Finding replacement female singers

[Lozz196]

I think one of the reasons why rock covers bands like female singers is that once blokes advance in years, in general, their high pitching goes and most rock songs are sung quite high, as such females can generally reach notes that males left behind years ago, assuming they could ever get them in the first place. 

 

We had a similar conversation with the guy at our rehearsal studio, he said given the material we do - Rainbow, Deep Purple, Led Zep for example - we`d be hard pushed to ever find a male singer, other than one in their 20s, who could do that stuff and realistically would said guy that was able to sing that material be satisfied with being in a band with blokes in mid/late 50s, rather than put his talents elsewhere.

Edited July 21, 2023 by Lozz196

[redbandit599]

23 hours ago, BassAdder60 said:

Our band has the challenge of finding a new female rock singer for early 2024

 

OMG how difficult it is with female vocalists and rock !

 

Applicants so far .. can’t drive, or sung to backing tracks while stiff and expressionless behind a mic, or wants it to make a living or too far away 

 

We are based in the derrière end of nowhere called Suffolk / Norfolk and it seems good singer’s especially female are the rarest of finds !! 
 

We may have to change plans and get a guy instead !

Hi, our singer and his daughter (sorry she's already got a band, duo and solo thing going) are from Ipswich way and Roma (daughter) went to Music College in Norwich. I can ask them if they know anyone suitable. Can you let me know your band name/Facebook link etc. presumably with live vids on there and I'll see if they might know anyone? Also where you rehearse. You never know 🙂

[Al Krow]

I guess this thread is making me realise just how much I should be grateful for the excellent, committed female lead vox we have in our band and the privelege of being in the large and diverse talent pool that living in the big smoke, provides. 

 

[Minininjarob]

I find female fronted bands - cover bands in particular - work better when they don’t try and copy the original style slavishly. Make it your own style and it can fit the vocalist better and you’re not slaves to every detail the original song had. 
There’s a covers band on YouTube called First To Eleven and I am addicted to their cover of Sum41s Fat lip and they’ve done loads of other great covers. 

[Silvia Bluejay]

1 hour ago, Woodinblack said:

 

Dorothee Pesch springs to mind?  There were quite a few others, but obviously a lot less than men.

 

Obviously in a pretty well sexist world, having children and going out to practice is always going to be more common for a man, and also there are going to be less family issues for a bloke going out every week to practice with a group of blokes than there would for a woman.

 

When we were going through looking for singers, we found it was easier the older, rather than younger. There was a lot less drama, and more chance the kids had moved on. 

 

 

Yes, you're right, Doro! Forgot about her, which is rather criminal considering how few hard rock frontwomen there were at the time.

You're also correct about childcare and going out to practice (and gig). Perhaps things will finally have changed for the better once the younger generations reach their 60s.

We current over-55s females grew up in a world where a girl playing an instrument other the piano/keyboard was often frowned upon and therefore a rarity, and obviously a girl in a rock or pop band would often be judged to be of loose morals and not be wife material even years later. 🤷‍♂️

[Waddo Soqable]

Certainly if I was starting a band, either originals, or gwad forbid, covers.. I'd be wanting a female singer, I think there's a lot more scope with a female voice.. very much imho of course 

[Jackroadkill]

23 hours ago, Happy Jack said:

far fewer Dads with childcare issues than Mums.

 

Uh....

[Woodinblack]

2 hours ago, Silvia Bluejay said:

Yes, you're right, Doro! Forgot about her, which is rather criminal considering how few hard rock frontwomen there were at the time.

 

Indeed - off to listen to some warlock now!

[Dad3353]

On 20/07/2023 at 16:14, Dan Dare said:

...Regarding the more general point, female rock singers are relatively rare beasts in my experience. Plenty of female soul, pop, jazz, etc singers about, but not rock. 

 

Grace Slick. 

