Bands that Use Touring Musicians (Hidden or Upfront)

not_the_dj

Following on from this thread: http://thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/15189/fleetwood-mac#latest I've been thinking about bands I've seen that have had extra members for gigs, sometimes upfront but sometimes hidden (usually at the back/side)....but maybe totally hidden away backstage.

Makes sense to me if you can't replicate the albums, or arrange the pieces sufficently so the "core" group can perform them without backing musicans, but hidding them away totally it definitely a con.

To me a good example of the right way to to do it is Porcupine Tree with John Wesley as their "touring guitarist". he's on stage at the front, covers guitar and vocal duties and is very much a key part of the live band.

Green Day have a chap that tours with them, but I've only seen video footage of them, and from what I've seen he's tucked away at the back, but still on stage in view of the crowd.

I saw Muse once a few years ago and there were keyboard sounds coming from somewhere, not sure if they were triggered samples from the live band, or a secret player somewere?

So which bands have you seen that have shadowy figures at the back?

 

Danny1969

Green days guitarist is on stage with em, well he was when I saw them

Queen's keys player was on the side but would jump onstage and play guitar

Muse trigger a heck of a load of stuff including backing vocals, drums, arpeggios etc as well as having a keys player on the side. If you play live to a click you can do anything

Monkeybone

I'm pretty sure I remember Ozzy Osbourne saying he often has a keyboard player in the wings because it doesn't look very rock to have keys onstage (or words to that effect).

stickyfiddle

U2 have a bloke on synths under the stage, which is a bit harsh on him! Terry Lawless, iirc.

Coldplay use sound-man triggered loops and click tracks for everything recent (I saw them at dingwalls and they still had full synth-capability but no space for a bloke playing stuff!)

Muse have a chap playing synths and guitar - Morgan somethingorother. He's the same chap that filled in on bass for a festival when Chris Wolstenholme broke his wrist or leg or something.

The Killers have 1 or 2 keys chaps, sax players, etc at the back, but they always give a proper intro to each member during the gig, which is nice.

not_the_dj

It does seem to be keyboard players that get hidden a lot!

Don't Iron Maiden have a guitar tech or roadie that plays the keys for them live....(I could google this I suppose)

***Edit*** Yes they do...Michael Kenney, Steve Harris's bass tech...."The Count"

RocknRollDave

Yep, I was going to say Maiden have a guy doing synths below the stage.



For me, it's very simple - if an additional musician is required, by all means use them, but do NOT hide them away.

Manics have used a second guitarist for a while, who has a spot slightly back from Bradfield and Wire, which in a way emphasises his "hired hand" role, but doesn't actually hide him away, and he is introduced and thanked at each gig too, which is exactly how it should be.


When your average punter cannot tell a bass from a 12 string guitar, I don't even see the point in hiding a bassist behind a curtain...  Although in the case of Slipknot where their own bassist had recently died and the whole "how can someone else wear his mask?" issue may have arisen amongst fans, I can kind of make an exception. Maybe they should have just had a regular guy with his face on display, but I get the whole "image" thing too..

not_the_dj

 

RocknRollDave said:

Manics have used a second guitarist for a while, who has a spot slightly back from Bradfield and Wire, which in a way emphasises his "hired hand" role, but doesn't actually hide him away, and he is introduced and thanked at each gig too, which is exactly how it should be.

I think that's how Green Day do it. I'm only going by the "Bullet in the Bible" live DVD here, in which you keep spotting him in the background, but he rarely gets a close-up. Of course that's down to the video director more than anything.

mike_l

not_the_dj said:

It does seem to be keyboard players that get hidden a lot!

Don't Iron Maiden have a guitar tech or roadie that plays the keys for them live....(I could google this I suppose)

***Edit*** Yes they do...Michael Kenney, Steve Harris's bass tech...."The Count"

Yes, and in this case I'd say it's fine, as he only plays on a few tracks, and is doing another job along the way.

When a band has another musician who doesn't appear on stage, or do another job (IE roadie) then that's a bit wrong.

RocknRollDave

not_the_dj said:

 

RocknRollDave said:

Manics have used a second guitarist for a while, who has a spot slightly back from Bradfield and Wire, which in a way emphasises his "hired hand" role, but doesn't actually hide him away, and he is introduced and thanked at each gig too, which is exactly how it should be.

I think that's how Green Day do it. I'm only going by the "Bullet in the Bible" live DVD here, in which you keep spotting him in the background, but he rarely gets a close-up. Of course that's down to the video director more than anything.

