Offstage musicians and singers in popular music

Offstage musicians and singers are performers who play instruments and/or sing backstage, out of sight of the audience, during a live popular music concert at which the main band is visible playing and singing onstage. The sound from the offstage musicians or singers is captured by a microphone or from the output of their instrument, and this signal is mixed in with the singing and playing of the onstage performers using an audio console and a sound reinforcement system. Offstage backup singers are also used in some Broadway musicals, as have offstage instrumentalists, in cases where an onstage actor needs to appear to play an instrument.

The offstage musicians and singers are typically located beside the stage, behind the speaker stacks, backstage, under the stage (for raised stages), or, for music festivals held out of doors, in a tent near the backstage area.

Offstage performers may be called an "offstage touring guitarist", "offstage touring keyboard player", "offstage guitarist", "offstage keyboardist", "offstage backup singer" or "offstage harmony singer". In music theatre, singers may be called "pit singers" or "offstage voices". Slang terms are also used, such as "ghost singer".

Some offstage performers are hired solely to play one or more instruments (e.g., synthesizer, rhythm guitar, percussion). Some offstage performers are hired solely to sing backup vocals. Some offstage performers are hired to play an instrument and sing backup or harmony vocals at the same time. Offstage musicians can be hired for one-off concerts, but they are generally hired for entire tours. Some offstage musicians or singers work with the same band for many years.

In Broadway musicals, some of the offstage singers may have a secondary role as understudy to one of the onstage singers; the understudy (also called the "cover", "standby" or "alternate") sings the part of the onstage actor in front of the audience, in costume, in the event that the main singer becomes ill.

Some offstage performers have another profession or role that they perform in addition. Iron Maiden offstage keyboardist Michael Kenney's other role is as the bassist's bass tech.

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