Bass player exclusion

[chrisd783]

I'm interested to see if this is also happening in other parts of the country, as in south Wales it's happening more and more!

I'm in a four piece rock covers band. More and more I'm finding that venues are asking for duo/acoustic shows rather than full band. 

This generally involves the singer, the drummer playing a cajon and the lead guitarist on an acoustic. Which leaves little old me out in the cold, unable to gig that night unless a dep request comes in. 

I've spoken to my band about it and reminded them that I need to eat too, and in fairness they've not taken any more gigs that don't involve the full band. 

Just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience? 

 

[Mykesbass]

Loads more work for acoustic duo/trio being advertised. I don't think anyone is excluding bass players, but it is them and drummers who are going to go first, and the drummers (not so daft despite all the jokes) have come up with the cajon, an effective tool to keep them in. Shame for us an upright is so big and expensive, and everything else needs plugging in.

[Agwin]

How about an “acoustic” bass and a small but good combo at a suitably subdued volume?

Or is it actual number of musicians that’s the issue?

Or both?

Or just plain plugged in phobia?

Just a thought......

[FinnDave]

One of my bands is playing at a small venue next month and needs to use a cut-down version of the full band, so are going with singer/guitar, lead guitar, and bass. I'll probably take my acoustic and plug it into the PA.

[thebrig]

21 minutes ago, Agwin said:

How about an “acoustic” bass and a small but good combo at a suitably subdued volume?

Or is it actual number of musicians that’s the issue?

Or both?

Or just plain plugged in phobia?

Just a thought......

It's definitely the number of musicians in my area, most venues don't want to pay the money anymore so are hiring duo's and solo acts more and more, I know a number of landlords and they admit this themselves.

Full band = £200/250

Duo = £100/150

Solo act = £50/100

[Trueno]

I tend to think my newly acquired (and rather whizzy) Hofner Ignition bass would do the business, plugged into a practice amp or DI'd. However, if the band left me out it would be goodbye band.

Cajons (or should that be cajones?). I suspect they might be useful for standing on if you want to paint a high ceiling.

I did cut- down gigs years ago... with everyone's agreement and in the corners of small pubs. I played sax then and we played mostly unplugged. Drummer had small bass drum, snare and hi-hat. That was probably around the time everyone was bringing out an unplugged album. I'm hoping this will just be another temporary fashion... nothing beats the sheer dynamism of a full-on band.

[Barking Spiders]

Certainly the case around Cheltenham/Gloucester and Leamington/Stratford areas where I mostly divide my time. Yep, there's definitely a preference for acoustic combos in all the venues I know of. Sign of the times that reflects what's popular in the mainstream and what's not. 

[BrunoBass]

We got asked to do a similar show at Christmas last year. The idea was that it was lots of local bands ‘unplugged’, which is ridiculous in itself as everyone plugs in their acoustic instruments instead of electric instruments. Singer/guitarist played acoustic, drummer played snare and hi-hat with brushes, and not possessing an ‘acoustic’ bass I played acoustic guitar. 

I quite enjoyed it; alongside the band I do my own singer-songwriter thing and regularly play solo gigs with my acoustic guitar. The rest of the band weren’t so keen, so I don’t think we’ll do it again. Bands being asked to do duo / acoustic shows don’t seem to be especially prevalent around our area, there are plenty of acts like that around to fill that particular gap it would appear.

Edited May 22, 2018 by BrunoBass

[Vinny]

Just cover yourself in awful fake prison tatts, grow an unfathomably stupid moustache and play a beaten-up, brush-painted upright. 

They love that, these days.

[skidder652003]

Its all about the money, period.

[Happy Jack]

Can't agree. The money is an important aspect of it for sure, and both ways - i.e. for both venue and performer - but there are genuinely other factors here.

The guitar/vocals guy and the drummer from my main band also go out as an acoustic duo (guitar & cajon) and have actually taken gigs away from the main band.

That's cool. The gigs concerned are venues that were either too small or too bad acoustically (or both) for a 4-piece rock band, but which work well for an acoustic 2-piece. In truth, I don't miss playing those places.

[NJE]

From my humble observations and what I hear from people, venues don’t want space taken up with a full band and large speakers/amps, and they don’t want the deafening volume that a large amount of amateur bands seem to want to play at.

Sadly in nice bars/clubs a full band is a bit too much for a lot of punters, but they can tolerate a quiet innofensive acoustic duo who just play ‘background noise’. 

There is a nice bar in the nearest town to me and they have live music a few nights a week. An acquaintance goes there fairly often with work colleagues etc as the food and drink is good, and overheard him say as soon as the local blues/rock/cover band of choice fire up for the night they all get out as soon as possible.

I think a lot of the time people just don’t want to hear another band playing the same old dross or murdering modern pop tunes in their local.

I’m guilty, I play in a covers band and despite being pretty good (IMO) I would probably avoid a bar with us or anyone else playing 😂

[BrunoBass]

I think I’m lucky where I live, there are at least five pubs in town with full bands on every weekend, Friday and Saturday, and another three or four pubs that have full bands on a roughly monthly basis. There’s only pub that did have full bands that’s gone down the acoustic duo route, but that’s cool - it’s another option for punters.

