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Posted by: llibach Feb 2 2012, 12:17 AM

My band have been together for almost a year now and can't find a singer. The first two were more suited to being in boy bands (we play metal and rock covers) the next one applied then we didn't hear from him again and now the latest one has failed to turn up four times after making up excuses every time
So now me and the drummer have to share the vocals which means as well as practising guitar I've got to try and sing too.

Posted by: jstcrsn Feb 2 2012, 01:56 AM

in short ,yes
i found that trying to start a band , if not the singer- the bass player- the drummer of course all of us guitarists are perfect

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Feb 2 2012, 02:53 AM

mmm yes, I think that the singer is the most difficult member to find when you are forming a band... it's also the most important since is the front man of the band. This makes the decision even more difficult. That's the reason why there are so many guitar player that also sing their music!

Posted by: SirJamsalot Feb 2 2012, 03:32 AM

finding reliable musicians is not easy. It's a long road. Honestly, if you get someone who says they'll be there for a try-out, and they don't call before not making it without a really good excuse ~ don't bother calling back ~ that's a tell-tale sign of how they'll be for your first gig ~ late or not present. Take your time finding the right person because you'll be stuck with them like a family member for the long haul.

and no - it's not just singers. It's musicians in general. They dream big, but reality cuts them down to size and you end up with flakes and lazy people who don't do any of the foot work to help promote the band - free loaders. beware!

Good luck.

Posted by: Ben Higgins Feb 2 2012, 10:56 AM

Absolutely. You've summed up a lot of my experiences in the musician world in such a short sentence - excellent !!

Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Feb 2 2012, 12:09 PM

I went through the same thing with my band ARIA and finally, I took up the mic along with the other guitarist and we are both axe men and singers now trust me, it's for the best! You will unlock tremendous musical powers within yourself it took us almost 2 years to accept the idea though

Posted by: Sensible Jones Feb 2 2012, 01:02 PM

All good points made so far!
I'd just like to add, when you do choose someone make sure it's a person that you'd feel comfortable with in confined spaces!!
WHAT????
Well, if you intend gigging and possibly touring then remember that you ain't going to be able to afford private Jets from the start and could possibly spend quite a lot of time on the road in a Car, smelly Van etc!! I know, I did this for 18 months!! Fortunately for us we all got on really well and are all still mates 20 years later!!!

Posted by: llibach Feb 2 2012, 10:36 PM

Yeah I think that accepting the idea of having to sing is the thing. But we seem to be getting there he sings the rock stuff and I take the more metal ones at least I don't have to do it all myself. But now I've got to try and write lyrics and come up with vocal lines for my own songs if were going without a frontman.

Posted by: SirJamsalot Feb 2 2012, 11:30 PM

Some things you'll learn right away if you are the guitarist AND singer for your band:

1. You become the front-man, center of attention - all eyes are on you, so mistakes become more apparent.

2. You'll have to become more depandant on feel than sight when reaching for chords

3. Because you command the lyrics, you command what gets sung and when, so you'll have to be in charge of starting and ending each song, and learn to communicate tempo changes and breaks to your drummer, especially if you miss something, you don't want to stop, so you have to communicate to the drummer - we're going around one more time! and without looking back to him - so you'll have to develop a body language and learn each others tendencies in a new way.

4. The time it takes to learn songs will double for you, because not only do you have to learn the chords (and any solos) but you also have to learn the lyrics.

5. You're going to have to learn how to present yourself on stage - your stage presence will become somewhat static as you are "lip locked" to the microphone, so you'll have to learn to present yourself in a different way than others who are free to run around, head bang, etc.


I'm the lead guitarist and the front-man/singer as well. Been doing this for about a year now and there is a huge difference from just being a guitarist who can do whatever he pleases on stage. Lots of little things you never think of until you realize they're necessary for you to perform well in front of an audience. But very rewarding when you finally get settled into a groove!

Best of luck!



haha - you quoted me on facebook! There's a first! I almost feel credible now

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Feb 5 2012, 01:58 PM

Yeah, it's definitely hard to get a singer, but be patient and don't worry, a good one will turn up. Bare in mind that you don't really choose only a person with good singing abilities, you choose a FRONTMAN, he/she has to have charisma, appearance on stage, contact with the audience, it's not for shy people. In some cases in music history, this ability was more important then the singing. Frontman should have poetic soul and be dedicated to the band, work on lyrics and participate in music creation as much as he can. Aside on the fact that when the band is starting up, ALL members should push hard and bite hard for the presence on the music scene, or they will vanish.

Posted by: Todd Simpson Feb 10 2012, 12:33 AM

Sadly, as the guys are saying in this thread, this is not uncommon. Singers (many not all) tend to be a tad on the self important/diva/pain in the neck/ end of things in terms of behavior. I've seen singers miss gigs and not even call/text to say they got held up with some gal they just met.

The bad news is, it's tough to find a good singer and so it's easy for them to get a little full of themselves even when playing local bars and such. It's good to be able to sing for yourself as you will often need to. I honestly thing the big trend in female singers fronting metal / rock bands has to do with this very issue. Somehow the gals I"ve met that sing are a touch more stable than the guys that sing. The gals that are singers have a temperament that sort of reminds of what you see in bass players. Dependable, thoughtful, patient.

So find a gal that place bass and sings and your set

Todd

Posted by: bluelineman Feb 10 2012, 04:21 AM

I heard a Megadeth interview & Dave Mustaine said that's basically how he ended up being the singer. He got frustrated trying to find the right guy. (I think his decision was also in part because he likes to be in control as well)

Posted by: Ben Higgins Feb 10 2012, 09:37 AM

Yeah.. I would have loved to have seen the auditions though !

Posted by: SirJamsalot Feb 10 2012, 05:03 PM

And us musicians are a bunch of whining irresponsible babies, so we need a mother-like figure to keep us in check, pay the bills on time and keep us on schedule.

Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Feb 10 2012, 06:52 PM

Mate, I beg to differ, I played with a gal fr about 7 years and the last 1 was the nastiest of my life as a musician...

Posted by: Sinisa Cekic Feb 11 2012, 01:17 AM

My God ,everywhere the same problems with the singers ...
And who says that the singer must be a front man ?!? Bring him to me, I'll show him where he belongs !

Posted by: Ben Higgins Feb 11 2012, 10:57 AM