Band Members Who Shouldn't Have Microphones

MikeyFingers · #1 11-27-2008, 05:05 PM

Anyone else have a problem like this? The trumpet player in my band, is unbelievably annoying on the microphone. In between songs, he says the dumbest, nerdiest, most irritating nonsense to the audience. I don't know if he thinks it's funny or entertaining, but the crowd doesn't like it (we've actually had a complaint or 2) and the rest of the band hates it.
We've talked to him about it a million times, but it never works. We thought about just not giving him a microphone, but he needs one for back-up vocals, and when the song ends he just doesn't know when to just shut up. It's even worse if he's had a few drinks. Even sober he thinks he has some kind of leadership role in the band, his ego is just horrible, and when he drinks he starts interrupting the rest of us and even talking over the sound engineer guy who actually has something important to say.
So the question is: How do you keep a guy who needs a microphone off the microphone??

Tin Man · #2 11-27-2008, 05:11 PM

sneak back stage and hook up a remote control to an electric prod in his shorts .. when he starts to mouth off just give his "boys" a little zap.

Fetusyolk · #3 11-27-2008, 05:13 PM

haha, install a muter at the end if your mic cable , that you can control with a pedal. turn it off when it needs to happen.

or just tell the guy to shut his trap.

voodoobassist · #4 11-27-2008, 05:18 PM

Easy,... you say you have a sound guy,.......mute the trumpet tard between his actual parts. Problem solved!

Of course he'll get angry over it,...gripe and moan,..throw a tantrum,...have even more drinks,...and quit the band,....which of course,....would be the actual solution to having an idiot in the band. It's so much easier when they fire themselves.

MikeyFingers · #5 11-27-2008, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fetusyolk

haha, install a muter at the end if your mic cable , that you can control with a pedal. turn it off when it needs to happen.

or just tell the guy to shut his trap.

Idea 2 never works, we've tried it. Your first idea isn't bad, and we've been thinking about doing something like that. We might just tell the sound guy to kill his mic in between songs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by voodoobassist

Easy,... you say you have a sound guy,.......mute the trumpet tard between his actual parts. Problem solved!

Of course he'll get angry over it,...gripe and moan,..throw a tantrum,...have even more drinks,...and quit the band,....which of course,....would be the actual solution to having an idiot in the band. It's so much easier when they fire themselves.

That would be nice and, ultimately, that's the plan. But we can't go that far right now. We need him. For one thing he's a great trumpeter (trumpetist? trumpeteer?), and recently he's appointed himself in charge of booking our gigs since our last "manager" was a total waste of time, and has since been getting us lots of consistent shows at new venues and great exposure. So for the time being, he's gotta stay.

djzap · #6 11-27-2008, 05:35 PM

well in my band we give everyone a mic. the guitarist who does vocals for only 2 songs and no backing vocals talks in between the songs. hes ok at it though. the drummer has a mic for backing vocals in 2 songs. same with me. the vocalist never talks in between songs haha, which is kinda odd.

**Stumbo** · #7 11-27-2008, 05:46 PM

He thinks you can't (won't) kick him out (and you won't) so his ego gets the better of him. He has poor impulse control that also probably affects his non-band life negatively as well. He may be an alcoholic and unable to control himself.

If you're getting gigs and also complaints, your band may not be asked back to play at the same venue and possibly not getting some gigs because people in the audience, while liking the music, won't hire you because of the trumpeter's between song ramblings.

Since he's the "self-appointed" bookings manager, he also sounds like kinda of a bully. I mean, he doesn't take advice from other band members about not talking between songs. +1 on cutting the mic between songs. Then you'll probably see the "real" person come out. He'll probably get nasty and threaten to quit.

Shouldn't the band be voting on who does the managing? If it was my band, I wouldn't let him handle the bookings or any of the money. Seems like a recipe for disaster since he thinks of himself first.

I don't think this will end well.

Just my .02

Ric5 · #8 11-27-2008, 05:56 PM

One band I played in the guitard thought the main purpose of the PA was for him to order beer.

awakefie · #9 11-27-2008, 06:44 PM

Have the sound guy turn him down when he's not singing.

Stereo Joe · #10 11-27-2008, 07:03 PM

Maybe try having no dead space between songs? While the last chord is still ringing, have the drummer count the next tune in, or the guitarist start strumming away on an intro...

RustyAxe · #11 11-27-2008, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by voodoobassist

It's so much easier when they fire themselves.

Ain't that the TRUTH!

GearHeadBassMan · #12 11-27-2008, 10:10 PM

my lead guitard "wrote" a section of lyrics to one of our sings and it doesnt help that he cant really sing.

we let him have his fun, but thats until we hit a big stage!

papajune · #13 11-27-2008, 10:15 PM

Fire his ass, there's too many players who would kill for a gig and not screw around. Thats just business.

azureblue · #14 11-27-2008, 10:17 PM

have the sound guy say something to the effect of "the mics are picking up too much noise, both during the songs & between. So I am going to mute all unused microphones. Makes for more work on the sound guy, but if it aggravates him, he'll do it.

My old band started doing this when the mic picked up a very private conversation between the keyboard player & guitar player. Almost cost us a gig.

sonic assassin · #15 11-27-2008, 10:52 PM

we've had this problem. and watching film, we can tell. we need to work on our stage talk. we all talked about it, and the next show, i did all the talking, and it was a little awkward because i cracked a joke about the band before us and nooooo one got it.

just be conscious of it and talk it over.

qball26 · #16 11-27-2008, 11:06 PM

My drummer....Even though he is one of 3 lead vocalists in my band (and damn good)....I wish I had an on/off switch for his mic. He's always introducing every song with a drawn out history lesson... "This next band got their name from ......" "This song was writen in 19??..." So on and so forth. Drives everybody NUTS!!!!! And when we tell him to shut up, he gets insulted.

Anyways that's my $0.02.

mutedeity · #17 11-27-2008, 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by voodoobassist

Easy,... you say you have a sound guy,.......mute the trumpet tard between his actual parts. Problem solved!

Of course he'll get angry over it,...gripe and moan,..throw a tantrum,...have even more drinks,...and quit the band,....which of course,....would be the actual solution to having an idiot in the band. It's so much easier when they fire themselves.

Bingo!

nemo · #18 11-28-2008, 12:18 AM

Videotape your next gig and watch it together afterwards.
It might be an eye opener for him.

Plan B - tell the soundguy to mute his mic between songs

Plan C - new trumpet player...

lowendgenerator · #19 11-28-2008, 12:20 AM

Tell him to STFU over the mic. That will get his attention, and probably a laugh from the crowd. It works for me!

mutedeity · #20 11-28-2008, 12:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lowendgenerator

Tell him to STFU over the mic. That will get his attention, and probably a laugh from the crowd. It works for me!

Another excellent idea. Public chastisement can work wonders if done the right way. If you make it funny the guy will get the point soon enough without it looking like you are reading the riot act.