And not a bass player in sight

[Spectrum]

A few years ago I saw a band on tour (can't remember their name) whose bassist was also the keyboard player. I watched most of the set and didn't recall ever seeing the bassist actually play his bass, his hands were on the keyboard the whole time while his bass hung from his shoulder. Not sure what was up with that but the music wasn't my thing anyway so I forgot about it until just now.

 

[DaveParker39]

The keyboard bass isn't exactly a new thing. The Hammond B3 Trio (Guitar, Drums, Organ) has been around for ages, and playing basslines on a hammond organ is a complicated task. Cool sound.
But yeah I dont think bass players are going anywhere.

 

[JKincaid]

Several years ago I saw a SEAL concert back when he was relevant. It sounded fine but
I was dissappointed there was no bass

When we played with SEAL, he had a bass player.

 

[themickster]

Math challenge:
When you play the bass guitar…

Are you standing by the hihat?(0) or are you within 3’ of the center of the stage(1)

Are you looking at the drummer?(0) or are you looking at the audience?(1)

Are you singing?(1) or not(0)

Are you making the “X” tape under the spotlight?(1) or are you blending into the scrim by the drum riser?(0)

Are you dancing?(1) or standing still?(0)

Add your score. Remember there’s no wrong or right answer. Just be honest.

If you scored 3 or more, Congrats, your band isn’t doing you a favor. You’re part of the show.

If you scored 1 or fewer you may be eligible to be replaced by a sequencer.

Have you thought about starting your own thread with this?

 

[NeonVomit]

Two local metal bands here don't have bass players, but have the bass parts on playback with the click track. I think it's more they can't find someone to work with them (and I'm already overloaded as it is). I don't think we have anything to worry about.

 

[darkwasthenight]

A lot depends on your touring budget (usually minimal) and whether the bass can be covered by another player/track. I know a couple bands that are just a drummer and vocalist; I know a band that are playing large festival stages as guitar/bass and drum machine; I know a band that are just vocals and a bassist who doubles on synth. It's a big world of bottom end out there!

 

[Koshchei]

I wouldn't get upset by minimalistic live arrangement - touring is really expensive these days. If bass is more or less just an effect or afterthought in their music, then why add another person to the list of mouths to feed?

 

[t-ray]

Points off for any band without a bass player (IMO). Why not just sequence/ pre-record ALL backing tracks.
Just feature the singer, or better yet...just lip-synch to the damn record? Oh, they do that already? Jeez

 

[mborn]

I scored zero, maybe I should go back to steel. Oh, they killed that too.

 

[mapleglo]

I saw a band at my buddies place called The Beaver Bar. It was a three piece band with drums and two acoustic guitar players. The guitar player on stage right switched to bass sometimes but not too often. They were great but the absolute loudest band I had ever witnessed there.

I used to live a block away from the Beaver Bar. My old band played there a few times. Funny thing, every band I saw there was the loudest band I ever heard. Except for mine.

 

[IanStephenson]

There's a clear pecking order in which you get replaced by a backing track:
Horn Section->Backing Vocalist->Bass Player->Drummer->Guitarist->Vocalist->Van Owner.

Availability may be something to do with it, but it's basically financials, and being the right fit for the venue. It's a great business model for a local level band to start with a five piece rock band and turn into a 3 piece, a duo or a solo artist on demand. A venue that pays $200 and doesn't like loud noise can hire the singer. For $300 add someone playing guitar and bv.

 

[LowActionHero]

I took my son to see a band he likes, no bass player, but I guess he was getting married and just missed a couple shows. Must have been prerecorded, I did hear it.

 

[DaveParker39]

To me, there is a pretty huge difference between a backing track and a keyboard player playing bass lines.

 

[Michedelic]

There had been consternation here in the past over the latter day Steppenwolf(essentially John Kay and a bunch of hired guns)that had two guitars(Kay and the lead guy), but no bass. I think it was covered by the keyboards. Not a new phenomenon.

 

[Michedelic]

But they did have one on all of their studio recordings. I've always wondered about that.

That was for the posterity of the albums; in a live situation, Manzarek found it more comfortable to use the Fender piano bass. In their ill-advised effort to carry on without Morrison, they added a bass player(and second guitarist)as Ray had taken over on vocals and had enough to keep track of, but that all didn’t last too long…


But then, The(Young)Rascals had Felix’s feet…

But I’m not sure how they pulled off, in a live context, the later material that was a little more complex(the recordings featuring Chuck Rainey and Jerry Jemmott).

 

[pb9717]

I recently scored the bass chair with a very successful 80’s covers band. Audiences are usually between 200 and 400 people. Its the most successful cover band I’ve ever been involved with. We use some form of tracks for almost every song, with the ability to bring up different instrumentation on the fly. Some songs are just a click to sync the light show, others are more robust. I asked “what If I have an emergency that would require a sub?”. They said “ we can’t use subs, the requirement to know the arrangement on the tracks and use of in-ears exclusively makes it virtually impossible to find an adequate sub, especially on short notice. We just crank up the bass in the track, and were covered”. They understand its odd to have bass coming out of the PA and no bass player, but they do it. I had a gig with them in April where the keyboard player couldn’t make the gig. We used tracks exclusively for all the keyboard parts, and there was ALOT of keyboards in their sets, and it went over fine. As a matter of fact, I got paid MORE because we divided the evenings pay up to a smaller group. And it sounded great. But it appears, I’m not required for the show to go on. Fortunately, I sing lead on several songs and backgrounds on a lot of others, and am right up front, with the singer and guitar player as part of the “front line”. So, my value is more of a performer in addition to being a player/singer.

 

[pb9717]

I went to see Lindsey Buckingham at a Large club about a few years ago, during Fleetwood Mac’s down time, and I noticed it was just him and 1 other guy with an acoustic guitar on stage. I heard what sounded like a live band behind him but there was no one else. Just him, the other guy, and three big moving lights. I asked the sound “where’s the bass coming from man and he said..”the other players are off stage”. I was dumbfounded.

 

[Discount Bassy]

Jaco didn't need a bassist.

 

[Oldtimer]

"Are you standing by the hihat?(0) or are you within 3’ of the center of the stage(1)"

On most stages currently, you can do both simultaneously!

 

[juancaminos]

I used to live a block away from the Beaver Bar. My old band played there a few times. Funny thing, every band I saw there was the loudest band I ever heard. Except for mine.

View attachment 5062991

Small world. Our band played at Beaver's wedding and anniversary. Fools Life went into hiatus before Beaver took over. But came out in one form or another when ever Beaver asked. Attached is an acoustic show and a Halloween show. BTW the lights hanging from the ceiling were donated by The Fools.