A frontman of a band needs to be able to pull focus. They need to be enticing enough to control audiences en mass with an unparalleled stage presence. While their contributions often become the ones fans latch on to, they can’t do it alone, prompting them to take on a backing band to help round out their sound.
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While some backing bands are simply a faceless amalgamation of guitars and drums, others find a space in the spotlight beside their famous frontmen. Check out five such bands, below.
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1. The Bad Seeds (Nick Cave)
Nick Cave is one of the most influential and experimental rockers in recent memory. Though Cave’s poignant lyricism has played a hand in amassing that reputation, he had help along the way via The Bad Seeds.
The Bad Seeds formed after the dissolution of Cave’s former band, the Birthday Party. Currently consisting of Thomas Wydler, Martyn P. Casey, Jim Sclavunos, Warren Ellis, George Vjestica, and Larry Mullins, the band has become just as much a part of the lore of Cave as the man himself. While Cave has always been a force in music, the addition of the Bad Seeds has allowed his enigmatic mind to meander around previously unexplored musical terrains.
2. The Heartbreakers (Tom Petty)
With his backing band, The Heartbreakers, in tow, Petty became one the stewards of the “blue-collar” rock movement in the ’70s. The Heartbreakers belong to a special class of backing bands. While casual listeners may just refer to the outfit by Petty’s name, true fans will chide you for leaving out the imperative contributions of The Heartbreakers.
In fact, the draw to become a Heartbreaker was so enticing back in Petty’s heyday, that Stevie Nicks almost gave up her spot in Fleetwood Mac to be counted in their ranks.
3. The E Street Band (Bruce Springsteen)
The E Street Band is easily one of the most recognizable backing bands of all time. On top of amassing a lengthy and prolific career alongside Bruce Springsteen, each of the members has garnered some sort of solo success. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say The E Street Band was a major factor in Springsteen’s success. Springsteen himself encapsulates their unparalleled reputation every night on stage, introducing them as the “the heart-stopping, pants-dropping, hard-rocking, booty-shaking, love-making, earth-quaking, Viagra-taking, justifying, death-defying, legendary E Street Band.”
4. Crazy Horse (Neil Young)
While Crazy Horse was a band in their own right prior to connecting with Neil Young, they have largely become known for their collaborations with the folk icon. Nevertheless, whenever fans see Neil Young and Crazy Horse on an album cover, they know they are in for an extra-special treat in the Young discography.
5. The Band
The Band had to take the top spot on this list. While all the above-mentioned acts have more or less become famous for their collaborations with frontmen, The Band found break-out success on a whole different scale.
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The early days of their career saw them backing up the likes of Ronnie Hawkins and Bob Dylan, but they soon began to become icons of the ’70s rock scene themselves. Their biggest offerings—namely “The Weight” and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”—are iconic in music as a whole and have become major sources of inspiration for rock bands the world over.
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