Help With a Band Name.
Help With a Band Name.
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coppernorks

Original Poster:

1,919 posts

74 months

Wednesday 28th April 2021
quotequote all
For some reason It entered my brain this morning the long forgotten remembrance that a big name band I saw
swapped instruments for a couple of songs , you know, bassist played six string, the guitarist played bass,
the reason for which eluded the audience at the time, only the band would know the significance.

Trouble is I can't remember the band.


Ronstein

1,714 posts

65 months

Wednesday 28th April 2021
quotequote all
Masters of the instrument swap were Gentle Giant

Gary Green – guitar, mandolin, vocals, recorder, bass guitar, drums, xylophone (1970–1980)
Kerry Minnear – keyboards, lead vocals (on recordings only), cello, vibraphone, xylophone, recorder, guitar, bass guitar, drums (1970–80)
Derek Shulman – lead vocals, saxophone, recorder, keyboards, bass guitar, drums, percussion, "Shulberry" (3-string custom electric ukulele)[32] (1970–1980)
Phil Shulman – lead vocals, saxophone, trumpet, mellophone, clarinet, recorder, percussion (1970–1973)
Ray Shulman – bass guitar, trumpet, violin, vocals, viola, drums, percussion, recorder, guitar (1970–1980)
Martin Smith – drums, percussion (1970–1971; died 1997)
Malcolm Mortimore – drums, percussion (1971–1972)
John "Pugwash" Weathers – drums, percussion, vibraphone, xylophone, vocals, guitar (1972–1980)

TVRees

1,087 posts

140 months

Wednesday 28th April 2021
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Roughly how long ago was this ?
GG don't exactly come across as a big name band, more of a cult band really.

dartissimus

954 posts

202 months

Wednesday 28th April 2021
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Gentle Giant, a later incarnation of Simon Dupre and the Big Sound.


J.R.B.

329 posts

220 months

Wednesday 28th April 2021
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Arcade Fire do this too, but typically more frequently than just a couple of songs

snuffy

13,152 posts

312 months

Thursday 29th April 2021
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Jethro Tull used to do that as I recall.

realjv

1,192 posts

194 months

Thursday 29th April 2021
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U2 regularly did this for "40".

offspring86

729 posts

200 months

Friday 30th April 2021
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Certainly not the band you're looking for, but the Eskimo Brothers in Nashville do a great instrument swap around:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhDG1Fpquic

Penelope Stopit

11,209 posts

137 months

Sunday 2nd May 2021
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The Who shared guitars with everyone

otherman

2,265 posts

193 months

Sunday 2nd May 2021
quotequote all
offspring86 said:
Certainly not the band you're looking for, but the Eskimo Brothers in Nashville do a great instrument swap around:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhDG1Fpquic
Thing is, what I remember from a Nashville visit is that this is all it is. A lot of show but no actual talent or originality. Just tourist fodder.

offspring86

729 posts

200 months

Sunday 2nd May 2021
quotequote all
otherman said:
Thing is, what I remember from a Nashville visit is that this is all it is. A lot of show but no actual talent or originality. Just tourist fodder.
Partially true. I assume you visited Broadway? Some of the hardest working and talented musicians you'll see, but they spend all day playing covers for tip paying customers. Hardly the easiest place to display creativity when the paying crowd want to hear you play the song exactly as it was recorded. Still, an extremely entertaining place to be.

Heading away from Broadway to the bars outside the centre of the city you'll find the more creative, less touristy side.

2fast748

1,268 posts

223 months

Sunday 2nd May 2021
quotequote all
coppernorks said:
For some reason It entered my brain this morning the long forgotten remembrance that a big name band I saw
swapped instruments for a couple of songs , you know, bassist played six string, the guitarist played bass,
the reason for which eluded the audience at the time, only the band would know the significance.

Trouble is I can't remember the band.

Anthrax do it on Bring The Noise.

HighwayToHull

8,568 posts

206 months

Tuesday 4th May 2021
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Those of us who are really ancient will remember that the Ventures' lead and bass guitarist used to swap regularly.

Johnspex

5,221 posts

212 months

Wednesday 5th May 2021
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coppernorks said:
For some reason It entered my brain this morning the long forgotten remembrance that a big name band I saw
swapped instruments for a couple of songs , you know, bassist played six string, the guitarist played bass,
the reason for which eluded the audience at the time, only the band would know the significance.

Trouble is I can't remember the band.

The Hamsters. Guitarist to bass, bass to guitar, then guitarist , now playing bass, to drums, drummer to bass.
All while playing Sharp Dressed Man.

coppernorks

Original Poster:

1,919 posts

74 months

Wednesday 5th May 2021
quotequote all
realjv said:
U2 regularly did this for "40".
Yeah, that sounds about right.

Halmyre

12,550 posts

167 months

Wednesday 5th May 2021
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Jimmy Bain (ex-Rainbow bassist) and Brian Robertson (ex-Thin Lizzy guitarist) formed a short-lived band called Wild Horses and for a couple of numbers they swapped instruments.

worsy

6,594 posts

203 months

Wednesday 12th May 2021
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Saw "Ego Kill Talent" a couple of years ago as a support act. They swap instruments around throughout the performance. Quite amazing.

StevieBee

15,244 posts

283 months

Wednesday 12th May 2021
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Johnspex said:
The Hamsters. Guitarist to bass, bass to guitar, then guitarist , now playing bass, to drums, drummer to bass.
All while playing Sharp Dressed Man.
Was just about to post the very same!


nonsequitur

20,083 posts

144 months

Sunday 16th May 2021
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Paul Simon on tour, all his band are multi- instrumentalists seamlessly changing between songs. Impressive.music




























underwhelmist

2,043 posts

162 months

Sunday 16th May 2021
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A Certain Ratio swap instruments sometimes, and I’ve seen Vulfepeck do it too. I suspect these are not the bands you are looking for.