[Ghost_Bass]

Of course the bass is the first to go. The reason for acoustic duos is the money, either the landlord can't afford a full band or the venue is so small it can't support a full band (small space, low income from punters). Drummers can take adavantage of it with cajon if the singer also plays guitar. For a bass player it's harder but not impossible, we just need to learn to use our bass as an harmonic instrument and take the place of the guitar/keys. Here's an example of a band in Portugal that can get away with just a bass and a voice:

 

 

I don't need to say that this guy is one of the best bass players in Portugal

[Baxlin]

I’m sure I read something a couple of years or so ago about changes to the music licensing laws, don’t venues now have to have a different (ie expensive) licence for more than 2 musicians, or have I got that wrong?

[discreet]

2 hours ago, Vinny said:

Just cover yourself in awful fake prison tatts, grow an unfathomably stupid moustache and play a beaten-up, brush-painted upright.

Absolutely. In parts of East London it's de rigeur to look like a Victorian butcher or an Edwardian cricketer, for some reason. I won't do it, me. As a modern Victorian it would be a step backwards. 

Edited May 22, 2018 by discreet

[Leen2112]

I was told recently that my Trace was too big to play at the small venue we were playing and most of the other small clubs too....so, i bought an ampeg practise amp (here) Also i got myself an acoustic bass so they have no excuse but to invite me along.....

[chris_b]

All the band leaders I play with are increasing their solo and duo gigs. I've done several guitar and bass duos over the years. They were usually good evenings.

Bands are noisy and these days the neighbours have more power to hassle the venue. Also the music pub/club punter is a dying breed in many areas. Bands don't attract like they once did.

[Barking Spiders]

3 hours ago, NJE said:

From my humble observations and what I hear from people, venues don’t want space taken up with a full band and large speakers/amps, and they don’t want the deafening volume that a large amount of amateur bands seem to want to play at.

Sadly in nice bars/clubs a full band is a bit too much for a lot of punters, but they can tolerate a quiet innofensive acoustic duo who just play ‘background noise’. 

There is a nice bar in the nearest town to me and they have live music a few nights a week. An acquaintance goes there fairly often with work colleagues etc as the food and drink is good, and overheard him say as soon as the local blues/rock/cover band of choice fire up for the night they all get out as soon as possible.

I think a lot of the time people just don’t want to hear another band playing the same old dross or murdering modern pop tunes in their local.

I’m guilty, I play in a covers band and despite being pretty good (IMO) I would probably avoid a bar with us or anyone else playing 😂

I live in Glos. Any clues to this town and the nice bar? You're right though. While people are happy enough to pay money to watch a band of their choice, what they generally don't want is for some unasked for musical solo/duo/trio/quattro/ etc to intrude into their space. I'm like that myself. Any opening bars ( that is music not drinking venues) of guitar strumminess that say to me 'uh oh, blues rock peddlers / sensitive folkies /serious jazzers at one  o' clock' and I'm out of there quicker than s**t off a shiny shovel.

[Chris2112]

The trend for dreadful acoustic music these days suits venues. They keep the difference in cash and have less disruption than having a full band in.

[T-Bay]

 Our lead guitarists other band play as a duo and full five piece band, he must have done about thirty gigs so far this year, one has been the full band. He does a lot of early doors ones and gets paid the same as the full band personally so the venue is paying less than half the full band fee. I guess it works for them but it wouldn’t get me out as as soon a so hear duo/ acoustic it doesn’t sound like my sort of thing.

[ianrendall]

7 hours ago, Baxlin said:

I’m sure I read something a couple of years or so ago about changes to the music licensing laws, don’t venues now have to have a different (ie expensive) licence for more than 2 musicians, or have I got that wrong?

I think this is accurate.

For the record, I hate ‘acoustic nights’. Usually some over-earnest scrotter with a beard and unbuttoned lumberjack shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a Jack Daniel’s tshirt underneath playing ‘his take’ on classic rock numbers. 

[machinehead]

The 2/3 piece acoustic band is certainly on the increase in the greater Belfast and Co. Down areas.  Some of the musicians I play with are involved in some of them, and yes, it does tend to exclude bass players.

Frank.

[mrtcat]

This is common here too (Northamptonshire) and imo is actually a sign of more sensible landlords. Too many pubs either just can't afford a full band or they're not big enough to cope with the volume. Some pub bands are great at getting the volume right but most are really way too loud with people still insistent on loud guitar amps and bass amps to get their sound. 

If you want to play these places as a bass player then either get involved with a band who are happy to work with electric drums and no backline or alternatively work on your bvs and sing a few lead parts so you become an indispensable member of the team.

Of course there are exceptions. Two pubs round our way have stopped having full bands because they and their punters are sick of hearing the same old classic rock songs every week lol.

[Mykesbass]

11 hours ago, ianrendall said:

For the record, I hate ‘acoustic nights’. Usually some over-earnest scrotter with a beard and unbuttoned lumberjack shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a Jack Daniel’s tshirt underneath playing ‘his take’ on classic rock numbers. 

Are we related?