I'm not a fan of invisible musicians.

axisus · September 2023

I saw a bit of Queen with Adam Lambert on the TV quite some time ago. I thought that they were pretty good to be honest, but they obviously told the producer to NEVER show the bass player. He's a hired hand since Deaky retired, but personally I think it's a bit embarrassing to require a musician but pretend he isn't there. I think that they should have accepted him as part of the live band and be done with it.

Likewise, Mr Big have just been going down very well over in Japan and are now here for their 'Big finish' tour. Their posters all show Sheehan, Gilbert and Martin, but the stand in drummer is nowhere to be seen. Maybe it's just me, but I think it's weird. Is it just me? .......... it is just me isn't it ....

guitars4you · September 2023

I know what you mean - Often the hired hands are the ‘better’ musicians and I like to know who they are - Behind Kylie or Taylor Swift or sitting in with Queen or The Who etc they are great musicians so tell us about them

drofluf · September 2023

Not just you. The real fans will know it’s not the original drummer/bassist/etc. and won’t care (or they wouldn’t have bought a ticket and the rest of the audience probably won’t care. The “invisible players” are as much a part of the sound as the others.

Dominic · September 2023

You don't see any musicians at all when DJ Khaled does a live set but it hasn't stopped him becoming a billionaire !
Point is .......in this day and age the public may cling on to the odd old icon but musicians are totally irrelevant to both the type of music,the listening market and the overall performance.
I saw The weekn'd a month ago ........great show but not a musician or instrument in sight.
In time it will be the equivalent of saying that The Moonlight Sonata was a wonderful performance spoiled by the fact that Ludvig didn't conduct it .

Sporky · September 2023

Dominic said:

I saw The weekn'd a month ago ........great show but not a musician or instrument in sight.

Isn't that conflating "musician" with "instrumentalist"?

A musician is a person who makes music.

Dominic · September 2023

true

stickyfiddle · September 2023

I don't think Queen hide the other players though, they're just not in the spotlight, which is fine. Based on a quick image search they all get a curtain call at the end for bows & thanks etc. It's just a TV editor isn't going to focus on the touring bassist who isn't famous.

I can imagine that's ok with the guy too - all the fun of the shows without being stopped by 10 people every time you're in Tescos!

Image: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ORW14buJxVc/hq720.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEhCK4FEIIDSFryq4qpAxMIARUAAAAAGAElAADIQj0AgKJD&rs=AOn4CLCfiUjVTeJs08Y8JtEigHZJxbV0Fw

EricTheWeary · September 2023

Queen have had supporting musicians for a long time, I don't think hidden just not at the front.
I was discussing that old BBC Bon Jovi gig on here the other day and the supporting musicians (second guitarist and bassist) weren't hidden but they were out of the way and the TV production hardly featured them. I kind of think it's odd, you are a band or you are a front person with backing musicians. This 'three original members left plus some blokes dressed in black' approach always seems an unhappy compromise to me.

darthed1981 · September 2023

Superstar economy, and they aren't superstars.

Was discussed elsewise on here, and it's very true, people expect something very different from a gig these days now that the tickets for big bands round about a tonne each, or even more.

At one point, something a bit ropier was acceptable, but now everything needs to be perfect every time, so there is way more use of extra musicians to compensate for an oldies old fingers, even extra drummers sometimes. more use of keys and of course, backing tracks.

Nitefly · September 2023

stickyfiddle said:

I can imagine that's ok with the guy too - all the fun of the shows without being stopped by 10 people every time you're in Tescos!

Oh Sir! Sir! He said Tescos!

Philly_Q · September 2023

axisus said:

Likewise, Mrs Big have just been going down very well over in Japan and are now here for their 'Big finish' tour. Their posters all show Sheehan, Gilbert and Martin, but the stand in drummer is nowhere to be seen. Maybe it's just me, but I think it's weird. Is it just me? .......... it is just me isn't it ....

Mrs Big?

Philly_Q · September 2023

I don't think I have a set opinion on this one, it depends on the particular situation.

If a band permanently replaces a musician and that person plays on the records, etc, as well as live, then absolutely they should be featured as a band member.

If they tour with supplementary musicians - second guitarist, extra keyboardist, backing singers etc - and there's no question that those people are never going to write with the band or play on a record, then I think it's right that they take something of a back seat, without necessarily being "invisible".

It depends on the type of act, too. If it's a solo singer no-one really cares about the backing band even if they're full-time for years. if it's a rock band, it's pretty hard to have an anonymous stand-in. Current example - Kiko Loureiro is taking some time out from Megadeth and he's been temporarily replaced by a guy called Teemu Mäntysaari - that guy's going to get his time in the spotlight.

BillDL · September 2023

axisus said:

I saw a bit of Queen with Adam Lambert on the TV quite some time ago. I thought that they were pretty good to be honest, but they obviously told the producer to NEVER show the bass player. He's a hired hand since Deaky retired, but personally I think it's a bit embarrassing to require a musician but pretend he isn't there ......

She's still learning the ropes, but is coming on in leaps and bounds

Smellyfingers · September 2023

I think if say the Who were to come back and prominently show two new younger faces, to replace the dead ones, then casual fans might think they were somehow a different band, not the real Who, or that Townsend was jacking up backstage again, whilst his stand ins did the heavy lifting.

