Anyone ever try to get serious with a drum and bass band?

SMILEYSIXX · #1 08-05-2010, 05:51 PM

I've finally figured out that most of the people I've ever tried to start a band with weren't very dedicated, even to practice. All but one. Musically, we fit eachother's style flawlessly. He'll tell me to lay down a groove, and he follows through with a drum line that fits more than perfectly. The guy is literally THE BEST musician I have ever played with.

On to my question. We're thinking about trying a drum and bass only kinda thing.

Have any of you tried anything like this?

codeinedreams · #2 08-05-2010, 07:15 PM

I've been wanting to do this. I think I need an octave pedal, looping system, a bunch of other effects, and be a better writer other than writing good bass lines for other people's songs. I'm working on it though. it's challenging, you should do it.

Rockingbird · #3 08-05-2010, 07:23 PM

Clatter does it, why can't you?

behndy · #4 08-05-2010, 07:29 PM

me and my bandmate do a similar thing. not NEAR as noisy as Lightning Bolt... the other guy takes stuff i send him, chooses like 12 seconds out of an half hour of stuff... and we sorta follow a pop structure from there.

so yeah... it can be loads of fun.

there's some links in my sig.

good luck!

flight120 · #5 08-05-2010, 07:32 PM

http://www.myspace.com/whitecollarsideshow

These guys have two drummers, but still cool.

SMILEYSIXX · #6 08-05-2010, 10:15 PM

My effects are pretty much covered by my ME-50B, but I'm not a huge fan of the quality of it, so I plan on selling it and buying individual effects. The drummer has a death metal background, so he likes to use his double bass pedal a lot, which helps me cover the thumping "felt not heard" kinda stuff.

behndy · #7 08-05-2010, 10:25 PM

also... if he's the best musician you've ever played with... fu**ing DO it. if it clicks well and you guys write some good stuff you can always bring some others on board if you feel it needs to be fleshed out a little.

sounds fun to me.

SMILEYSIXX · #8 08-06-2010, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by behndy

also... if he's the best musician you've ever played with... fu**ing DO it. if it clicks well and you guys write some good stuff you can always bring some others on board if you feel it needs to be fleshed out a little.

sounds fun to me.

That was what I was thinking. I kinda figued we could throw in a keyboardist/vocalist or something. The problem we've always had with other guys when we tried to get bands together, was that we always made the band too big. "Oh well here's the keyboardist, there's the singer, this is rhythm guitar, here's lead guitar, there's the drummer and I'm the bassist." That's six dudes. It just became a hassle trying to keep everyone together and on the same page.

behndy · #9 08-06-2010, 08:24 AM

we're doing something a bit different, since right now we have no drummer. but we have used one in the past and are looking for the right one now.

but the logistics of getting 2 people together, even over having just 4 to coordinate with, is so much easier.

lol... my singer/synth player's favorite joke when getting calls for shows is "i'll have to check with the rest of the band." and for some reason... if it's a show we don'y wany, I'M the one that's always got "a vacation scheduled".

MatticusMania · #10 08-06-2010, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMILEYSIXX

On to my question. We're thinking about trying a drum and bass only kinda thing.

Have any of you tried anything like this?

I used to have a drum and bass rock band. It was a lot of fun, and since it was just the two of us, and I was writing the songs, I had a lot of control over how things went. Eventually we added some toys, I started using loop pedals to add second or third riffs and I could solo over them. Our drummer added a Roland SPD-S, which is pretty much a 9 button drum pad. Then I started playing synth as well. Things were going really well up until the day we broke up, but we got 3 good years and lots of awesome gigs out of it.

If its still there, www.myspace.com/thehumanmachine

And yes, having an awesome drummer made things a LOT easier.

SMILEYSIXX · #11 08-06-2010, 10:46 AM

Coincidence perhaps?I just checked out The Human Machine's page... that's actually a lot like the sound we were gonna try and go for.

MatticusMania · #12 08-06-2010, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMILEYSIXX

Coincidence perhaps?I just checked out The Human Machine's page... that's actually a lot like the sound we were gonna try and go for.

Don't let it stop you! We disbanded almost 2 years ago.

Though I love the psychedelic Improv rock band Im in now, the Human Machine will always be my favorite band. Every now and again I try and get my former drummer (whose ex-gf talked him into quitting the band, and selling his drums) to pick the drums back up and get the band going again.

We were supposed to reunite to do a song at a friends party a few months ago, but he dislocated his shoulder the night before.

wilberthenry · #13 08-06-2010, 11:20 AM

Henry Rollins and former Rollins Band bass player Andrew Weiss did a project like this called Wartime (long ago). Weiss used drum machines (I think) and overdubbed guitar in spots. You can probably pick up a copy for a penny on e-bay. The bass playing was good, but the tunes dragged on for too long for my taste (then there's Rollins, but that's another story--). Coming up with a GOOD full set with just bass and drums would be a challenge.

SMILEYSIXX · #14 08-06-2010, 12:10 PM

I'm still curious about the live music situation. With a good octave pedal and some metal distortion, I can play strong metal guitar that would cover some of the high end, but in a live situation I would need a looping station to keep the bassline going while I covered some of the higher end of the music.

Regardless of the pitfalls, it's at least worth a shot.

AltGrendel · #15 08-06-2010, 12:42 PM

Don't for get 12 and 8 string basses.

Sound like you could get into tapping too.

MatticusMania · #16 08-06-2010, 01:56 PM

Yeah, theres a lot of room to experiment withint that format. I'd often loop a bassline in the low end and play some lead parts in a higher register. I'd either take control of the rhythm line (out of the loop) or let it keep going on while I sang, depending on whether it was too hard of a riff to sing along with or not. I did the same thing when Id overdub synth parts. We had a blast!

Passinwind · #17 08-06-2010, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMILEYSIXX

On to my question. We're thinking about trying a drum and bass only kinda thing.

Have any of you tried anything like this?

I've been doing it on and off with the same drummer for over 15 years. I play guitar and guitar synth a good part of the time too though.

http://www.myspace.com/passinwind

MarkA · #18 08-06-2010, 02:28 PM

This:

Quote:

Originally Posted by behndy

also... if he's the best musician you've ever played with... fu**ing DO it. if it clicks well and you guys write some good stuff you can always bring some others on board if you feel it needs to be fleshed out a little.

SMILEYSIXX · #19 08-06-2010, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AltGrendel

Don't for get 12 and 8 string basses

There's something I actually forgot about. There's a Dean 8 string for $500 on musician's friend.

Thanks for some great ideas! I'm gonna sell some stuff soon, so I can use that money to buy some effects.

goran · #20 08-16-2010, 08:52 AM

Listen to Death From Above 1979. I think they do the "only bass and drums" thing very well!