We've been auditioning singers since November....

[moogieotter]

 

[pcake]

I think the disheartening part is that the OP is admittedly over 50 years old. 50 years on this planet and he still hasn't figured out that social status such as being cool or not is something that children do.

I'm totally cool btw. I'm not upset, because cool people don't get upset. We're too cool for that.

 

[3Liter]

I far prefer a frontman who is also a player (even if it's just a guy with a box guitar who can strum rhythm in time and in tune) to folks that are singers only. By a lot.

We auditioned a guy once for a total basement band of hacks. This guy was a big dude and showed up with a 6 pack of tall boys....and drank every. single. one. throughout the evening's audition/jam.

He could sing. Clearly.

But it was super awkward when he wasn't singing. What did he do? Wandered around and had more beer.

I knew we sucked on ice, but it was so funny for him to tell the host (not me) "I really though you'd be better...."

 

[3Liter]

man, coming from a nerd, i was pretty disheartened to read this. no offense, but how do you know that he didn't think the same thing about you? i.e. what makes you cool and him a nerd?

Image seems important for you guys, which is cool - do each of you have long hair, the right amount of tats, a flat stomach, and great stage presence? I cannot see denying a musician because of his/her jewelry values.

I still wanna see a photo of the OP's band. On one end, one guy is too nerdy on the other, a guy is too "out there".

A band I know locally has a mix of people. Older drummer (BL), lady singer, older bassist, middle aged guitar player and one singer/guitar player that's probably no more than 30. He's fashionably dressed and so damn thin (and has skinny jeans) that he better not walk over a sewer grate. They play 2x a month.

Then again, I played in a band where we were arranging to have a photo shoot during the show. I said "dress nice for the stage". The one guy (who was way overweight) wore cargo shorts, some stupid poopie (liked you'd give your Dad for Fathers' Day) and hiking boots (usually would wear white sneakers. There was almost a homicide in the parking lot.*





*It's a joke.

 

[BurnOut]

They're singers, they're a different breed. It takes a certain kind of person to be out front working the crowd. I don't think I've ever met one that was bolted down straight, not that I am either.
Out of all your band members you don't have anyone that can sing? We don't have a singer, everyone has their area to cover. I never sang before on stage, but I've stepped up and I'm fast becoming our main singer. Almost 4 years ago when I joined, I thought I'd just be standing in the corner playing bass. Now I'm at the mic more and more, getting better taking on more challenging songs.
I don't think I could be in a band with a lead singer now. I seen em thru the years when my older brother was doing it, know quite a few myself. They are definitely different, not all of them are out there. I've seen enough to know it's not really my cup of tea.
Good Luck in your search.
Peace N Chicken Grease

 

[Boundary Effect]

I haven't read the whole thread. Four of you? Why don't each of you step up and sing lead vocal. I played briefly with a talented musician who insisted on that. He was opposed to having a band member who only sang. Unfortunately that guy got transferred and had to move. It was a great line up, and each of us has gone on to be respectable vocalists.

 

[pglaser01]

Where have you been turning down gigs at roughly?

You can PM if you don’t want to share

 

[Eminor3rd]

Not being "too picky/particular"?

Lol, right.

 

[GBBSbassist]

I still wanna see a photo of the OP's band. On one end, one guy is too nerdy on the other, a guy is too "out there".

I just searched for his band on Facebook.

If we want to get childish and rank people on how cool they look, I'd probably rank skull ring and tattoo guy above the cargo shorts wearing guitar players. Sorry OP. You're being too picky.

 

[basst scho]

heavier rock (Nickelback

 

[Scottgun]

Be picky. You can fudge a little on the other positions, but you gotta get the singer/frontman right. And find a neutral party who isn't afraid to tell you exactly what they think of them.

 

[Mugre]

The Filipino kid didn't look like an ex-hippy from a 70's San Francisco psyche-prog band and they had to find him on You Tube but he kept Journey going for a few extra years.

Mugre

 

[swarfrat]

A singer that I liked and felt was a decent singer was 61 years old. He didn't have long hair, which is OK (wouldn't have mattered either way), dressed the part, wore skull rings, and had tattoos up and down both arms and his neck. He seemed to have a decent personality and I thought he'd fit in OK with us, but one of our guys felt that he'd make us look like fools by the way he dressed, with his skull rings and tats, and that he was "over the top."

I dunno - sounds like it could work - (even without a decent personality):

 

[Eilif]

Sounds like you found the guy and then passed him by...

....A singer that I liked and felt was a decent singer was 61 years old. He didn't have long hair, which is OK (wouldn't have mattered either way), dressed the part, wore skull rings, and had tattoos up and down both arms and his neck. He seemed to have a decent personality and I thought he'd fit in OK with us, but one of our guys felt that he'd make us look like fools by the way he dressed, with his skull rings and tats, and that he was "over the top."

It's not out of line to ask him if he's open to input on clothes, but tats and skull rings are assets for a lead singer in almost any genre. The tough guy who can can croon will send the ladies straight to the tip jar.

 

[David Pinton]

I too am sharing lead singer duty with one of the guitarists in my band after we lost our singer. Everybody thinks we're better off. (Maybe cause we had to work our asses off ^^ )

 

[SactoBass]

Has anyone here spent this long auditioning a singer or other band member???

You are into it for three months. I know that seems like a long time, but it took us two years to find a singer for our YES tribute band. Granted, that is a rather specialized sound, so we knew it was going to take an extended period of time, which was fine with us.

 

[SmokinJoe992]

I didn't know Trent Reznor used to be in a band with Andy Samberg. That is awesome!!!

 

[Remyd]

I have been seeing these ads, and I feel your pain. It’s pretty hard to find the right choice sometimes, especially in the lead spot.

The fact that you guys are a bar band outside the metro area makes it hard to draw from the community in the city. I think you’d have a billion times better luck recruiting in person - I wouldn’t expect any of them to have anything to do with craigslist.

Maybe come in to town and see a show at a more populated venue? Jam night at the Roadhouse in Webster or open mic at Joanne’s or blues night at Charlack pub? I have seen plenty of guys at all of those places that might be a good choice.

I also expect that it’s a bit the current musical climate - many fewer opportunities and many many fewer dollars than in years past.

 

[catcauphonic]

Tattoo guy sounds like our singer. Very good singer, but long hair and lots of tatts on his arms and legs and he shows them all off. We do mostly 70's - 80's classic rock. The rest of us look like regular mid 50's- mid 60's guys. Honestly, he makes the band more interesting. He brings a lot of energy and is just a good front man in all respects.

I wouldn't count this guy out especially if he's the best vocalist of the bunch you audition.

I don't understand what's wrong with this guy, especially if you're mainly looking to be a bar band. Maybe the rest of you need to jazz up your own style so when you walk in the place people can guess you must be in the band

 

[higain617]

The man you seek is Lou Gramm, the Voice ov Foreigner.