Big Band Rock, what happened?

Lots of people, including myself, have posted our opinion as to why we think big band rock is a none starter. Did you just expect everyone to agree with you?
 
I think it's mostly economics. It's really expensive to hire a band that large. Locally, I see even small groups of four musicians offer to play a pared-down, acoustic version with just the singer and guitarist or something like that. Just to give themselves a chance to get hired for venues looking to hire a band on the cheap.

The other thing is, the average audience is not nearly hip enough to appreciate a band with a horn section. The average listener is a mouth-breathing idiot when it comes to music. They can't appreciate the sound. They just can't hang.
 
Lots of people, including myself, have posted our opinion as to why we think big band rock is a none starter. Did you just expect everyone to agree with you?

Yeah well, there are lots of people tired of havin' this rock and roll economics and rock and roll sound shoved down our throats and into our ears by corporate media, for the past several decades or so we're just glad it's over.
 
Nothing to do with having stuff shoved down our throats. I am old enough to remember the beginnings of rock,and it was the musicians that made the rules. I am still more than happy to play in a three piece band. I love the three piece. Big bands? they have nothing to do with rock.
The freedom and spontanaeity of a small beat combo is what rock is all about.
 
Nothing to do with having stuff shoved down our throats. I am old enough to remember the beginnings of rock,and it was the musicians that made the rules. I am still more than happy to play in a three piece band. I love the three piece. Big bands? they have nothing to do with rock.
The freedom and spontanaeity of a small beat combo is what rock is all about.

Big amps and tons of marketing, naw they didn't push anything that the public might have preferred otherwise.
 
Never did a thread need this more...

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Innovations in what midi provides from keyboards, guitars etc and the economy. In my locale,
clubs that used to host 4 piece groups have gone to duos and singles with some exceptions.
 
I would point at the Who as a case of over amped and over marketed, but in this case, they actually went on to do large arrangements. Maybe AC/DC?

That's funny.I remember when "Tommy" was released,and ...the album sold it self.There was NO overselling,no marketing.There didn't have to be.The same with "Live at Leeds",Whos Next" and "Quadrophenia".

The Who didn't need to market themselves,...the music did that.They just went on tour,in support of their new releases.....just like EVERY other band does,except for the Beatles at the time.

I was there,and that's the way it went,so don't take this as still another opportunity to slam the Who.

Steve B
 
That's funny.I remember when "Tommy" was released,and ...the album sold it self.There was NO overselling,no marketing.There didn't have to be.The same with "Live at Leeds",Whos Next" and "Quadrophenia".

The Who didn't need to market themselves,...the music did that.They just went on tour,in support of their new releases.....just like EVERY other band does,except for the Beatles at the time.

I was there,and that's the way it went,so don't take this as still another opportunity to slam the Who.

Steve B

I now, you have to give the deaf old rockers a little slack some time...What! Who! WHAT! Nah, no pushing their sound there.

Anyway, I know many venues have gone to sort of a juke box arrangement, where people who just love rock and roll can keep plugging those coins in the machine, singing "We love rock and roll".
 
I now, you have to give the deaf old rockers a little slack some time...What! Who! WHAT! Nah, no pushing their sound there.

Anyway, I know many venues have gone to sort of a juke box arrangement, where people who just love rock and roll can keep plugging those coins in the machine, singing "We love rock and roll".

If you dont like music what are you doing on a drumming site? Or have you been banned from other sites for trolling?
 
I now, you have to give the deaf old rockers a little slack some time...What! Who! WHAT! Nah, no pushing their sound there.

Anyway, I know many venues have gone to sort of a juke box arrangement, where people who just love rock and roll can keep plugging those coins in the machine, singing "We love rock and roll".

My hearing is just fine ,thank you,and the rest of your "reply" makes no point,and little sense.Rock isn't music,it's an ethos?Peddle that idealological,pseudo-intellecual B.S.some place else,nobody's buying it.

Steve B
 
My hearing is just fine ,thank you,and the rest of your "reply" makes no point,and little sense.Rock isn't music,it's an ethos?Peddle that idealological,pseudo-intellecual B.S.some place else,nobody's buying it.

Steve B

You may not think its funny, but I didn't make that part about rock being an ethos up, and quite frankly, I didn't think it was funny the first time I heard it either.
 
Robin,

Rock is music, as well as an ethos. An ethos that has largely been forgotten. Whether or not this is a good thing is not for me to judge at this point but I've got to say, for a guy that writes code, you're not very good at putting together a coherent set of statements.
 
I am familiar with the development of musical styles, where the styles usually start out in smaller ensembles, with limited notation, relying heavily on improvisation, then growing in size adding more notation, with fewer and fewer improvisational opportunities. You can see it happen in all kinds of styles from Argentine tango to blues even western swing. What kind of puzzles me is that rock and roll, never really developed past the small ensemble. After a little searching, the only large bands I could find were Chicago and Blood Sweat and Tears. I wonder why this is? I was thinking it might have to do with the guitar technology, but then there are plenty of big band blues and funk groups.

R&R has likely stayed in small groups because it's a style that could be played by a small group of people, or even just one person.
It's not, or, doesn't have to be "technical", or polished, or even "good" for people to enjoy.
People can just "plug in and go", or strap on an acoustic guitar and play away.

Unless it's a long piece that's orchestrated (Tommy, Green Day's American Idiot that's now on Broadway, etc...) rock music just doesn't need more than a couple people (unless someone wanted to have a large group) to be performed.
There were several larger groups in the 70's that were popular. Ohio Players, Sly & the Family Stone, Santana, E,W & F, ELO, just to name a couple.
Why larger groups haven't been popular in a while, who knows? A lot of "performers" have large bands behind then these days though.

I've played in 6 piece rock bands, and we played "the songs", and didn't improvise because of the different instruments involved. The parts were written, and songs orchestrated, so that's what we did.
I've also payed in cover bands that had several players, and we could stretch a little in certain things.
My blues rock trio does improvise, and it's easy, because only one person is playing each instrument, and it doesn't get cluttered and confusing to the listener.
Having competent players is also important in this area too :)

I've always felt that nothing really has to be shoved down peoples throat, they just don't have to buy the music, or listen to it if they don't like it. There are lots of "mouth breathers" (haha) out there, but people can just turn the channel, or, turn it off.
There's the real power.
 
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