GreeneKing Posted December 12, 2012 Share Posted December 12, 2012 (edited) Okay so we're not very original but we're 3 committed musicians and a drummer who have worked hard to get a reasonably tight set. We do the 'old classic rock' thing and around here (Kendal in the Lakes) there's not a big music scene. The drummer is great, rock solid and loud making my job easy. The lead guitarist is a talented guy who's really into his 'classic rock' (hence the band's direction) and the rhythm guitarist is great. A good reliable band. Except the singer who cancels at short notice, doesn't learn his songs, turns up pissed and at times fails to show at all. Tonight I'd arranged for two of the lads at school where I work to come along to watch (an autistic residential school for boys). They are both musicians themselves. I needed to make some arrangements, get permission, a risk assessment done and clear it with the opposite shift. Just after I'd loaded the bass gear and the PA into the van I get a text, singer has cancelled. We've tried long and hard to find another singer and we're supposed to have our 1st gig in 3 weeks time If anyone knows of a singer in these parts who may be interested please pm me. Grr....... Edited December 12, 2012 by GreeneKing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monckyman Posted December 12, 2012 Share Posted December 12, 2012 Shame. Bin him. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wooks79 Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 [quote name='Monckyman' timestamp='1355352032' post='1897407'] Shame. Bin him. [/quote] This. Tell him what a nob job he is, and the problems he's caused (if you haven't already) and get shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreeneKing Posted December 13, 2012 Author Share Posted December 13, 2012 My point is, we really don't have an alternative. No singer and we probably fold. This is the 2nd band I've been in where a lack of singers prevents us moving forward. Frustrating it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 It is tough to find committed reliable musicians generally, but the mentality of those who often fancy themselves as singers (whether they can sing or not) tends to be less reliable than other instrumentalists. I see that in students as well. I may know some teachers up your way with students game for that sort of thing - what sort of age bracket and material are you doing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrenochrome Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 Don't bother with a lead singer - I'm sure between the 4 of you, you can sing a couple of rock sets. Really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wooks79 Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 [quote name='GreeneKing' timestamp='1355386795' post='1897556'] My point is, we really don't have an alternative. No singer and we probably fold. This is the 2nd band I've been in where a lack of singers prevents us moving forward. Frustrating it is. [/quote] There's always an alternative, and by thinking the way you do, you're just enabling him to be a cliched lead singer and mess you about unchallenged. Sack him off and up your game as a band and a singer will come along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solo4652 Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 We're in the same situation with our rock band. Our singer was sacked for being unreliable, smoking dope at rehearsals and gigs, and not contributing to band expenses. That was 8 weeks ago. Manchester's a busy music scene so we thought we'd find a replacement fairly easily. No - we've auditioned 7 people and either they couldn't sing or they were too cock-sure, sometimes both. So, we've had to be a bit creative in our search: - Contact local singing teachers and ask if they have any promising pupils who might be interested. Two teachers put themselves forward. - Contact local agents and ask if any solo singers on their books are looking to sing with a full band. - Write an "anti-ad" and post it on the usual websites under a new user name; "Talentless singer wanted. We are a haphazard group of immature X-Factor wannabes currently making an utter hash of songs by....." - Female singer? Trawling through the muso websites suggests that there are more female singers available than males. I found a singer for my second band - a funk outfit - fairly easily, even though the band wanted a male. Good luck to you. Good, reliable, friendly, audience-aware, non karaoke-expert, help-with-carrying-drums singers are rare indeed. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreeneKing Posted December 13, 2012 Author Share Posted December 13, 2012 We've even gone so far as to place ads in the local paper. This really is a location issue. The few good singers are already committed and everyone else wants to be a guitar hero Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acebassmusic Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 [quote name='GreeneKing' timestamp='1355347006' post='1897321'] ..... we're 3 committed musicians [b]and a drummer [/b].....[/quote] Loved the quote ...lol Regarding the singer....goodbye! As others have mentioned try doing the songs between you and dont dismiss the option of a female singer who can really belt out a toon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monckyman Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 Time to find your inner singer Josh Homme (QOTSA) thought he couldn`t sing, so kept getting guest singers in, until the shoe dropped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreeneKing Posted December 13, 2012 Author Share Posted December 13, 2012 I might be able to sing yes. But if I try to sing and play bass my hands stop working Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 I used to suffer with that - I could never get my head around things like playing the riff to Daytripper and singing at the same time. All it takes is some training. Get something like "Transcribe!" and take a track you know on bass and would like to sing. Slow it down real slow and really focus on where the words land in relation to where the bass notes are. After a while, you gain the independence you need between your voice and your hands. It will become second nature. Stick with it - one day the switch will flick where your vocals and bass will seperate. It used to be a nightmare - even talking to the drummer midset, my playing would drag to the rhythm I was speaking in! All good now though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 PS - sack that singer off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazzer Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 Knock the c##t out then start singing & playing..........job sorted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreeneKing Posted January 12, 2013 Author Share Posted January 12, 2013 (edited) Coming back to this forgotten thread. We did indeed sack the singer and lost our first gig on New Year (that he'd organised mainly to get his leg over with the pub landlady) in the process. He then told us he was going solo after the gig anyway (more money in his pocket being the motive I suspect) and that he didn't give a toss about how well the gig went. He failed time and again to turn up, failed to learn his songs and when he did turn up he was always at least half an hour late/pissed. It was all our fault evidently We are still hunting and advertising for a new singer and if one doesn't materialise soon I can see our drummer walking. He's good and that would be a shame. Bands eh Edited January 12, 2013 by GreeneKing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBunny Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 Bloody Singers eh Pete. Some great advice from Steve, (Solo4652), another suggestion is to check out any Karaoke going on in any local pubs. 2 bands i have been involved in found vocalists this way. Most of the time you are listening to a "cat being strangled" but you can come across the odd gem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solo4652 Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 (edited) Well, we've found a new singer after 4 months of searching - and that's in Manchester where there are loads more people than the Lake District. We've had deluded people who couldn't sing one note in tune, karaoke singers who could only sing a maximum of 4 songs before their voice gave out, plenty of people who just failed to turn up at all, three people who really wanted to play guitar, one chap who wanted us to be his backing band for his solo act and one chap who arrived as high as a kite. It's been comical, dispiriting and frustrating in equal measures. We'd decided to split the lead vocals between everybody else in the band and we were getting on with adjusting the setlist accordingly when our ad on Partysounds brought the right person in. It may be that everybody else in your band will have to take on some singing while you continue looking for a lead singer. Good luck to you - I know full well how elusive good singers are. Edited January 12, 2013 by solo4652 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreeneKing Posted January 12, 2013 Author Share Posted January 12, 2013 Thanks Solo. I'm liking the Avatar too. I retired from Enterprising when I moved North from Plymouth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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