What is it with singers?

[frankencat]

I mean all you have to do is show up and sing. Why all of the constant whining???????

[Cody]

Well, for one: If your instrument breaks, you can just buy another one.




I can't believe I just defended singers...


...

[dk123123dk]

Because they know they can if they are good.

dk

[Nonvintage]

I've gone to countless Blues Jams where any hack singer/Mr.Harmonica playin' dood gets to front the jam and when the TRAIN WRECKS, they look at you like what the hell are you doin'!!! It's really quite hilarious. Then again someone might blow into your town and knock your socks off. And it's quite exhilarating. It's a learning experience either way. Let it roll.

[dave_lp_strat]

I think singers are jealous of those who play an instrument. Most are not confident of their ability and their vocal chords vary from night to night. All it takes is an allergy and they are dead in the water!

Guitar players can walk on (tuned, or course) and make things work night after night with confidence, until a string breaks or a tube blows.

[PosterBoy]

I think vocalists put themselves in a much more vunerable position than someone that plays an instrument, and so need a health dose of self confidence to do the job, this is over compensated for and turns into EGO.

[Marshalls Law]

You need to have a nice size EGO to get up on stage and front a band....hopefully the voice backs up the ego but even if it doesn't singers have to have a ego to get up on stage and sing.

I used to be in a band with a singer who was less than stellar but man did he look the part. His ego was massive and he got tons of chicks...but his voice really lacked quality.

I've got plenty of video and recordings to prove it.
:roll

[eBay]

The pressure is way higher on the singer. You can sound utterly horrible on guitar and no one will hold it against you. If you sound even slightly wimpy or weak vocally, you are branded for life. People won't even talk to you after that and you won't be able to get a girlfriend. It's like a weak handshake times 1000.

[GuitarsFromMars]

The pressure is way higher on the singer. You can sound utterly horrible on guitar and no one will hold it against you. If you sound even slightly wimpy or weak vocally, you are branded for life. People won't even talk to you after that and you won't be able to get a girlfriend. It's like a weak handshake times 1000.


I kinda think like this, me...:wave

[atomicmassunit]

Mainly because the audience doesn't know the difference between a good guitar player or a lousy one, but they will pick a singer apart. The singer is the most important part of the band and the first thing for people to like or dislike. Get a bad singer and the best band out there and see how much people like you. Like it or not, all eyes and ears are on the singer and they carry the band. Not only that, but lyrics are hard to remember and the audience knows if they mess them up, guitar not so much.

[Jazzydave]

I see these posts all the time and I just can't relate. I've been a "frontman" singing lead and playing guitar (since I was 11 or 12 and never whined about those issues). Actually, I've had more trouble with drummers! Haha!

Seriously, those pre-madonnas kill me. I run into them all the time trying to psych themselves up before a show, acting like drama queens, etc.

Maybe its bc I've just always sang but I'm blessed to be able to hold my own and not have to deal with those other guys. I just sing what's in my heart and soul...if my voice is rough that night, then I adjust the set so that I can express myself to the maximum possible.

Let's face it guys, there are very few true artist singers out there...just a lot of guys and gals who didn't get enough attention as a kid.

:beer

[eBay]

Mainly because the audience doesn't know the difference between a good guitar player or a lousy one, but they will pick a singer apart. The singer is the most important part of the band and the first thing for people to like or dislike. Get a bad singer and the best band out there and see how much people like you. Like it or not, all eyes and ears are on the singer and they carry the band. Not only that, but lyrics are hard to remember and the audience knows if they mess them up, guitar not so much.

It's really thousands of years of evolution and the brain is adept at determining who is dominant from vocal patterns. Guitar doesn't play into this at the same level. It's all about advertising reproductive power.

[re-animator]

they're problem is that you guys don't treat them like musicians. as a result, they don't act like them.

I've never in my life had singer issues, maybe because i double as a vocalist myself and have been a frontman before. It sounds to me that the real problem is bands don't give credit where credit is due to the singer, or they have the sentiment that "we'll play the music (i.e. stand around and get totally absorbed in our instruments), now you make us famous"

[musicofanatic5]

"pre-madonnas"

Good one; I like that.

[louderock]

Rectal-Cranial Inversion (they got their head up their own ass)

[string_wise]

"pre-madonnas"

Good one; I like that.


:rimshot

[Jazzydave]

"pre-madonnas"

Good one; I like that.

Haha, it is true though. It seems like every time I've done shows with other bands, its always the singer that's the most annoying and unjustifiably confident. Its one thing if you're billed AS the singer and you have a band of hired guns - a COMPLETELY different situation if you're actually PART of the band.

Then again, I can see why a drummer with a huge set would be annoyed bc they had to take an hour setting up while the singer just comes in and plugs in his mic (if he/she even OWNS their own mic and cable).

[strat a various]

I work gigs that don't require a singer. But now, pianists, they have egos that dwarf any singer. I have to put up with pianists. All the Jazz pianist has to do is walk in and complain about the piano being out of tune, the bass player not knowing every tune ever recorded, and the drummer rushing. Also, the poly-chords on the charts are written different from the "correct" way to play them. Pianists are worse.

[Nonvintage]

We,ve all hear of LSD (Lead Singer Disease) right?

[Nonvintage]

Oops. DP.

[bjjp2]

Our singer is great--a great guy and a great singer (no you can't have him). He also happens to be a better drummer than our drummer, so he knows what's going on behind him. The one thing that annoys me is when there's a screw-up he still turns his head like "who f-d up."

I've talked to him over and over about not doing this, and he's gotten better, but he still does it.

The absolute worst is when he does it and 1) nobody has actually f'ed up; 2) he's the one who has actually f'ed up; or 3) somebody in the band has f'ed up, but it's not the person he's turning around and glaring at.

[buddaman71]

IMHO: The personality traits required to compel a person to get on-stage and open themselves to criticism also cause them to be somewhat demanding and ego-centric.

It's a package deal in my experience...