Why don't artists play live anymore? Expert reveals how pressure of major gigs is driving bands to use backing tracks in performances as Glastonbury miming and lip-syncing row rumbles on

The first Glastonbury Festival was staged back in 1970 by Michael Eavis - inspired by a typically ear-splitting outdoor gig by rock heavyweights Led Zeppelin at that year's Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music.

Music fans are ruing some of the 'progressive' elements appearing to feature at this year's event - with pop acts accused of miming to backing tracks.

Yet bands including US metallers Mötley Crüe are among those to admit they too use pre-records to help boost the sound pounded out to fans attending live gigs. 

The first Glastonbury headliners were Marc Bolan's Tyrannosaurus Rex, later T. Rex, who stepped in for the Kinks and Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders. 

Those performing the following year included David Bowie and heavy rockers Hawkwind, while much-revisited performances at the festival since have included Pulp in 1995, Amy Winehouse in 2007, Metallica in 2014 and Stormzy in 2019.

But organisers and broadcasters have faced flak over this year's 'underwhelming' festival which has also increased the spotlight on modern pop's technical tweaks to 'enhance' the sound - at the alleged expense of live authenticity.

Music experts have revealed how the multi-million-pound pressure of major gigs is driving acts to use backing tracks more and more in live performances - as a 'miming' row over alleged lip-syncing at Glastonbury rages on.  

This year's festival came under fire from unimpressed listeners and viewers after a series of artists were said to come across as sounding 'awful'.

Analysts have since suggested that poor sound quality at Glastonbury could be due to using pre-recorded backing tracks.

Acts facing accusations of miming at last weekend's festival included Dua Lipa on Friday and both Camila Cabello and Coldplay the following day. 

And industry insiders have told MailOnline that the approach is gaining favour especially among 'US urban, boy band, girl groups and K Pop acts on which there can be millions of pounds at stake'.

Lyle Bignon, a UK music consultant specialising in live venues and festivals, told how a 'new generation of fans' had 'different expectations' for modern-day 'live' shows.

He added: 'The level of pressure on artists and productions to deliver a supremely memorable and note-perfect performance at mega events like Glastonbury is absolutely real.

'Follow-up tours, new releases, brand opportunities, advertising deals and other lucrative income streams are often lined up after major televised shows to take advantage of momentum.'

He also described how touring with multiple vocalists and musicians can be seen as too costly for many - but did add: 'Broadly speaking, for UK music acts, those who can perform live, will.'

Gareth Fuller, founder and choirmaster of Britain's Got Talent 2024 finalists Northants Sings Out, said using pre-records for live performances had become 'more common than ever and certainly on the rise'.

He added: 'The use of your own recorded vocals can be of benefit if working with sound teams that don’t readily know your requirements - for example, if you are on a large festival stage with no soundcheck and sound quality you cannot account for.'

But he also pointed to potential drawbacks in a loss of flexibility', 'where changing direction mid-song based on the crowd suits the moment'.

Last weekend's controversies came just weeks after guitar band Foo Fighters' frontman Dave Grohl aiming a jibe at Taylor Swift, whose sold-out Eras Tour gigs at Wembley Stadium coincided with his group's own UK gigs.

He told fans at West Ham United's London Stadium: 'We were joking about the Taylor Swift tour earlier - I know she's on her Eras Tour.

'I tell you, man, you don't want to suffer the wrath of Taylor Swift - so we like to call our tour the Errors Tour. 

'We've had more than a few eras, and more than a few f***ing errors as well. Just a couple. That's because we actually play live.'

US singer Swift pointedly responded at her third Wembley concert the following night, telling the 80,000-strong crowd: 'What you just did is an unforgettable moment in not just my life, but every very single one of our crew.

'The band that's going to be playing live for you for three and a half hours tonight.'

Others whose on-stage performances at Glastonbury's Worthy Farm in Somerset appeared to be hit by technical issues included Sunday evening's 'Legends' slot artist Shania Twain.

Questions have been posed as to whether the festival's technical team were at fault or else the BBC - but plenty of fans were swift to claim acts using backing tracks could face the blame.

Dua Lipa was the first to be accused of lip-syncing by those watching coverage of her headline set on the BBC last Friday night.

One watcher wrote on X, formerly Twitter: 'Imagine paying all that money to go Glastonbury to stand there and watch Dua Lipa mime the song and not even sing it. How bad.'

Another remarked online: 'Dua Lipa delivering a Top of the Pops mime set.'

A third posted: 'Dua Lipa has some decent catchy tunes, but I'm fairly sure she's lip syncing.