[MacDaddy]

Kim McAuliffe - Girlschool

 

Jody Turner - Rock Goddess

 

[Dan Dare]

On 20/07/2023 at 20:36, BassAdder60 said:

Blackpool is a big place !! 

 

And the anti-depressant capital of the country. More prescribed per head there than anywhere else.

[ambient]

1 hour ago, Dan Dare said:

 

And the anti-depressant capital of the country. More prescribed per head there than anywhere else.

Having been there in November a few years ago, I can understand why.

[peteb]

There is a shortage of singers who can really deliver on stage, both male and female. There is an added disadvantage for girls in that they tend to learn to drive later than guys, not to mention the obvious issues about childcare, etc that exist in the real world like it or not. 

 

There is also the added issue that performing music has always been tended to be a male dominated world throughout the ages, be it in a rock and roll band, a jazz ensemble, an orchestra or a medieval group of strolling players. Don't get me  wrong, there have always been female musicians who have been successfully involved in playing music, but they have to have a 'one of the boys' attitude and to be able to hang to cut it in a band. If they are too girly or easily offended, then they've got no chance. 

 

What you need in a singer is someone who is a genuine musician, rather than just someone who happens to have a half-decent voice. This applies to both males and females, but it is undoubtedly rarer for girls. Having said that, I have played in bands with several girl singers who do just fine... 

 

Edited July 21, 2023 by peteb

[Waddo Soqable]

I'd say about 75% of the bands and musical projects I've been involved with over the years have had female singers, everyone just got on with it, there wasn't any "over analysing" of anything.

Anyone who is going to be in bands and perform in public at all will have to have a particular type of mind-set anyway, irrespective of whether they're blokes or girls. 

 

[Al Krow]

@peteb Hmmm...kinda amusing to find a post in which I find myself going both "yes, 100%!" and then in the next breath "oh really?!" :

• "There is a shortage of singers who can really deliver on stage, both male and female." YUP AGREED!
• "There is an added disadvantage for girls in that they tend to learn to drive later than guys..." WHAT ARE YOU BASING THIS STATEMENT ON?
• "There is also the added issue that performing music has always been tended to be a male dominated world throughout the ages, be it in a rock and roll band, a jazz ensemble, an orchestra or a medieval group of strolling players. Don't get me  wrong, there have always been female musicians who have been successfully involved in playing music, but they have to have a 'one of the boys' attitude and to be able to hang to cut it in a band. If they are too girly or easily offended, then they've got no chance." SURE, THAT WAS TRUE HISTORICALLY AND MAYBE ALSO STILL TRUE IF THEY'RE FRONTING A MALE BAND. BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF VERY SUCCESSFUL GIRL GROUPS AND FEMALE SOLO STARS OUT THERE, IN FACT SOME OF THE BIGGEST ACTS ON THE PLANET RIGHT NOW ARE WOMEN. AND BEING "EASILY OFFENDED" ISN'T JUST LIMITED TO WOMEN IS IT?
• "What you need in a singer is someone who is a genuine musician, rather than just someone who happens to have a half-decent voice. This applies to both males and females..." AGREED! "...but it is undoubtedly rarer for girls." REALLY?! YOU CHECKED THE OUTPUT OF THE MAJOR MUSIC COLLEGES WHO ARE PRODUCING VERY TALENTED VOCALISTS AND MUSICIANS EACH YEAR?
• "Having said that, I have played in bands with several girl singers who do just fine..."  YUP, WELL NO SURPISE THERE!

Edited July 21, 2023 by Al Krow

[BassAdder60]

I can add to this .. 

 

Many female singers do not grasp what rock is as a genre !

 

Many think Adele or Amy Winehouse is rock !! 
 

It’s a wide genre for sure but if you say rock to most male singers they have more likely a grasp of the bands this would include. 
 

Not always the case and our current female singer ( from the USA ) is awesome and knows exactly what rock is.

