Stage "props" instead of cabs?

Morbid

Morbid

Inspired
I'll keep this short and sweet!

I'm putting together a new cover band. I'll be playing direct, and suspect the bass player will be as well, leaving a lot of room where cabinets would normally go.

I was thinking about the fact that RUSH started using the dryers and rotisserie chicken makers to take up the space of cabs, and was thinking maybe I should do something similar. Preferably something not super costly and easy to store when not in use.

Looking for the suggestions of other non-big-league players like myself. Aside from oversized band banners, what else have you used/seen used that left an impression on you?
 
I don't play in a big rock band, so maybe this isn't spot on for all, but I like the clean look onstage since I have dumped the big backline. I do have to admit, though, that I have thought about prominently micing up a Fender Champ or Bronco on a stand and hiding everything else... just to mess with people.
 
I knew an 80’s metal band that had 4 full Marshall stacks on their backline. Only thing was, they were fake. The cabs were empty as were the heads (they had pilot lights wired to an AC cord). They had modified Fender Bandmasters offstage that were miked up for FOH and their monitors. Looked cool as all get out, except if you knew the truth.
 
I'd love to do lights at some point, but since the band is in it's infancy at the moment, the cost of lights is something we just won't be able to hack for now.
 
deakle said:
I knew an 80’s metal band that had 4 full Marshall stacks on their backline. Only thing was, they were fake. The cabs were empty as were the heads (they had pilot lights wired to an AC cord). They had modified Fender Bandmasters offstage that were miked up for FOH and their monitors. Looked cool as all get out, except if you knew the truth.
Click to expand...

It does long cool though with all those stacks. HA!!!

Fake backline.jpg
 
What type of music you playing?

- Maybe a stack of old tube-type TVs.
- Scaffolding with tarp that has different color paints splashed all over.
- Car hoods with the band name.

The ease with direct feeds for the guitar and bass will give you more time to load a unique background.
 
When I toured, I used double Ampeg V-4s (4 cabs and 2 heads). When I first started whittling down my backline, I felt naked. Now, I much prefer the open stage concept. I just use my AX8 to FOH. In larger venues, I do use my Line 6 Flextone II XL for a stage monitor, but in those large venues, it looks looks like a BB on a 4-lane highway.
 
Part of having less stuff on stage is having less stuff to cart around and haul in/out up/down.

Sure if you are Rush with all the money and roadies you need - go for the washing machines dessert carts. But as far as most people are concerned less stuff is golden. Faster setup and tear down. ;)
 
Most touring bands have an led screen of some sort behind them nowadays. Buy some large led tvs (some are really cheap) and most of the better computer graphics cards have multi-outs. So you could drive several from one computer - or hd projectors are cheap too.
 
I'm old enough to remember a band back in the 80s called FORCE .... They worked clubs in the upper mid-west in the spring/summer/fall and Florida in the winter. Anyway they had 3 white 'full' Marshall Stacks per side and ALL of the speakers were taken out of them and replaced with Car headlights. They used them during their show for special effects. They monitored their guitars through a single 12" JBL monitor next to their vocal monitor ....
 
I'm really digging a lot of the ideas. Thanks for chiming in guys.

The band is going to be a Hard Rock cover band. Stuff like Alice in Chains, Breaking Benjamin, Godsmack, Halestorm, Theory of a Deadman, Led Zeppelin, etc etc.

The appeal of an empty stage and less to cart around is not lost on me, I assure you. While I love the idea of having a wall of cabinets behind me, it's just not a viable idea, in part due to the cost (even buying beaten crap cabs will add up), and in part do to the space they take up when they're NOT in use, and of course the setup and break down aspect.

Unfortunately, the image and show will be important to setting us apart from other local cover bands. I'm not exactly in the music capitol of the world, so I'll be playing to pretty average non-musician people.

I had thought it'd be fun, funny and easy to have some of the "WACKY INFLATABLE ARM FLAILING TUBE MAN"s on stage, but those things are shockingly expensive for what they are, haha.

I had also considered some kind of holiday type inflatable, but you find mostly Christmas and Halloween stuff for those. I kind of like the idea of the crudely drawn cardboard cabinets, because I'm all about the laughter and good humor (I have action figures velcro'd to my pedalboard).

I like the LCD idea too, but I think I'd probably try to go more for the LED Banner type things (i forget what they're called, but they're not TVs)
 
How about one of these for a backline?

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