I dunno, Chaeya. It sounds like excuses to me - couldn't be the singer, cuz all this other stuff should be addressed first.
A really good singer makes crappy equipment sound good, like a good musician can make a child's toy guitar or drum or piano sing.
Bad sound men make everyone sound worse, I'll grant you, but they don't make you sing or play out of key or out of time.
I don't know any pro or amateur band that uses a mic of lesser quality than an SM57. If you can't use one of them, you're in the wrong biz, imho. If their mic IS that crappy, well, as a singer, you should probably have a mic of your own that you prefer, don't you think? Just as any other band member has his own instrument.
This is stuff I hear from far too many "singers."
They expect to show up after everything is set up, schmooze with the audience, get up on the stage & sing, & leave without breaking anything down, all while having the band provide even their frikken MIC, all while expecting equal (or better) pay.
Ska-ROOO dat!
If you're a band-member & a singer, you should:
a) have your own mic & cord (maybe even your own backup PA, even if it's just a small one),
b) help with the set up & break down of each & every performance, if you aren't using roadies
c) hold your own on stage, & look relaxed & competent doing it
d) be able to communicate your needs to anyone, including the sound man, without being a bossy or whiny or jerky person, smiling at the audience all the while (& NEVER yelling at anyone or being in any way derogatory on stage, or within earshot of any audience member!)
e) be able to sing on time & in key, whether or not you can hear yourself in the monitor mix.
f) be on time, warmed up, appropriately dressed, & ready to perform at least a 1/2 hour before the show
g) always look like the band is doing great, when performing, under nearly any circumstance
h) know all the words & arrangements to every song in the band's repertoire
i) be able to sing a lower harmony note off the cuff, if your voice isn't in good enough shape that night to hit those highs
j) thoroughly know your mic's dynamics, & be able to use them to your best advantage (yet another reason to HAVE YOUR OWN!)
k) take proper care of your voice at all times
If you can't do all the above, you need to work a little harder before you can call yourself a professional, imho. It isn't easy, but it's what separates the pro from the non-pro. This is the type of person who's a team player, & who actually works doing his/her part to make sure that the band is the very best it can be on any given night.
To hell with the frikken divas & wussies & such. Gimme a pro, so that my hard work isn't wasted.
*Disclaimer - I've never worked with or even met this person, but I'd like to!
SMILE - it's the safest way to spread your cheeks!
