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Trouble with vocalist

B

Bassmanphat

Dec 23, 2007
21
0
Kaneohe, HI
#1
Hey guys and gals,

So here's the situation. My band had a gig last Saturday that had been on the books for a month. Last minute our vocalist all of a sudden has to work that night and doesn't let us know until 4 days before the gig. Luckily, I work with someone who can sing very well who was willing to do the gig. She learned the 25 songs we were doing that night with one rehearsal and completely nailed it. After this, our vocalist sends us an email saying that she's pissed that we got a sub for her and how she would've rather we cancelled the gig. She also says that she wants to leave the band and can't perform with us anymore, even though we already have another 3 gigs lined up this month. Don't get me wrong, she is actually very nice and easy to work with and is a decent singer, so this kind of caught us off gaurd. Any advice on how to handle the situation would be greatly appreciated.
 
#6
Bassmanphat said:
Hey guys and gals,

So here's the situation. My band had a gig last Saturday that had been on the books for a month. Last minute our vocalist all of a sudden has to work that night and doesn't let us know until 4 days before the gig. Luckily, I work with someone who can sing very well who was willing to do the gig. She learned the 25 songs we were doing that night with one rehearsal and completely nailed it. After this, our vocalist sends us an email saying that she's pissed that we got a sub for her and how she would've rather we cancelled the gig. She also says that she wants to leave the band and can't perform with us anymore, even though we already have another 3 gigs lined up this month. Don't get me wrong, she is actually very nice and easy to work with and is a decent singer, so this kind of caught us off gaurd. Any advice on how to handle the situation would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

Wow, you really lucked out. Yeah, since the singer quite, just hire your coworker as your new singer.
 
#7
Bassmanphat said:
Hey guys and gals,

So here's the situation. My band had a gig last Saturday that had been on the books for a month. Last minute our vocalist all of a sudden has to work that night and doesn't let us know until 4 days before the gig. Luckily, I work with someone who can sing very well who was willing to do the gig. She learned the 25 songs we were doing that night with one rehearsal and completely nailed it. After this, our vocalist sends us an email saying that she's pissed that we got a sub for her and how she would've rather we cancelled the gig. She also says that she wants to leave the band and can't perform with us anymore, even though we already have another 3 gigs lined up this month. Don't get me wrong, she is actually very nice and easy to work with and is a decent singer, so this kind of caught us off gaurd. Any advice on how to handle the situation would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

What is there to handle that you need advice on? Your vocalist quit and you have gigs coming up. Find a new vocalist or a sub or cancel the gigs. What's the mystery???
 
#9
Hobobob said:
She bails on you at the last minute, then gets mad that you hired a sub? I'd be asking that sub if she wanted a more permanent position in the band.
Click to expand...

If you really like the 1st lead singer, let her know this is the option.

Make her understand that cancelling gigs just DOESN'T HAPPEN. Times are too tough for that. If she can't play the gig, she has given up any ownership of what happens.

She can either come around, or you can offer the position to the sub, or you can start auditioning singers.

When she bailed, she lost her "voice" in the matter.

BOOKED GIGS DO NOT GET CANCELLED OTHER THAN IN THE CASE OF EXTREME EMERGENCY.

Any time I've questioned if I could make it to a show, I've just assumed my band would find a way to do it without me. It's never ended up happening, but if it did, I would actually feel bad that I made them scramble.
 
#10
mellowinman said:
Make her understand that cancelling gigs just DOESN'T HAPPEN.

When she bailed, she lost her "voice" in the matter.

BOOKED GIGS DO NOT GET CANCELLED OTHER THAN IN THE CASE OF EXTREME EMERGENCY.
Click to expand...

All of that. Just all of it.

Would that work at her job with no repercussions? Doubtful. You've got to question her commitment to Sparkle Motion.

I'm sitting here watching MNF, and wonder what would happen if one of the athletes (musicians) said he had another engagement and couldn't play in the game (the big gig) this week that he and the rest of his team (your band) had been practicing for.
 
#11
mellowinman said:
If you really like the 1st lead singer, let her know this is the option.

Make her understand that cancelling gigs just DOESN'T HAPPEN. Times are too tough for that. If she can't play the gig, she has given up any ownership of what happens.

She can either come around, or you can offer the position to the sub, or you can start auditioning singers.

When she bailed, she lost her "voice" in the matter.

BOOKED GIGS DO NOT GET CANCELLED OTHER THAN IN THE CASE OF EXTREME EMERGENCY.

Any time I've questioned if I could make it to a show, I've just assumed my band would find a way to do it without me. It's never ended up happening, but if it did, I would actually feel bad that I made them scramble.
Click to expand...

Anybody that would pull this ridiculous crap will be a repeat offender - guaranteed. You're a fool if you re-consider having her in the band.

Anyone with their head that far up their butt isn't going to be suddenly straightened out because you lay down some 'rules'. Get real.
 
#12
Well, here goes. I, for one, don't see any problem whatsoever with missing a gig in a freakin' bar/wedding band...... if it is handled properly. This mess of a bar band being so serious is ridiculous. If you have to (or even WANT to) miss a gig, give plenty of notice and help find a sub. I like to travel with my wife and kids. I'm not going to turn down good seats to see the Sox at Fenway because the guitar player might get mad if I am not there to rock the crap out of Brick House. There are plenty of people who can cover the gig. So, I buy tickets to see the Sox a few weeks out, help find a sub and do some things to help that sub get ready for the gig, and hope like hell Big Poppy knocks one over the Green Monstah and I have to drop my hahtdahg to catch it. No big deal. I didn't "let the band down". All the fine folks at Stinky's won't even know it's not me over there thumping away on "Don't Stop Beleee-eeeevin".

