Is not having a bass player in touring bands becoming a thing?

Been done. Doors didn’t use a bassist. It just depends on the sound you’re looking for.

Pete
 
There is a big difference in my book between bands that create the bass part on the keyboard, and bands that don't bother.

I'm into this band Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio. Lamarr creates the bass lines from his organ. And I don't miss the bass for a second. Because it is there. Big time. Beautifully. He's a better bass player with his feet than most people with an actual bass.

These days, in my area, I see live "bands" eliminating the bass, and for me, personally, it sucks.
 
Who will do the bookings and set up the PA?
I'm being facetious.
I hope this doesn’t become a thing. Is there something about Country bands and music that make this possible ? I ask because I can’t imagine a Rock (multiple genres) or Metal band doing this.
As a bass player I can can confirm the accuracy of the PA thing.
 
I'm sorry but when I go see a band live I expect to see the entire band playing. I don't want to hear any loops or "tracks" (never heard that term before) that replace a musician. From my point of view, that's cheating. And I would feel cheated if there was no bass player on the stage since I believe my price of admission when buying that ticket entitles me the right to hear AND SEE a bass player. Is this just a country music thing? I have never seen this with a jazz, fusion, blues or rock band that I've gone to see.
 
In my not so humble opinion, bass is the most important instrument in the band - if you have a real bassist. If you don't have a real bassist, you might be better off without some failed guitarist pretending to play bass.
 
In my not so humble opinion, bass is the most important instrument in the band - if you have a real bassist. If you don't have a real bassist, you might be better off without some failed guitarist pretending to play bass.

I was once in a cover band where the bass player was actually a guitarist who had recently taken up the bass. I could never lock in on him and as a result the time was all over the place. I didn't stick with that band for very long.
 
depeche mode have no bass player, neither did the pop band keane, was all fired from the keys or drummers electronics :) alternatively theres some band like OMD who dont have a guitar players but do have bass players.

theres also some music genres such as industrial where some bands have guitars, drums and keys but programmed bass tracks :)
 
And then we have musical shows like the Super Bowl Halftime Show in which none of the musicians or singers are actually playing. It is first and foremost a dancing show that pretends to be a concert. As long as it's still entertaining to the masses, people will watch it and then complain that the outfits are too sexy. Live music with live musicians might become more of a self-supporting community over time, where only musicians go to see other musicians play.
 
And then we have musical shows like the Super Bowl Halftime Show in which none of the musicians or singers are actually playing. It is first and foremost a dancing show that pretends to be a concert. As long as it's still entertaining to the masses, people will watch it and then complain that the outfits are too sexy. Live music with live musicians might become more of a self-supporting community over time, where only musicians go to see other musicians play.

agreed 1000%...and I wouldn't even call half of what goes on in those shows dancing....
 
Drummers will be the last ones besides singers to be tracked. Drummers are fun to watch.

Do you have any idea how many duo and trios have drums on tracks? I lost count at about approximately a gazillion.

Maybe not for big touring acts, but for bands in general, certainly.
Drums were one of the first to be dropped/tracked.

I hated the trend then, still do, and loath that so much "live" music isnt really live.
 
Do you have any idea how many duo and trios have drums on tracks? I lost count at about approximately a gazillion.

Maybe not for big touring acts, but for bands in general, certainly.
Drums were one of the first to be dropped/tracked.

I hated the trend then, still do, and loath that so much "live" music isnt really live.

You mean for groups that aren’t paying any more than gas money?
 
On the other hand, Chris Farren pre-programmed drums, bass and keys in his device and plays live with an electric guitar and puts on a darn good show. Also, if I remember correctly, Big Black's live drummer in the 80s was a drum machine they brought with them.
 
Human musicians are passe' so we should ban them, replace them all with Artificial intelligence robotics that makes the best music and replace all of human creativity. We are just too stupid to know it-and probably won't even understand the music and it's brilliance (leave that to the AI robots). We have evolved past ourselves and created a better "new life" and "new intelligence" to replace our meager limited selves. We should all welcome a world run by robots who won't let humans do all the damage-sort of like the Intergalactic Police from The Day the Earth Stood Still. Since it's "man-made" climate change it's pretty obvious AI robots will see the problem and limit it's numbers and effect. Now's the part where we all bend over and kiss our own behind good-bye LOL. The silver lining is you can opt to be a cyborg so part robot part man-the best of both worlds. I'll probably still be the weaker player in the band-being only half robot but I hope to pull my weight with the pro all robot band. I'm already taking a mail order robotics course to build my new bod, and a robot to perform my surgeries to put me in it.
 
Lots of Metal band are going "Bass less" they are using 7 or 8 string guitars which pretty much cover the bass spectrum, they might still record a bass part but will play the track when playing live...
 
The cover band I'm in at the moment doesn't have a bassist. Bass is taken care of by the keyboardist and sample loops by myself on the SPD-SX. It gives us a lightweight sound but it's suited to the small venues that the band had in mind when it was formed.
 
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