I believe so, yes.
IIRC that was filmed at the MK Bowl gig I was at, and yes the second guitarist was in full view and acknowledged, from what I can remember, although yes the DVD director probably all but edited him out of history.

@ mike_l I agree re the Maiden thing and the tech just doing a wee bit of keys on a couple of songs being OK.

mike_l

RocknRollDave said:

@ mike_l I agree re the Maiden thing and the tech just doing a wee bit of keys on a couple of songs being OK.

Yay someone agrees with me. First time for everything and all that......

mike_l

Monkeybone said:

I'm pretty sure I remember Ozzy Osbourne saying he often has a keyboard player in the wings because it doesn't look very rock to have keys onstage (or words to that effect).

I thought Ozzy's keys player was put at the back to one side of the drummer?

I could be wrong (it wouldn't be the first time....)

johnnyurq

The Killers have/had a guitarist dude who used to be behind a curtain type booth but in later years was visible but never name checked in the live stuff I have seen.

One of the Later with Jools shows IIRC had him on show, again with no mention that I remember.

Think he does some keys in parts as well.

Edit

Wiki says that there have been a few keys/guitar and backing vox dudes among others for touring over the years, The one that I remember seeing is Ray Luen it looks like.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Killers

chrispy108

Biffy definitely had a guy hidden in the shadows on their headlining set at Reading, and from their wiki looks like they have two now:

• Mike Vennart – guitar, backing vocals (2007; 2010–present)
• Richard "Gambler" Ingram – guitar, piano (2012–present)

Foo Fighters normally have an extra guy or two on stage, but not hidden away.

I agree with the "by all means have them, but don't hide them" viewpoint.

Tesseract play with such a busy backing track it was nearly more of a play-a-long than a gig at times.

Danny1969

Mind you I would rather the bands use extra guys on the side of the stage than try and recreate stuff with just one guitar and bass .... like Stereophonics, Manic's, RHCP etc have done in the past. I also though a lot of the Zepplin stuff live needed another guitar

gjonesy

chrispy108 said:

Biffy definitely had a guy hidden in the shadows on their headlining set at Reading, and from their wiki looks like they have two now:

• Mike Vennart – guitar, backing vocals (2007; 2010–present)
• Richard "Gambler" Ingram – guitar, piano (2012–present)

Foo Fighters normally have an extra guy or two on stage, but not hidden away.

I agree with the "by all means have them, but don't hide them" viewpoint.

Tesseract play with such a busy backing track it was nearly more of a play-a-long than a gig at times.

Useless fact - Both of those Biffy guys were in Oceansize - now there was a band

d8m

Josh Klinghoffer was a touring guitarist for the Chili's before Frusciante bailed.

Jason White was a touring guitarist for Green Day from 1999-2012 (appearing in a music video in 2005 whilst still a 'touring' member)

Since 2012 he's been recognised as a 'full' member of the Band

Fact: He was in the video for 'When I Come Around'

lustycourtier

Oceansize, along with Amplifier were criminally underated.

gjonesy

lustycourtier said:

Oceansize, along with Amplifier were criminally underated.

Agreed, and another useless fact - the other guitarist for Oceansize (Steve Durose) now plays for Amplifier

imalone

chrispy108 said:

Biffy definitely had a guy hidden in the shadows on their headlining set at Reading, and from their wiki looks like they have two now:

• Mike Vennart – guitar, backing vocals (2007; 2010–present)
• Richard "Gambler" Ingram – guitar, piano (2012–present)

Foo Fighters normally have an extra guy or two on stage, but not hidden away.

I agree with the "by all means have them, but don't hide them" viewpoint.

Tesseract play with such a busy backing track it was nearly more of a play-a-long than a gig at times.

Vennart has definitely played on stage with them in the past. Keeps his shirt on though.

Cirrus

gjonesy;239654" said:

Useless fact - Both of those Biffy guys were in Oceansize - now there was a band

I clicked quote on this^
to say this;

gjonesy;239679" said:

Agreed, and another useless fact - the other guitarist for Oceansize (Steve Durose) now plays for Amplifier

And I agree with this;

lustycourtier;239666" said:

Oceansize, along with Amplifier were criminally underated.

Phil_aka_Pip

On Floyd's Pulse DVD everybody was on stage. James Talyor's band (if he goes out with one) - WYSIWYG.

I believe I've seen The Who, and The Rolling Stones televised/filmed live, with shadowy guitar players behind the scenes. If you don't know it's happening, you're being fooled. if you do, it kinda spoils it.

I agree, sidemen should be sidemen - on stage, not behind-the-backdrop men. or women.