'Sounds like a live vocal, but just not convinced she's singing it live "right now".'

Yet the British-Albanian chart-topper, 28, later hit back, insisting: 'I don't mime.'

Similar issues seemed to arise with Coldplay's record breaking fifth Glastonbury headline set the following night, which included frontman Chris Martin inciting US actor Michael J Fox on stage in his wheelchair to play guitar during Fix You.

The British band made their debut at the festival in the New Bands Tent in 1999, before headlining in 2002, 2005, 2011, and 2016, and have now headlined on the main Pyramid Stage more than any other artists. 

Yet there were some dubious viewers suggesting Chris could have been miming the words to some his songs, rather than singing live.

One wrote: 'Tons of miming and backing tracks being used in this Coldplay performance. Bass player in danger of being made redundant.'

A second said: 'There's a fair amount of blagging and miming going on here... Loads of tracks running in the background.'

Another posted: 'The people who were giving off about Taylor Swift's band miming or using backing tracks would get a big surprise if they saw Coldplay's input list.'

Beyonce faced similar allegations of possible miming after singing US national anthem The Star-Spangled Banner at Barack Obama's second inauguration as American president at the White House in January 2013.

The late US soul legend Aretha Franklin, who performed at Mr Obama's first inauguration ceremony four years earlier, described Beyonce as having 'done a beautiful job with the pre-record'.

She said: 'When I heard the news this evening that she was pre-recorded I really laughed - I thought it was funny because the weather down there was about 46 or 44 degrees and for most singers that is just not good singing weather.

'When I heard that I just really cracked up. I thought it was really funny, but she did a beautiful job with the pre-record.' 

The track was recorded with the Marine Corps Band, who confirmed they did not play their instruments live on the day.

Britney Spears was also accused of lip-syncing on UK tours taking in London's O2 Arena in 2000, 2009 and 2011 - although supporters defended her, saying it was to help her concentrate on elaborate dance routines. 

More recently, legendary crooner Frankie Valli, 90, has faced online criticism over footage suggesting he lip-syncs to Four Seasons classics while continuing to tour.

But there are other acts who have been open about topping up live shows with backing tracks - including California rockers Mötley Crüe, Loudwire reported.

Bandleader Nikki Sixx posted on X, formerly Twitter: 'We've used technology since '87. Been using sequencers, sub tones, background vox tracks, plus background singers and us.'

He described how they pre-record 'stuff we can't tour with, like cello parts in ballads, etc', adding: 'We love it, and don't hide it. It's a great tool to fill out the sound.'

Yet Deep Purple's frontman Ian Gillan has called the practice cheating, while Megadeth's Dave Mustaine labelled acts who use backing tracks 'f***ing lazy'.

In a twist on supposed miming, Glastonbury 2022 headliner Sir Paul McCartney, 82, is aided by drummer and backing vocalist Abe Laboriel Jr for some of his high notes. 

Becky Pell, a sound engineer from Oxfordshire who is currently on tour with Take That, told the Sunday Times that the 'vast majority' of pop artists do sing live.

Yet she said it was 'not practical' to have the 16 musicians which would appear on a recorded track all performing on stage.

Another sound engineer, who has toured with Blondie, described how stars deploy extra guitarists or an orchestra on backing tracks to 'thicken the sound out' - but extra recorded vocals would be in addition to, not instead of, live singing.

Tickets for this year's five-day Glastonbury Festival cost £355 - up £20 on last year - plus a £5 booking fee.

The event was first held in 1970 and has grown to attract hundreds of acts and 210,000 ticket-holders, but this year's version has been criticised as 'underwhelming'.

Industry experts have suggested Glastonbury has struggled to secure top names - with the fees on offer a tenth of what artists can command elsewhere.

Yet others have also highlighted how legendary performers are often tempted by the event's prestige - and potential sales boosts from a higher profile.

When Swift announced her UK tour dates last June, some noted how the weekend scheduled for this year's Glastonbury appeared available.

She had previously agreed to headline the Pyramid Stage in 2020, only for the Covid-19 pandemic to intervene and put paid to that year's festival.

Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis, daughter of the event's founder Michael Eavis, said in 2022: 'I think we've got Taylor next time she's doing some touring.'

Yet last weekend Swift was playing three nights at Dublin's Aviva Stadium as part of her world tour, which has become the first whose ticket sales have grossed more than $1billion, or £790million.

And disagreements over the money on offer reportedly scuppered plans for Madonna to fill this year's prestigious Sunday 'Legends' spot which was then taken by Canadian country-pop star Twain, the Telegraph reported.