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lead singer is addicted to karaoke...

#21
jgroh said:
Our singer is a karaoke queen. Luckily she had some band experience previously but she still goes out and sings karaoke every week. She actually uses it as a marketing tool for our band. She tells everyone there to come check us out to hear more, and she is really good (and really good looking so naturally everyone wants more lol)
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This is good... IF the karaoke is helping her maintain/improve her voice on band "off nights" and IF the band is always priority 1 for scheduling.

It's not so good at the point her voice craps out from over-use and/or the band's gigs or rehearsals take 2nd place as in the OP's case.

Kinda reminds me of the pro football players who play pickup basketball in the offseason... it's all fine and good until they blow out a knee on a playground someplace.
 
#22
[QUOTE= I told him that no one in the history of mankind has been discovered singing karaoke and been signed to a deal.

True story.
A gal from my town was singing karaoke in a pizza place in the Twin Cities. She couldn't decide on a song. A voice called out from the back of the room "How About Mustang Sally?" Jennifer absolutely nailed the song. (She was in music school in St. Paul.) Afterwards, the guy came up to her and handed his card to her: Steve Cropper. The MGs had just played the Minnesota State Fair. He lined her up with a studio in Nashville. She now had a CD out. Google Jennifer Ordalen.

Jamie
 
#23
jaywa said:
When it becomes an issue is when the OP's band starts losing gigs because they're "the band with that a**hole karaoke guy".

Guilt by association. It only takes one jagoff in a band to screw things up for everyone. Trust me on this.
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Thats not fair. If the guy wants to do Karaoke on his own time, so be it. The OP never mentioned an ******* like behavior, so thats not really the issue.

bassteban said:
but I don't see the issue until/unless it's hurting the band.
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Here is the issue:

powderfinger said:
Problem is.... he spends more time at karaoke than he has ever thought about rehearsing with us, or hitting the woodshed.

Any suggestions on bringing this guy back to reality, and making him as serious about our band as he is karaoke. I am laughing at half of this, and understand its not the end of the world, but he is getting out of control with karaoke.. esp. for a guy who has actually been in a ROAD BAND before.
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The guy is addicted to karaoke, and spends more time doing that than rehearsing with the band or practicing on his own.
 
#24
#28
MNAirHead said:
OPINION...

Change your band to meet his needs...

It sounds like you're kind of dorking too much and gigging too little.

Sounds like he cares.. sounds like you may not understand his perspective.

I'm guessing 90% of the folks reading this would love to have a good lead singer.

Tim
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Im not sure what you mean, when you say, "change your band to meet his needs".

Should I fire the band and buy a karaoke machine?
 
#29
Seriously, this is a guy who shows up at practice. Sits there like a bump on a log. Leaves 45 min to an hour into practice. Acts like he is half dead. But... at karaoke, he comes to life again.

And yes, we would all like good lead singers. I'm on par with him vocally, and sang lead in my last band. I might end up having to do it full time in this one as well. He isnt holding this band hostage or anything. We CAN do this without him. Its just we dont WANT to do this without him. We love him and his ability, and he as a person is just a great guy (sans his karaoke obsession).
 
#31
powderfinger said:
He isnt holding this band hostage or anything. We CAN do this without him. Its just we dont WANT to do this without him. We love him and his ability, and he as a person is just a great guy (sans his karaoke obsession).
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Well it doesn't sound like the discomfort level within the rest of the band has gotten high enough to force a change... and it doesn't sound like the singer in question is going to change... so I'd say everything's pretty much in status quo for the foreseeable future.
 
#32
powderfinger said:
Seriously, this is a guy who shows up at practice. Sits there like a bump on a log. Leaves 45 min to an hour into practice. Acts like he is half dead. But... at karaoke, he comes to life again.
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Seems to me he's bored and has mentally already quit the band. Just like you don't want to replace him, he's unwilling to quit because he doesn't want to displease you.

IMO, both of you are hanging on to something that's already past. He's wants to quit and your band needs a vocalist. Time for both of you to move on.
 
#33
Would you be as annoyed if he really enjoyed hunting or fishing? My impression is that you don't like karaoke yourself, and consider it a waste of his time. I go to karaoke from time to time, and feel it has improved my vocals and my stage presence.

If that's his only vice, use it to benefit the band. If there's some new songs you want him to learn, find the karaoke version of them, and let him sing his heart out.
 
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#34
Marginal Tom said:
Would you be as annoyed if he really enjoyed hunting or fishing? My impression is that you don't like karaoke yourself, and consider it a waste of his time. I go to karaoke from time to time, and feel it has improved my vocals and my stage presence.

If that's his only vice, use it to benefit the band. If there's some new songs you want him to learn, find the karaoke version of them, and let him sing his heart out.
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Tom.... we don't hunt or fish at band practice.
 
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#35
Marginal Tom said:
Would you be as annoyed if he really enjoyed hunting or fishing? My impression is that you don't like karaoke yourself, and consider it a waste of his time. I go to karaoke from time to time, and feel it has improved my vocals and my stage presence.

If that's his only vice, use it to benefit the band. If there's some new songs you want him to learn, find the karaoke version of them, and let him sing his heart out.
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PS- he will actually SING band songs AT karaoke with a TON of enthusiasm.

But he is bored at band practice.

Which makes me wonder why he CONSTANTLY talks up our band AT karaoke.

Does anyone else see how maddening this is!
 
#36
Stumbo said:
Seems to me he's bored and has mentally already quit the band. Just like you don't want to replace him, he's unwilling to quit because he doesn't want to displease you.

IMO, both of you are hanging on to something that's already past. He's wants to quit and your band needs a vocalist. Time for both of you to move on.
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Nah, like I said previous post... he talks up our band like NO OTHER at karaoke. He BRAGS on us (which makes me shudder, btw) at karaoke. He talks about our band to anyone who will listen.

During the week, we talk on the phone and he suggests all these songs he wants to learn.

But when we hit the band room, he is lukewarm again.

I think he is in love with the IDEA of being in a band, and is unwilling to do the work anymore?
 
#38
powderfinger said:
However, he quit his last band around 2002. He hasnt played in a band in 9 years. His last band was on the cusp of possibly get some sort of deal, but it fell through. I know he was devestated. But instead of getting back up and wiping off the dirt, he simply quit music.

...

Is this fear of failure, perhaps? Maybe.

/
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It is. His absolute control (as shown by needing both key and lyrics before singing) required shows he is deeply fearful of a perceived failure. The 'adoration' he gets from the crowd at the karaoke bar is the boost to his broken self-esteem, and his change of enthusiasm from bar to basement is due to the lack of attention he gets from the band.

It's a state of depression. However, instead of drinking or drugs, his fix is karaoke. There is a danger that if he does not get the level of attention he feels he deserves, his focus might turn to something else.

You need to talk to him now. He might blow you off, but be persistent. Whatever you do, don't give him the attention he gets at karaoke during practice. That's an enabling mechanism, and will only make matters worse. Address it, help him and bring him back to the stage where you say he belongs.

As funny as it may sound, you need a Karaoke intervention.
 

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