New type of band....maybe? Your Thoughts?

Nightsblood · #1 08-30-2007, 12:48 PM

Im frustrated trying to find guitar players that dont suck. Ive got an idea for a band setup but dont know how it would go over, or if its been done this way.

How would a two bass player and drumer band go over...no vocals, really nothing else. I figure with a sound like a cross of Marcus Miller meets Les Claypool. Little funk, little rock(distorted) and pretty much everything else thrown in to make it interesting. A lot of groove. I play mostly groove bass live stuff, the other player might be a slap kinda style. Hell, even a stage show as well. First, has it been done? And Second, would it be interesting enough? Would you watch 45 minutes of it?

Throw out your ideas as well. Since youre obviously reading this, if there are any folks in the Fredericksburg, VA area reading this and might be interested, you know what to do.

scottice · #2 08-30-2007, 12:50 PM

Might be interesting to those of us bass players, but I think you would bore an audience to sleep. Interesting thought though.

NoNoise · #3 08-30-2007, 12:50 PM

There have been several bands of just bass and drums - Death from Above 1979 and Lightning Bolt are the first that come to mind. The main thing is just filling in all the space and making it interesting.

Nightsblood · #4 08-30-2007, 01:15 PM

I agree with the space thing. I love to listen to that type of music without vocals. I dont really think its going to be that easy to write the music, there would certainly have to be changes to keep it interesting to the average crowd.

THe band "Balancing Act" have a few songs that come close to this format and I love em but, do non bassist love em? And no, they dont do 45 minutes set of it. THey have a ful band.

Nightsblood · #5 08-30-2007, 01:20 PM

The Death From Above thing is certainly good but, it has vocals and one sound. This project would rely on many different sounds. Some distorted rock type, some jazz some funk. It would have to contain elements that would make you move and keep you interested.

It would be forced to compensate for what it lacked.

scottice · #6 08-30-2007, 01:20 PM

Is one of the two of your bass players good enough to play "lead" with a 6 string?

Nightsblood · #7 08-30-2007, 01:33 PM

i am not. there is no other bassist yet. lol.

maybe it would be better to hire a lead guitarist and give him a bass. is that blasphemy?

ElectrAcoustic · #8 08-30-2007, 01:48 PM

Most Definitely...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nightsblood

i am not. there is no other bassist yet. lol.

maybe it would be better to hire a lead guitarist and give him a bass. is that blasphemy?

I am Domokun · #9 08-30-2007, 02:39 PM

There's a band from my area with two bassists, a guitarist and a drummer, all instrumental. Pretty good!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftZY2L8Hwhg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b17-PAmK9e8

In those 2 clips one of the bassists is on guitar though...

Nightsblood · #10 08-30-2007, 05:57 PM

Im fighting adding a guitarist. At that point it just becomes another jazz ensemble. Nothing special about that.

The problem with those clips, and others where two bassists are together is, the music is always soo gloomy and moody. Not at all upbeat. This music would have to grab you to work. Dont ya think?

MoD_Scotty · #11 08-30-2007, 06:38 PM

I'd love to do a 2-bass metal band. The only problem is that it's really hard to duplicate the guitar's "crispness" in regards to palm muting and stuff like that. I think using a octave pedal would satisfy the high end requirement. The more I think about it, the more I think it'd be awesome. Maybe even three basses.

Nightsblood · #12 08-30-2007, 06:43 PM

Ok Scotty, youre in. Be at practice 6PM Saturday.

I come from 10 years of thrash metal so, there would be some extreme stuff in there too. Its in the blood.LOL

MoD_Scotty · #13 08-30-2007, 07:03 PM

LMAO! That 6-hr commute to practice every week would really suck!

You ever listen to Nailbomb? It was Max Cavalera's side project during the Sepultura years. Some of the tracks only used heavily distorted bass, on top of industrial electronic drumbeats. Pretty cool stuff.

Yngwie 4String · #14 08-30-2007, 07:23 PM

I will watch anything that is unconventional.

Here is my solution to a similiar problem.

I to hate guitar players, well hate isnt fair. I hate working with guitar players. Im working on a band right now that will have the following instrumentation

Soprano Lead vocalist
Violin
Bass guitar
Drummer
Keybordist

So I just replaced the lead part rather than get rid of it. but your idea will work to if done right.

gottawalk · #15 08-30-2007, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nightsblood

Im fighting adding a guitarist. At that point it just becomes another jazz ensemble. Nothing special about that.

The problem with those clips, and others where two bassists are together is, the music is always soo gloomy and moody. Not at all upbeat. This music would have to grab you to work. Dont ya think?

Yup. Boring! Can't stand the drone of the tune, much less the stage image of three to four guys staring at their feet and instruments and not relating to the audience one bit. sorry. Just an observation.

I think if, like you thought, the music was more "up", and if you used one bass below that could do double and triple stops for some "color", and one bass above, (even a 6-string that was mentioned earlier,) on more of a "lead" status then you might just have something here! The "chordal" work on the other bass would fill in the gap the guitarist would have, and not be too much like a guitar would be since you're not looking for that sound. It would be a plus, though, to add vocals; more harmony the better. That would really fill things out. In the meantime, I find it interesting that you would love to do "thrasher" and feel that adding a guitarist would make it a "Jazz ensemble"... Quite a difference. Sounds to me like you've been working with the wrong guitarists in the past!!!

Good luck! Post some stuff if you work it out! Love to hear it.

toaster2k3 · #16 08-30-2007, 11:59 PM

My band is just bassist drummer. However, we have vocals. If you'd like to check us out, click my signature. My friend is in a band that sounds like what you're talking about they're called DACHO

check 'em outhttp://myspace.com/dachorox

IanStephenson · #17 09-01-2007, 05:33 AM

I'd watch 45mins of it, if it was good. I don't think many other people would. Only musicians like instrumental stuff. Add vocals and you stand a chance of getting an audience. Adding a conventional melody instrument, and maybe you'll get a few gigs, but you'll aways be minority interest.

On the other hand WHY do you want to do this? If it's to play for yourself, for its own sake, then do whatever you want. If you want to gig regularly, and build a following you'll need something more conventiaonal.

Ian

Nightsblood · #18 09-01-2007, 06:14 AM

Do you really think that many people dont like instumental stuff. What about jazz? Easy Listening? Some of that has vocals but a majority is instrumental. This project would have a little of all....somehow...tied in together. It would have to be elaborate, and basses of different effects for an array of sound and textures. This would not be two people on stage playing bass lines. Maybe some double bass?

And Im not sure what the overall outcome might be, since its apparently never been done successsfully, but it will be a chore to make it acceptable...dont ya think?

Ive got a drummer interested.....any bassist up for the task at hand. Anyone?

IanStephenson · #19 09-01-2007, 05:20 PM

If you can find venues that book progressive (for want of a better word) or alternative jazz, and can promote yourself to that market, then MAYBE you can find a nieche, but realistically most venue owners would put your demo on, wait two minutes for the vocals to come in, then turn it off and throw it away.

If you want to do it, I'd totally recommend going for it, for its own sake (i'd probably be up for it myself if I lived nearby!), but instrumental music really is that unpopular. Name one top ten instrumental track. Name one instrumental band that your girlfriend/mother/dad/uncle/sister listens to (or did before you MADE her listen to it).

Its a small market. Doesn't mean you shoudn't do it, but it'll be tough to get gigs.

Ian