As a live band member you are a different animal than the guys in the studio.
You are so right!
I'm always slightly in awe of live players - I was never any good at it.... fine in the studio, left to my own devices.
The opposite way round for me! In a "one take" session for the BBC for example there is immense pressure for six musicians to get it right first time, this seldom leads to a natural, impulsive and tight sound. A live gig on the other hand was always more relaxed as you could "go for it" knowing a slight slip wouldn't be noticeable to the majority of the crowd. A live session that was being recorded was a whole different ball game, but I still preferred it to the studio.
In the scene I was involved in there was an expectation for bands to perform on the radio as a 6 piece, one bandleader turned up with a trio and was initially turned down for the session. His argument was " people who came to his gigs would be disappointed with a trio after hearing them on the radio as a six piece " they always performed as a trio. Eventually the BBC relaxed the rules but it did contribute to the death of the six piece band. However, this was inevitable anyway due to financial issues.
Back to the thread, it's a difficult one to call. Part of me thinks an artist should perform live in the same manner they create their music in the studio, that's what the public (me) expects. This will ultimately lead to a decline in capable live musicians. I've heard good artists on the radio only to be disappointed too often when hearing and seeing them on TV. The public ultimately decide, and vote with their feet and wallets.
