

Perhaps, the greatest "WTF?!" was when Slash was resurrected, out of the blue into the show.  What was he doing there?  Except earning his paycheck.  Sweet Child of Mine a-la Slash and Fergie, was a sad butchering of a classic rock song, and I wish I could erase that listening experience from my memory banks.  The amp and guitar endorsement I can swallow, year after year.  But please, sticking Slash "the one and only" in a Black Eyes Peas greatest hits song medley was really forced and in bad taste.  My 2 cents.  And apologies if I offended any Slash fans...

Moving along, we had a treat this week for bass players with our review of SWR Headlite Amp Head. Then we tackled the rather techie subject of DC Offset.  And then we delved into a very popular yet overlooked subject of how to multi-mic your guitar amp on stage in Capturing Guitar Amps in the Wild.

Have a good weekend,

Chater-La