The Musicians Union is launching a campaign to try and persuade broadcasters to use an onscreen logo to let TV audiences know when a band is playing live or miming. The campaign, supported by artists like Elton John, Malcolm McClaren and Beverly Knight and officially launched next month, will also put pressure on gig promoters to be clear on whether their acts are performing live or not.
Horace Trubridge, Assistant General Secretary for the Musicians' Union, told the BBC: "Just as when you buy a can of beans and it tells you what's in the beans, we think if you are going to buy a ticket for a show or watch a band on the TV, you should know exactly what it is you are buying and what you are watching."
Beverley Knight added: "What I can't bear are those who are more than capable of delivering a show live with musicians and the whole thing and who don't. Why? Because it's easy to do and they get their cheque at the end of the day."
But not all artists support the scheme. Faye Tozer, formerly of Steps, a group who mimed their TV performances, explained the decision to mime is down to logistics: "Our main reason was because you would be up at five o'clock doing kids' TV, straight away into the studio. There's no time for rehearsal, no time for engineers or getting your crew in, and then you would be on to your next children's TV at seven o clock. For a band like ours, that were very much a TV-selling band, it was great for us and we could get our product out there."
She has a fair point you know. For some bands, the singing is just one part of the show, and energetic dance routines at weird times of the day in small TV studios aren't too conducive with turning in a perfect vocal performance. I suspect many of the 71% of people (according to an ICM poll) who think it should be made clear whether a performance is totally live or is to some extent mimed probably don't realise just how much of what they know and love is, to some extent, not live.