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Music

Bands without bass

As much as file-sharing advocates tell musicians they should be making their living live rather than selling records, the reality is that the more people you bring on the road, the less likely you are to make money. Thankfully, audiences are increasingly receptive to minimalist performances, and one of the first instruments discarded by acts looking to slim down is the bass guitar. Bass can be great, of course, but some bands manage just fine without an extra pair of hands holding down the low end.

THE WHITE STRIPES

The now-defunct Detroit garage rock duo went from underground heroes to international superstars without ever having to add extra members for live shows. As in Bahamas, this arrangement allowed Jack White to improvise freely while never having to make set lists. As long as Meg White could keep up, every show was unique, even when they started playing stadiums.

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THE BLACK KEYS

Like the White Stripes, the Black Keys have also successfully transitioned from the garage to arena rock and, since 2010, have added hired guns to beef up the guitar-and-drums duo’s sound. Nevertheless, their appeal is still very much based in their original minimalist blues.

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PS I LOVE YOU

The Kingston, Ontario, duo haven’t started playing the truly big rooms yet, but guitarist Paul Saulnier’s metal-influenced approach to sensitive indie rock is so bombastic, they’d make more sonic sense playing arenas than some of the better-known garage punk duos. Saulnier makes up for the lack of a bassist by playing organ pedals with his feet.

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JONATHAN RICHMAN

As the leader of the Modern Lovers, Jonathan Richman is credited by some for having written the first punk rock song, Roadrunner. That’s debatable, for sure, but there’s no denying he’s a punk originator, which made his late-70s move to quieter folk-inspired guitar-and-drums arrangements bewildering to some fans. Nevertheless, he’s built an intensely devoted cult following and proved you can rock out softly.

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THE PACK A.D.

What is it with garage blues bands and their resistance to the bass guitar? Vancouver duo the Pack A.D. are four albums into their career and show no signs of adding more instruments. Makes sense, though, since guitarist Becky Black easily fills up all that empty space with her muscular, kick-ass riffs and leads – not to mention her huge vocals.

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