So all you bar band/wedding band types who swear up and down that if I turn down a gig next month that was booked in 1987 to go see the Sox the Devil himself will come up from the bowels of the Earth and drag me to the depths (breathe) need to LIGHTEN UP! Stinky's (or the Finkelstein wedding) will be fine without me. (Fact is, they would be fine without you too but your egos won't let you believe that...... whatever.) Bob Segar and the Rolling Stones will be fine without your rendition. Nobody cares WHO is playing/singing it at Stinky's. You guys aren't so amazing that the whole night would be ruined if you didn't make it (nor am I). (goes to closet to get flame suit)

Not that THAT rant is over.......

OP, your singer handled it ALL WRONG. She backed out last minute. And then threw a fit when you got a sub. Poor choices for sure. You need to have a CONVERSATION with her and at least try to talk it out like adults. She may be going through a bad time. There may be other factors. But an email conversation is not for adults. A meeting or at least a phone call is required. For all you know she was just given an ultimatum about losing her job if she wasn't at work that night. Things could be a pressure cooker over there and that kind of outranks a bar band. (Again, I am admitting she handled it poorly and unprofessionally.)

If she is just a spoiled rotten egomaniac, let her go.

Does the girl who filled in want the gig? If the original singer gives you a hard time, offer it to the fill-in and keep rollin'. Or, audition new singers and..... keep rollin'. At least find out if the fill-in can cover you on those gigs on the books.

Hope it works out either way.

(Is that the sound of panties getting all wadded up that I hear? Yep. Sure is.)
 
#15
fire her rock star attitude ass, i have done it and so far its been good, if theres one thing i hate is rock stars wannabe, starting with singers and guitar players, im on kind of the same situation, but in my case is the drummer and one of the 2 guitar players, im quiting that band soon, right after the shows we have lined up
 
#18
We are having a get together with her tonight to see what's going on. Since this is really the first time she's pulled this in the 18 months since we've hired her, we are willing to hear her out.

Two fingers, I hear what you are saying and yes, we are a bar band, but we know that life happens and you need to give up on a gig and find a sub. That's all good and all, but we would prefer more than 4 days notice. But thank you for your advice.

I'll let you all know how things turn out tonight
 
#19
My opinions...

Too little notice. Too bad an attitude when she was the one who messed up. I would hear her out but also put her on notice that it better not happen again. Once a gig is booked it needs to be extremely important to bail.

Baseball over a gig? You're fired. ;)

Cheers!

MJW
 
#20
two fingers said:
Well, here goes. I, for one, don't see any problem whatsoever with missing a gig in a freakin' bar/wedding band...... if it is handled properly. This mess of a bar band being so serious is ridiculous. If you have to (or even WANT to) miss a gig, give plenty of notice and help find a sub. I like to travel with my wife and kids. I'm not going to turn down good seats to see the Sox at Fenway because the guitar player might get mad if I am not there to rock the crap out of Brick House. There are plenty of people who can cover the gig. So, I buy tickets to see the Sox a few weeks out, help find a sub and do some things to help that sub get ready for the gig, and hope like hell Big Poppy knocks one over the Green Monstah and I have to drop my hahtdahg to catch it. No big deal. I didn't "let the band down". All the fine folks at Stinky's won't even know it's not me over there thumping away on "Don't Stop Beleee-eeeevin".

So all you bar band/wedding band types who swear up and down that if I turn down a gig next month that was booked in 1987 to go see the Sox the Devil himself will come up from the bowels of the Earth and drag me to the depths (breathe) need to LIGHTEN UP! Stinky's (or the Finkelstein wedding) will be fine without me. (Fact is, they would be fine without you too but your egos won't let you believe that...... whatever.) Bob Segar and the Rolling Stones will be fine without your rendition. Nobody cares WHO is playing/singing it at Stinky's. You guys aren't so amazing that the whole night would be ruined if you didn't make it (nor am I). (goes to closet to get flame suit)

Not that THAT rant is over.......

OP, your singer handled it ALL WRONG. She backed out last minute. And then threw a fit when you got a sub. Poor choices for sure. You need to have a CONVERSATION with her and at least try to talk it out like adults. She may be going through a bad time. There may be other factors. But an email conversation is not for adults. A meeting or at least a phone call is required. For all you know she was just given an ultimatum about losing her job if she wasn't at work that night. Things could be a pressure cooker over there and that kind of outranks a bar band. (Again, I am admitting she handled it poorly and unprofessionally.)

If she is just a spoiled rotten egomaniac, let her go.

Does the girl who filled in want the gig? If the original singer gives you a hard time, offer it to the fill-in and keep rollin'. Or, audition new singers and..... keep rollin'. At least find out if the fill-in can cover you on those gigs on the books.

Hope it works out either way.

(Is that the sound of panties getting all wadded up that I hear? Yep. Sure is.)
Click to expand...


Quite simply, the scene is changing. In many markets, there are too few venues/too many bands.

If you cancel a gig, a venue may penalize you for it. It's a lot of work to even get the crappy gigs anymore. The reason to take being in a bar/coverband seriously is simply to always be professional.

It's solid thinking, and it works.
 

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