One of the best source ever available about the One-Man-Band formula is the fabulous book: "Head, hands, and feet" by Mr Dave Harris (Notourious One Mand band Himself, playing mostly on resonators, and using a contraption inspired by the mighty "Footdella" carrying somewhat of the spirit of Jesse Fuller)
His book is a huge labor of love, and a monumental testimony.
You can see how the human spirit could be so clever to expand the limits of what is possible with only one musician...sometimes striking ideas are very simple in fact.
He made great research about One Man (and Woman) Band history, if you want a great book to enlarge your musical knowledge, and escape far from the actual mess, I highly recommand this one...you can read this many times without be bored at all until next sumer for shure!
Yes you're right about the fact that too many One Man Bands are just a lightened version of the band, sometimes, when the budget is too short, the drummer is fired and a stomp box is just added...
A majority of One man band are just a temporary attempt, just a one time try...it looks so easy...
Without a serious training time that can't sound otherwise than very poor...or estheticaly very Punk oriented when energy is more important than "beauty".
A good guitarist can't be a good drummer when doin' the two at same time if he don't have spent a lot of time with his metronome.
In worst cases a simple back-track will do the job, but honestly, no audience couldn't get bored in a while to hear that.
Sometimes loopers can be used with good results, but if the show wasen't absolutely perfectly organized, when the only little problem surfaces it ruins the whole show absolutely, without any chance to catch anew the audience.
Electronics could be a deep trap, when potential is so huge, you miss something very important for an audience; the notion of sincerity.
It's allways better to hear something that wasen't absolutely perfect, but made by human, than a by a cold machine, even a super good top notch machine...it's just a matter of empathy, when the audience realizes how the music is made, with just hands and feets, they enjoy the more.
Machines disturbs the notion of what is made and how.
You might know that allready made contraption exists, but to my eyes what's interesting about one Man Bands is the unique approach of each one, building your own set up is a fascinating experience you can't miss.
Like the cigar-box fashion, something is sad and cynical...you can buy one allready made on amazon, but isn't it stupid?
That's tipicaly the kind of instrument you have to build by yourself, paying a tribute to who does it before you, if you wan't to get something honest and perfectely suited to your needs.
You can't do otherwise, ain't not use to faint if you want something working with your audience, you have to be true.
If you have allready noticed the limits of the existing tooling, and how the audience enjoy or not, I think you're on the right side, You're right, a simple porch board is better than too many complicated tricks.
Take your time to practice, and add gradualy one thing after another.
Of course when percussions can be done only with two feets, you had to find some tricks to get more subtle variations.
Double beat open new perpectives, just think also of the movement of your feet:
You can have a second beat when your feet is comming up!
Some crazy One Man bands even use two pedals for one feet, one by heel and the second by toe!!!! amazing to see how such a simple move can expand the music.
(In France we have the late great "Pillippe Ménard" using this type of playing with a strong Rory Galagher spirit.)
Unfortunaly we can barely see what he's doin with one foot, prehaps another video could show more?...
If you really want to dig the One Man Band approach, let's see one of the champions:
(First part with portable set up, second part with sitting contraption, just amazing, no tricks, no electronics except microphones!)
Historic champion in a class by himself is Alber Nelson, playing a huge system with 32 instruments at the same time (With Two duolians included in the band).
His life is fascinating...a book does exist.
He beggan gradually, untill his first wife went mad because he spent all his time and money in his machine, so his brother in law tore down the monster...and you know what? he rebuilt another one bigger and bigger year after year...
So be carefull if you think about being a one man band...
You can see the "Nelsonian" here:
(one of the two duolians is noticeable at left side, the other is on the other side to get that stereo effect long time before the Hi-FI...)
But this facebook page show others intersting aproach...
You can spent the winter in great research...enjoy !