And of course, it was never going be to possible to replace the Moon.

DLM · September 2023

Whereas I'm only aware of the latest Mr Big activities through their new drummer's YT videos.

Mulitfaceted prism, innit.

Smellyfingers · September 2023

Not so much if you are a top musical heritage marketing genie such as a previous post/er.

Cranky · September 2023

I’m alright with the musicians. Not to keen on their invisibility, though. It’s weird.

AntonHunter · September 2023

axisus said:

I saw a bit of Queen with Adam Lambert on the TV quite some time ago. I thought that they were pretty good to be honest, but they obviously told the producer to NEVER show the bass player. He's a hired hand since Deaky retired, but personally I think it's a bit embarrassing to require a musician but pretend he isn't there. I think that they should have accepted him as part of the live band and be done with it.

Is it still Neil Fairclough? Throughly great bloke who used to play a fair bit around Manchester if so.

Emp_Fab · September 2023

I always disliked how Muse had a synth player but hid him away in the darker corners. Not cool.

Smellyfingers · September 2023

Cranky said:

I’m alright with the musicians. Not too keen on their invisibility, though. It’s weird.

I think the point if a heritage act like say the Rolling Stones is that the new musicians should be invisible( ie imitating their illustrious predecessor/s not trying to add their own input - it just gets confusing for the ticket owners).

That is maybe why the Who have’nt been the Stones as gilt edged operation.

Brad · September 2023

AntonHunter said:

axisus said:

I saw a bit of Queen with Adam Lambert on the TV quite some time ago. I thought that they were pretty good to be honest, but they obviously told the producer to NEVER show the bass player. He's a hired hand since Deaky retired, but personally I think it's a bit embarrassing to require a musician but pretend he isn't there. I think that they should have accepted him as part of the live band and be done with it.

Is it still Neil Fairclough? Throughly great bloke who used to play a fair bit around Manchester if so.

Yep. I worked with Neil on a few occasions (pre landing the Queen gig) and I can confirm he is an absolute gem of a person and one of the best musicians I've met.

bloodandtears · September 2023

wasn't there a gag about the drummer from Coldplay.. mega-rich but no-one could pick him out of a line-up

GoFish · September 2023

Smellyfingers said:

Cranky said:

I’m alright with the musicians. Not too keen on their invisibility, though. It’s weird.

I think the point if a heritage act like say the Rolling Stones is that the new musicians should be invisible( ie imitating their illustrious predecessor/s not trying to add their own input - it just gets confusing for the ticket owners).

That is maybe why the Who have’nt been the Stones as gilt edged operation.

That's bit mean to ol' Ronnie Wood.

merlin · September 2023

I'd rather invisible musicians to backing tracks.

Smellyfingers · September 2023

GoFish said:

Smellyfingers said:

Cranky said:

I’m alright with the musicians. Not too keen on their invisibility, though. It’s weird.

I think the point if a heritage act like say the Rolling Stones is that the new musicians should be invisible( ie imitating their illustrious predecessor/s not trying to add their own input - it just gets confusing for the ticket owners).

That is maybe why the Who have’nt been the Stones as gilt edged operation.

That's bit mean to ol' Ronnie Wood.

Yep I don’t really know what I am talking about, other than to say if the current Who drummer was a bit more unpredictable and did the flaming drum kit thing with brandy , then fans would get even more of a frisson.

CaseOfAce · September 2023

After spending hours trying to get thru on the phone to purchase exorbitantly priced tickets from a near monopoly provider for the privilege of sitting in row ZZ in a vast arena with limited view and miles from the stage, ropey sound whilst watching a heritage act plough thru their back catalogue on autopilot with backing tracks and no spontaneity, on a big screen either side of the stage, trying to ignore attendees filming the "event" on their mobile phones in front of you - the fact they've decided to hide inaudible banjo player number 3 behind the curtain is the least of my concerns. And that's before avoiding the scrum to get out of the venue and on the road along with thousands of others once the "experience" has come to an end...

p90fool · September 2023

Well you don't have to go.

axisus · September 2023

Philly_Q said:

axisus said:

Likewise, Mrs Big have just been going down very well over in Japan and are now here for their 'Big finish' tour. Their posters all show Sheehan, Gilbert and Martin, but the stand in drummer is nowhere to be seen. Maybe it's just me, but I think it's weird. Is it just me? .......... it is just me isn't it ....

Mrs Big?

Ho ho! I missed that typo! now corrected

guyinlyon · September 2023

Townsend & Daltry = The Who?

Jagger, Richards & Wood = The Rolling Stones?

May & Taylor = Queen?

When will it all end?

PolarityMan · September 2023

Well if you dont like it listen to music that isnt made by dead people....it's not like there's a shortage of good music out there.

Philly_Q · September 2023

guyinlyon said:

Townsend & Daltry = The Who?
Jagger, Richards & Wood = The Rolling Stones?
May & Taylor = Queen?
When will it all end?

Probably when they're all dead, if that isn't too morbid....
But some bands are already touring with no original members, as noted on another recent thread.

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I'm not a fan of invisible musicians.

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