Music News Gossip

Philby said " . . . 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 . . ."
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Every singer I'd previously worked with expected to borrow all the equipment they need.
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Add to the list of things a singer should bring with them is a mike stand and a music stand (to learn the songs - during rehearsal).
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And - who pays for that equipment? Shouldn't they? Why the heck should a singer be the only band member who doesn't have to pay for (or move) any equipment, eh?
What are they, "special?"
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So - anyway - yeah, I've gotta agree with this list (he said, kinda ranting . . .)
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And a singer needs to be a master of the lyrics - inside and out.
If they go into the change or something too early, then someone else has to cover for them.
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But - there are singers who are also good band members - team members . . . not every singer is a Diva . . .

A good quality MIc, the ability to articulate , project ...these are what make for great performance.

a good singer should be able to sing and blow the damned doors down anytime anywhere with no excuses.

A lot of singers don't put enough force on the microphone. If you sing you've got to push air out of your speakers. Swallow the damn mic if you have to. People seem to be afraid of the mic, get ON IT AND SING DAMMIT!

I make LOVE to my mic!

I hope you clean it when you are done.

I hope you clean it when you are done.

LOL That was mean, jr..

Funny as hell, but mean..

(the noise a rag makes wiping a damp glass)(squeak-squeak)

sheryldotrock; that's real important.
People want to be entertained.
Even if someone is a great singer, if they look like they're bored or if they're kinda expressionless, or never move - it's not a very good performance.
That's when everyone goes to the bathroom, or outside for a cigarette, or to the bar to order another drink or something.
Hey - why not? They could still hear you, after all.
But withpout a good performance, a singer isn't interesting enough to watch.
A good peformance is both sight and sound.

I hope you clean it when you are done.

LOL That was mean, jr..

Funny as hell, but mean..

(the noise a rag makes wiping a damp glass)(squeak-squeak)

There are some setups that I am morally obligated not to pass up.

I hope you clean it when you are done.

LOL That was mean, jr..

Funny as hell, but mean..

(the noise a rag makes wiping a damp glass)(squeak-squeak)

There are some setups that I am morally obligated not to pass up.

LOL It's like getting a breaking pitch when you know it's coming..

"Hard not to slam it to the wall".

Singer who can't stand people who don't have their own equip, either. I even have amps, guitars, keys and bass for those who don't understand that they may need to provide their own back end.

I hate working with any musicians who can't read charts, don't know harmony, and worse- don't read other players around them to know when they are coming in- or who can't tell the sound guy what they need specifically in the monitors. (Loved a bass player we had who decided that he really needed to have the monitor WAY up, so much so there was feedback in three mics on stage. Kept arguing with the soundguy and finally got it all back in his face when he blew out his own speakers with feedback since he didn't know how to set his own levels either. ass)

oh HUGE pet peeve? If you're going to sing with me on my mic on stage, fer crissakes, tic tac? toothbrush? not a request, a demand.) And if you make love to my mic, bring your own screen

Heh - yeah - the breath mints!
I have sung with someone who just ate something stinky. If they're close and aimed in your direction: Ewwww!

Some singers move a lot of air, and if it's smells like a dead cow - and it's headed towards you - it is just no longer fun to be performing!

And - using the same mike with them? Aw; gross!
(sound of retching) . . . .
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But my pet peeve is that most groups set up their mics all bassy-sounding.
Unless the audience already knows the words of the song, they can't understand what you're singing.
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Hey - yeah, I know it's important to amplify the bass in your vocals.
But it's ALSO important to boost the midrange in your vocals, and the treble.
You DO want to be understood, don't you? Or do you just want to make pretty noises?
With some songs, the tones and the tunes can be enough.
But other songs have some really great lyrics, and you should let the audience hear them . . .
I think most soundmen, thinking the vocals aren't loud enough, just turn up the OVERALL volume on the mike.
But often, just boosting the overall mike volume doesn't fix anything; it just makes the muffled sound louder, and drowns out everyone else and makes them turn up louder, too.
The volume war starts, and then you eventually get into the hearing damage range.
Just boost the high frequencies a little bit, so it doesn't sound muffled. . . .