We have a classic rock cover band playing a few gigs a month. We are all in our 40's. In general the band sounds great and gets very good reactions. The problem is with our lead singer. He is the only lead singer I know of who uses a music stand and reads the words (sometimes the music as he play rhythm guitar). Myself and several of the guys think it looks really bad. Not only is he reading songs we have been playing for years he still makes mistakes!!!! He refuses to give it up and says he needs it. I think he is just too lazy to learn his part. Why is it okay for him to do this but I as the lead guitarist must know every one of my parts, all the arrangements and whatever else I must know. I think every member of the band has an obligation to the other members to be on top of their job.
Last time, in the middle of a song he wasn't singing, his girlfriend walked upo to him right in the middle of the stage, asked him for money, he took out his wallet and handed her some. Right in the middle of a song. I think it is so unprofessional but he sees no problem.
I am thinking of getting support in the band to give him an ultimatum concerning the music stand plus his behavior. Either he goes along with the rest of us or out. What do you guys think?

What took you so long.....

Listen there is nothing worse than being in a band that your not comfortable with. I mean at your age it should be TOTALLY cool or fuck it. You get enough shit from work, kids, wife? you dont need to feel like shit when you do the one thing that is to MAKE YOU HAPPY.....

Call a lunch or bar meeting with the others...lay it out. Tell them this just isnt what I had in mind. We arent the Stones but I had ideas of being a tad more real than a high school dance band at this stage in my life. Tell them Joe Rock Star learns all the words in 2 months or you start looking for another singer...OR better yet you will learn the songs and just be a 4 or 3 piece......

Dont wait....move on it. Life moves pretty fast....you might miss it...

Ferris Beuller

Is the music stand between him and the audience? Maybe it's a kind of security blanket. You could move it sideways, print out the lyrics on little note cards, eventually wean him off it?

Singers seem like they could always be problems. I'm not very experienced in this regard, but it seems like if the singer is any good, the danger is he's gonna come in and, after an initial humble and nice period, basically take over.

Good luck!

Well okay, here's another one: How about the guy who noodles incessantly and wanks off at stage volume minutes before your set, to a house full? Just absolutely annihilates any kind of vibe you were hoping to present. I say practice at home, get your sounds / shit together before the room fills up, and be prepared to tear somebody a new one on the count of four.

In the mid 80's I played with a keyboard player who struck me as a cross between Jon Lord and Bill Evans, just an absolute monster... until the "cheese" kicked in. He told bad jokes over the mic which resulted in a pregnant pause; He wore two-toned docksider shoes; He'd be in the middle of some really devastating B3 thing that was just partin' everybody's hair, and switch to some tinkly digital noise mid-flight, and would just absolutely kill the vibe. The guy was a walking cartoon. Hey, I love a goofball, hell, I AM a goofball, but I can't do that scene onstage.

I finally had to quit doing casuals. I hated wearing a tux. I hated everybody having a music stand in front of 'em (although I don't think I would have made it through "Lush Life" without the chart... but in a rock band? Nahhhhh.) Now this is all acceptable stuff for casuals but I really can't dig in dressed like a waiter.

I talk about being a nice guy on this forum, and I think it's important. But I'm actually pretty hardcore about the people I work with. I want 'em to know their shit and be devoid of cheese, and they expect the same of me. As hilarious as I think RockGod posturing is, people expect to get a slightly larger than life persona when they go hear a band, and I think you should give it to 'em. I'm not talking about being uptight and pretentious. I've always said, and will always say, take an attitude on stage, and leave it there when you're done.

sgguitarz, it sounds to me like you might be wanting to trim some of the cheese. Figure out what you can deal with, and what you can't, give the guy a chance to redeem himself, and take it from there. One thing I'll take exception to is the bit about the guy's girl wanting money, while he's on stage. When the old lady wants cash, well, all bets are off! She's the Boss! But I'm the man of my house. My wife gave me permission. I'm kidding, of course. You're absolutely right, the singer / girlfriend / money scenario is about as unprofessional as it gets. Unfortunately, it makes the whole band look like wankers, and you don't need that crap. Fix it.

Peace.

[This message has been edited by Corleone (edited 01-26-2002).]

You know I think chichi hit the nail on the head here. I have a career and a life and I refuse to play in a band if it is not fun. I've been in the situation where it is completely miserable and I just don't have room for it in my life anymore. It is so similar to a relationship, almost a parallel.

Sure you are not looking to change the face of music but who the hell wants to look like a complete schmuck at a gig? I do think that his behavior is unprofessional for a high school band, let alone someone in there 40Â’s.

Unfortunately given his age and his girlfriendÂ’s behavior (that is way out of line) I donÂ’t think he is going to see the light on this. He may just live in another world as some do so be prepared to shop for a new singer. There is no reason you canÂ’t make great music and have a great time too!
http://www.artist-mp3.com/wc.dll?main~showartist~&csid=138&cCallBy=Catpick&cAid=


Enjoy;
MH

security blanket------ write out a message that says ' learn the words!" stick it behind the first page and see wgat happens......... or retype the words to one of the songs and change them to- Im a lazy loser I cant even memorize a song somewhere in the second verse.........or just pay one of the audience members to steal his lyrics mid-song.......or.............

Buddy of mines band has a singer that still does that- he has a box at the base of his mike stand with the lyrics in plastic sheets, that way he has to Ben Dover if he really needs to look.......

I was in a band with a guitar player/singer who couldn't sing, played too loud, and was just an asshole. His buddy, who was our bass player had to have sheets in front of him so he could remember the chord changes. This guy had been playing the bass line to little wing for two years and still needed a cheat sheet.
The guitar player was always playing too loud and club owners would always yell at him. To top it off, he couldn't play the guitar, and he couldn't sing!! But he owned th P.A. so we had to go along with him for a while.
The last straw came when we got fired from a gig two week s early because he pissed everybody off with his bad playing, horrible singing and all around bad personality. The drummer and I just told him one day, "You're a dickhead, go away!"
My brother plays bass for us now, and I sing, and play the guitar. Now when we play somewhere we get asked back.
Singers are a dime a dozen, good singers are just a little harder to come by, but this guy in your band needs to get the boot! The sooner you do it the easier it will be!!!
LAwrence D.

Hey I have an idea..tell him there is this great forum online and to read this...maybe he'll get the hint......also point him to Musician Available postings...he will need to post there soon...

You know fuck it...Im the manager..He is firied...I want him out TONITE!

You crack me up, chichi!

man sorry Im almost 2 years late on my answer but I think you should get new outfits.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Your sig suxs ass get rid of it :eyeroll:

old haggish 40 year old yuppies pretending to be rock stars SICKENS this 39 year old




I use a music stand to hold a dope pipe mostly...I am SUCH a tosser

..the horror.