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Just when we're about to boot the singer...

#41
We're notoriously having fun at rehearsals.. this is the time to get to know eachother. ...we play cheezy guitars.. and work on the structure and concept of material.

The practice before a gig is a "fake gig" we nail it like we're going to the night of.

Praise his good stuff.. set some band rules.
 
#42
Well he was awful tonight but so were the rest of us. Heatwave condtions here with temps over 40deg C, I'd just got in from a 12 hour day at work, drummer as they do insisted speeding up all night. We asked him to drop his guitar. He picks up a harp. At many solo passages allocated to the guitard, us solos on harp. Enough is enough. There will be a formal band meeting when he returns and we will honest with him and remain calm. No harp. No guitar. No vocal noodling during guitar solos. Just do your job. We'll give it another 2 weeks and if no improvement is shown we will explain that he doesn;t fit. Nobodys fault, it's just the way it is. I guess the rest of us are reluctant to be without a singer but I really feel I am banging my head against a wall here.
 
#44
Well, I'm sure he'll be glad to move on if you guys can't handle him practicing at practice. If he "nails it" at shows another band with a practice regimine that's more suited to actually practicing will likely be quick to pick him up. It also shouldn't be too difficult for you guys to find an ego-centric vocalist who acts like every practice is a chance to show off how utterly amazing he is as well, god knows there are plenty of those guys around.
 
#45
BluesHonky said:
If He's doin the job on stage I dont see the problem... Practice is about bein ready for the performance.... If folks show up to see him and have a good time.... He did the job!
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There's wisdom here. I tell my students that if they make more mistakes in front of me than they do in front of their friends, that's a GOOD thing. :) Same idea here.
 
#47
Sorry, but I think that the effort should be their during rehearsal, as it affects everyone else's performance. When the singer's screwing up, its hard for me to play and hit the harmonies right. If he's nailing it at the gigs, but not at rehearsal, have a nice talk about him giving the effort all the time. I guarantee you he will show up one night at a gig unmotivated.
 
#48
fretlessman71 said:
There's wisdom here. I tell my students that if they make more mistakes in front of me than they do in front of their friends, that's a GOOD thing. :) Same idea here.
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If someone walks into every rehearsal and does nothing but be a train wreck during them it doesn't really do much to help putting the whole thing together.

The performance you put together at a rehearsal should be indicative of the level of excellence you will see at a performance. By not giving something close to that you're cheating the rest of the band out of being able to provide proper rehearsed support for the individuals performance.

Some nights you just won't have an "A Game" to haul out of your bag. Some nights it'll happen in a rehearsal when you came from the hospital and have to be physically helped into the room. Some nights it'll happen when you've been awake for three days straight and can barely stand up.

But when you can bring your best, you do, whether it's rehearsal or a gig.

We all have off nights. But to consistently punch in a sub-standard performance because it's a rehearsal and "doesn't count" is unacceptable.
 
#49
I think it's more you guys need to get your priorities straight here.

Is your main priority as a band to have great rehearsals, or great gigs?

The rehearsals are there to garner results at a gig/recording session. If those results are achieved consistently, does it really matter how your singer is at a rehearsal?
 
#51
Skyblue977 said:
Well he was awful tonight....We asked him to drop his guitar. He picks up a harp. At many solo passages allocated to the guitard, he solos on harp.

There will be a formal band meeting...No harp. No guitar. No vocal noodling during guitar solos. Just do your job.
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Sounds like he's sabotaging rehearsals. Why would he think screwing up rehearsals is good for the band? Is he bored? A narcissist screw up? I mean, how does he run his non-band life?

What's his goal for the rehearsals if he's noodling all the time he's not singing? Obviously, since he nailed the gig, his bad behavior is by choice.

Bottom line to me is that you should ask him to perform at practice like he did at the gig.
 
#52
A couple of points. This band is still in it's infacy and we are still getting material together (which I hope is something we will always be doing). We took him on as we were struggling to find someone in the pee ant little town we live in. His job is to sing and not play guitar which he wants to do but the playing is just not there. He strums incessantly with no regard to anything else going on around him. We think if he can just leave his guitar at home we can give things a chance to improve. It may or may not. If we boot him we again need to search for a competent vocalist.
I have lined up a sub for this weekend and we will have 1 rehearsal and we will tape both this and the gig and show it to him. The sub is a wonderful frontperson, she plays bass too and she is an amazing drummer. Unfortunately she is 2.5 hrs drive away and only agreed to this as she is visting Wifey this week. I'm going to forget about the hassle and focus on playing and having a good time over the next few days.
 
#55
Well, we did one rehearsal with our sub and she was fantastic. She hadn't even heard half the tunes we do. No probs. We printed out the lyrics, gave here an ipod, a glass of wine and half an hour later we were in business. Her vocal timing was near perfect as was her pitch. We're on to something here we thought.
We did another run through yesterday arvo befor the gig and she was even better. She has had a lot of theatre and band experience behind her and that showed in the way that she really pulled the band together.
We do the gig last night and she had us playing our absolute best. Everybody in the joint was having a good time. I have rarely seen a person own the stage as she did. It was the best we have ever played.
This is what it's all about. This is why we practice for 2 hours day upon day.
She has offered to sub for us when we are in her end of town or when she is near us and we will always make sure we have space for her.
The point of this rant is we now realise how good we can be with the right leadership. This being someone whom is competent and confident.
We will not be continuing with the current singer as we now realize he just does not fit. Should we talk to him as a band or a one on one? He has no equipment at our rehearsal space and none of us have any personal ties with him. Whichever way, we are determined to to upfront, honest and calm when we tell him.
 
#56
Hold a band meeting, make it somewhere pretty casual like the local pub or somewhere and have a chat about it. He'll probably be a bit cut or upset (as would anyone) whether he shows it or not. No matter what just maintain your professional stance and make it clear it's a band decision (meaning the band as an entity), not a personal one.

At least, that's how I'd approach it. He sounds a little familiar. His name isn't Karl by any chance?
 

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