 

The hunt continues 

[peteb]

10 hours ago, Al Krow said:

@peteb Hmmm...kinda amusing to find a post in which I find myself going both "yes, 100%!" and then in the next breath "oh really?!" :

• "There is a shortage of singers who can really deliver on stage, both male and female." YUP AGREED!
• "There is an added disadvantage for girls in that they tend to learn to drive later than guys..." WHAT ARE YOU BASING THIS STATEMENT ON?
• "There is also the added issue that performing music has always been tended to be a male dominated world throughout the ages, be it in a rock and roll band, a jazz ensemble, an orchestra or a medieval group of strolling players. Don't get me  wrong, there have always been female musicians who have been successfully involved in playing music, but they have to have a 'one of the boys' attitude and to be able to hang to cut it in a band. If they are too girly or easily offended, then they've got no chance." SURE, THAT WAS TRUE HISTORICALLY AND MAYBE ALSO STILL TRUE IF THEY'RE FRONTING A MALE BAND. BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF VERY SUCCESSFUL GIRL GROUPS AND FEMALE SOLO STARS OUT THERE, IN FACT SOME OF THE BIGGEST ACTS ON THE PLANET RIGHT NOW ARE WOMEN. AND BEING "EASILY OFFENDED" ISN'T JUST LIMITED TO WOMEN IS IT?
• "What you need in a singer is someone who is a genuine musician, rather than just someone who happens to have a half-decent voice. This applies to both males and females..." AGREED! "...but it is undoubtedly rarer for girls." REALLY?! YOU CHECKED THE OUTPUT OF THE MAJOR MUSIC COLLEGES WHO ARE PRODUCING VERY TALENTED VOCALISTS AND MUSICIANS EACH YEAR?
• "Having said that, I have played in bands with several girl singers who do just fine..."  YUP, WELL NO SURPISE THERE!

 

OK, it seems that you are mostly agreeing with me. To answer your points:

1.      I am basing the statement that girls tend to learn to drive and get a car later in life on Happy Jack’s post above, backed by personal experience. A sweeping generalisation to be sure, but I’m sure that it is largely true.

2.      You agree that playing music in an ensemble has historically been a male dominated thing. But where are all of these all girl bands and how many have been successful? It’s a long time since the GoGos and the Bangles and where are the all female equivalents of the Foo Fighters and The Killers. For every all girl band you can name, I’m sure you can think of a hundred all male bands.

3.      We are talking about girls joining a band here, rather than a manufactured girl group via a TV show / impresario or a star singer with a backing band made up of interchangeable jobbing musicians.

4.      There have always been many talented female singers, whether they went to a musical college / stage school or not. There is a tradition of divas ranging from Mariah Carey to Aretha to Maria Callas, back to when women were first allowed to perform on a stage. But not so many women were in the bands / orchestra pit backing these star female singers.

5.      I know that being offended is due to become an Olympic sport next time round, and is by no means just confined to females. However, some suggested earlier in the thread that no self-respecting woman would want to be in a rock covers band because of the lyrics they might find themselves being obliged to play. This is obviously nonsense, but you have to recognise that it does take a certain attitude for a girl to be OK with this, as well as being happy with being ‘one of the boys’ in the band. For many girls, this is perfectly natural and no big deal. But for many, it isn’t…

 

[Silvia Bluejay]

6 minutes ago, peteb said:

 

However, some suggested earlier in the thread that no self-respecting woman would want to be in a rock covers band because of the lyrics they might find themselves being obliged to play. This is obviously nonsense, but you have to recognise that it does take a certain attitude for a girl to be OK with this, as well as being happy with being ‘one of the boys’ in the band. For many girls, this is perfectly natural and no big deal. But for many, it isn’t…

 

I did not say that. Regarding what I actually did say (scroll up if you like), I suppose I'm bound to know what makes a woman a little uncomfortable better than a man would. I don't tend to talk nonsense, at least in this case.

 

As for girls learning to drive later - grain of truth, but mostly, in our society, for people our age, the *expected* priority for young women was to look good while the expected priority for young men was to have a good job and a car. Things are different now, so much the better - it wasn't as much fun as it might sound like.

