Band with two bass players

[RoaDan]

Thanks, I'll check them out!

Ned's Atomic Dustbin! One played melodic lines and the other hammered the low end...

NADB had one of the best t-shirts ever... on the front it said, "If you missed Ned's Atomic Dustbin"...and then on the back it said, "You F***ed up".

 

[KohanMike]

My 60 person seniors ukulele group has 2 bass uke players, me and another guy. The best part is if one of us can't make it to rehearsal, the other is there. We also alternate for small gigs, one plays bass, the other ukulele. Larger gigs we both play bass uke.

Mostly we're in sync with the bass arrangement, but there are times when we're off enough that we have to coordinate the arrangement. It happened yesterday at rehearsal for "Fever" where we were way off from each other. I think I can convince him to do it my way.

 

[BklynKen]

Not many people would pay to see a band with 2 bass players. Even *I*, a bass lover, wouldn’t see such a band.

So don't come see us play. I never made music with the goal of making money off of it, nor did I expect most people to like it. Music is art.

 

[eukatheude]

Check out Morkobot.

 

[JJR58]

So don't come see us play. I never made music with the goal of making money off of it, nor did I expect most people to like it. Music is art.

I would happily come to see and hear.

 

[XrisThaBassman]

An analog Joy Division/New Order band with two bassists could be fun. One could cover the synth bass lines, the other could cover the Peter Hook parts.

 

[rendevouz]

You could also fight him to death
Two bass players walk in only one goes out

 

[Wood and Wire]

Girls Against Boys...
(Their cover of Joy Division's She's Lost Control is A MA ZING!)

Word! (and damned cool video too).

Cop Shot Cop : is the band name fairly accurate of how i think it may sound ie heavy and uncompromizing?

It was more noisy art-rock, than straight up heavy (on record at least - live it was pretty ridiculously ballsy. The Drummer played standing up, his kit comprised largely of scrap metal).


in terms of tracks to check out :

"System Test" is full on heavy noise.

"Burn Your Bridges" is highly atmospheric (the high bass being really effective at adding tension, by working a steel guitar slide over the strings).

"We Shall Be Changed" is a mean groove, with sampled dialogue, instead of singing.

"Turning Inside Out" is a jackhammer barrage of bass - and was insane live.

But they also had a real diversity of materiel, particularly on the last couple of albums, where there were horns, strings, and even.... guitar incorporated into their songs.

 

[Wood and Wire]

What was that bass duet thing Watt was doing with Kira? That was killer too.

Dos!

Yeah, they're both really cool people anyway.

I've no idea if the band is still going, but it did survive their marriage breaking up - so who knows (although Kira is one of the most in demand dialogue editors in Hollywood these days, so she may not have the time anymore, and Mike isn't exactly resting on his laurels).

 

[J-Mags]

DOS (Mike Watt and Kira Roessler):

 

[Spectre Gunner]

Saw Roger Waters live last year and he had a second bass player. Of course Roger plays the acoustic on a couple of songs but the second bassist played through the whole show. It didn’t look like Roger was slacking off at all. Overall, it was an outstanding performance visually and sonically.

 

[J-Mags]

When I saw Ornette Coleman's Prime Time, they had two bass players. Great mix. They definitely each had their space in each song.

 

[fishdreams]

Girls Against Boys came to mind immediately who were already mentioned in @Wood and Wire's excellent list.

I've myself played the occasional session with the amazing Ken Filiano on db, and some great bg players such as the amazing @emjazz . Best fun ever, seriously.

As far as I am concerned the real question is: why do people think that one bass is the answer for everything?
Go for it!

 

[npbassman]

If the Dregs can pull it off with Dave LaRue and Andy West, anyone can!

 

[m2k2p]

I saw Ornette Coleman live with 3 bass players ...Think it was Greg Cohen and Tony Falanga on upright and Al Macdowell on electric bass.

 

[ColonelZulu]

 

[Daniel Piper]

I guess to an individual that lacks creativity and/or doesn't know how to put aside ego to make something work compositionally, I guess it could be said.

Yip- you got it in one!

 

[Wood and Wire]

as long as you don't try to play the same thing it might work.

Check out "Magattraction", and "All The Rage" by Girls Against Boys - both songs feature segments where both basses are playing the identical line, in unison, and it sounds absolutely brutal.

 

[pellomoco14]

Yes This is what I've been looking for!
No need for other instirments and without a trace of that novelty act vibe.
Like Chon... with basses instead

 

[Wood and Wire]

This song opens with a bass lick that repeats throughout the song while a second bass provides the backbone. The two parts stay entirely out of each other's way.

Yeah, The Cure did exactly the same trick in "Let's Go To Bed".