Trouble finding lead vocalist

[invader3k]

Lately our band has been in a rut. We're a rock cover band, looking to resume doing gigs a couple times a month, playing out at bars and stuff like that. We make it clear to people that we're not looking to do a ton of shows or tour, etc. The guitarist and I are both married, he has a daughter, and our drummer works odd shifts at a factory job, so playing multiple times a week is out of the question.

Last October, our lead singer and drummer ditched us, leaving us in a bind. We did find a drummer again fairly soon, and he's working out well. We still can't find a lead singer though. Before anyone asks, neither myself or the guitarist or drummer have the vocal chops to sing lead, though we're all competent on background vocals.

I've put up ads on the local message boards, craiglist and such, and so far the response has been pretty anemic. We did have one guy try out who was pretty good, but he lives 45 minutes away from us, and seemed to not be sure what his goals are (covers or originals, reviving his old band, etc). He also blew off a second jam with us that he had committed to, which didn't really give us a great impression.

It's just frustrating...we were doing really well, I was really happy with the band musically, and now it seems like we can't get off the ground again. I'm worried our band may be building a bad rep due to all our personnel changes (though I don't really have anything to base that on).

Maybe this isn't a situation anyone can help with, but I'm sure others have gone through similar situations.

[Jeremy Crockett]

Before anyone asks, neither myself or the guitarist or drummer have the vocal chops to sing lead, though we're all competent on background vocals.

So, don't sell yourself short!

If you guys feel comfortable singing back-up, then I see no reason ONE of you cannot "take the plunge" and come up front. Yes, it will be work. Yes, it will take time but weigh that against the cons of adding another personality, time-schedule, ego, drinking problem to the band.

In my opinion, the confidence to sing lead can be acquired by vocal lessons and diligent practice.

[invader3k]

Eh...actually, our guitarist used to be the lead singer as well.

The thing is, his playing is _so_ much better when he's not singing lead. If he's singing, his guitar playing gets really robotic. Plus, his vocal range is really not that stellar. I really don't want to go back to having him sing lead. It would just be a big step backwards musically. The nice thing about having a vocalist was he could get the crowd pumped up, and such. I really feel a great cover band should have a dedicated lead vocalist.

[Bard2dbone]

Dude. Welcome to my old hometown. In fact, I think I was the mayor.

My old band did (mostly, say 95%) all originals. I wrote the lyrics to all but two of those by myself, and then co-wrote the music with varying numbers of the other guys in the band. Usually the guitarist and keyboardist, sometimes one or the other. Occasionally both of them AND the drummer.

But the way I knew we were getting close to a final version of one of our songs, a version worth keeping, is that I would get to where I could hear the whole thing in my head. The whole thing, in detail.

I am a good enough backup singer. But I knew I wasn't good enough to do what I heard when I wrote my songs. (Only years later did I discover the voice I always heard in my head was Paul Carrack's.)

So we put up 'lead singer wanted' signs everywhere. Over the course of almost three years we auditioned probably fifty people. Two were better than me. They were much better. We hired one on the spot. He showed up for the first practice stoned. So I fired him. The other one turned us down.

Of the remaining 96%, none were better than me. Many were physically painful to hear. (Think early-season American Idol as a documentary) But they all, every single one of them thought they were ready to be a rock star that very week.

I didn't end up as our lead singer because I thought I was good enough. I did it because I was already there and knew what the material was supposed to sound like.

Do that. Be your own singers. Fewer headaches that way.

[brianrost]

Another vote for stepping up to the mikes. I'm a mediocre vocalist but if the band needs me to sing I just do it. The real secret is dropping the songs you really can't sing and replacing them with ones you can.

[invader3k]

Yeah, it may come to that eventually. It just sucks...hard to get excited about continuing with the band when you're not happy with it musically, you know?