 

Childcare - same applies, for people my age but also those a little younger and still able to have kids. Carer/provider role separation is still far from balanced.

 

In all of the above, weare not talking what would be FAIR. We're talking what still too often happens in real life.

[peteb]

11 minutes ago, Silvia Bluejay said:

I did not say that. Regarding what I actually did say (scroll up if you like), I suppose I'm bound to know what makes a woman a little uncomfortable better than a man would. I don't tend to talk nonsense, at least in this case.

 

As for girls learning to drive later - grain of truth, but mostly, in our society, for people our age, the *expected* priority for young women was to look good while the expected priority for young men was to have a good job and a car. Things are different now, so much the better - it wasn't as much fun as it might sound like.

 

Childcare - same applies, for people my age but also those a little younger and still able to have kids. Carer/provider role separation is still far from balanced.

 

In all of the above, weare not talking what would be FAIR. We're talking what still too often happens in real life.

 

I would suggest that you know what makes you and women with a similar outlook to you uncomfortable. I know plenty of girls who would regard the type of lyrics in question as either amusing or a complete non-issue. This attitude is helpful if they want to play in a rock band of most sorts. 

 

I totally agree with your other points. 

 

[MacDaddy]

5 minutes ago, peteb said:

 

I would suggest that you know what makes you and women with a similar outlook to you uncomfortable. I know plenty of girls who would regard the type of lyrics in question as either amusing or a complete non-issue. This attitude is helpful if they want to play in a rock band of most sorts. 

 

I totally agree with your other points. 

 

 

Do you mean girls, or women?

[lemmywinks]

What sort of songs are you looking to play, is it dadrock covers, original modern, throwback pseudo 70s stuff etc?

 

All but two of the bands I've been in have been female fronted, never really had any issues although I imagine if it's dadrock covers you may struggle. I wouldn't write off the ones who don't have much stage presence either, that's a skill they can develop - everybody has to start somewhere.

[Happy Jack]

43 minutes ago, peteb said:

 

1.      I am basing the statement that girls tend to learn to drive and get a car later in life on Happy Jack’s post above ...

 

WTF? 😂😂😂

 

I never said dem fings ...

 

[Woodinblack]

30 minutes ago, Silvia Bluejay said:

As for girls learning to drive later - grain of truth, but mostly, in our society, for people our age, the *expected* priority for young women was to look good while the expected priority for young men was to have a good job and a car. Things are different now, so much the better - it wasn't as much fun as it might sound like

 

I noticed yesterday, when looking at something else, there is a 40% drop of how many 20 year olds had taken their car test compared to 1990, so maybe there will be fewer everyone having transport. I guess they can't all live in london!

[Jackroadkill]

3 hours ago, BassAdder60 said:

I can add to this .. 

 

Many female singers do not grasp what rock is as a genre !

 

Many think Adele or Amy Winehouse is rock !! 
 

It’s a wide genre for sure but if you say rock to most male singers they have more likely a grasp of the bands this would include. 
 

Not always the case and our current female singer ( from the USA ) is awesome and knows exactly what rock is.

 

The hunt continues 

 

 

What decade are you in?  What century?

[lemmywinks]

18 minutes ago, peteb said:

 

I would suggest that you know what makes you and women with a similar outlook to you uncomfortable. I know plenty of girls who would regard the type of lyrics in question as either amusing or a complete non-issue. This attitude is helpful if they want to play in a rock band of most sorts. 

 

I totally agree with your other points. 

 

 

Also if it's covers you'd have to take into account the amount of known predators in that genre that get a free pass from their mostly male fanbase, that might be a bit offputting and is something I'd consider.

 

"We'd like you to song these songs by Steven Tyler, Pete Townshend, Ted Nugent, Anthony Keidis and Jimmy Page, do you think you cou....... wait a minute where did she go?"

Edited July 22, 2023 by lemmywinks