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What's your opinion about singing drummers?

#42
I don't really like bashing. A few paragraphs, no matter how skillfully written, is not enough to pass judgement on anyone's character. I understand personal experience can help one to pass an educated guess, but I can easily conceive a few considerably possible scenarios where no one was being a jerk in this affair. Maybe your drummer was having a bad day. You expressed reticence towards outright firing him, so you must of found his reaction at least somewhat out of character. Maybe there was a slight miscommunication that lingered and built up tension in him until he had his outburst. Nothing an honest conversation can't fix.

About singing drummers; our drummer is our only singer. As such, we have her kit positioned front and centre stage (when stage layout allows it... you know how it can get). It works for us because we have adapted to it. If he plans on singing more, you may consider adjusting your stage layout. Even just rotating it a few degrees can make a world of difference. Again, some stage set ups might not be very accommodating, but a good working band is an endlessly adaptable band. Being the bass player with no microphone myself, I find that simply standing behind the drums can help lay things out better. Especially since the stages where I have to do this are usually floor level. I.E.: they moved a few tables over for us. In the picture you posted (not having stood in the room, mind you) I would have put the drums stage front left, bass middle back, guitar and key where they are. When singing, the drummer would have crowd access comparable to the guitar player since he's not playing a ginormous kit. If this makes stage volume an issue, fire that drummer. I hate bashers.
 
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#43
Groove Doctor said:
Actually the BL is at fault. He wrote a really poor set list, and executed it even more poorly IMO.
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There is some truth to this. To be fair though, he was trying to be accommodating and get our best stuff in. The first three tunes were a funk medley that the BL sings but really is designed to spotlight the the most important guy in the band... Me the bass player :) I wouldn't of cared if that got cut but we do it well and it went over nicely. Next tune was the drummer's best tune. He just doesn't know its his best tune. Certainly better than the one that got cut.
 
#45
Kmonk said:
The title of your thread has nothing to do with the issue you described. If a drummer can sing, then he or she should be allowed to. If the band wants to end the night with an up tempo song, the drummer should understand that. In the future, I would suggest letting the drummer sing earlier in the set.
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Well, I coulda titled it "Diva Drummers" but that's been covered on TB before ;)
 
#46
AaronVonRock said:
I don't like watching bands that have singing drummers, especially ones that are singing lead. I don't have any rationale for this, but it just annoys me for some reason. Just like when guys were their basses and guitars really high. I know it's silly, but these are two pet peeves of mine when I watch a live band.
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I don't like having to find the singer when watching a band. I think most non-musician listeners are the same way. They, the paying patrons, want to connect with the voice of the band during their short little span of attention.
 
#47
If someone can sing and play, then I'm all for it. If it happens to be the drummer and the stage is set up so the drummer is in back, I'll step aside and/or turn toward the drummer to give the audience an eyeline to the drummer while they sing. It might be good to also bring the audience in and say something like, "we're going to let our drummer sing one for you".

Drummers that can sing and play well while doing so get my respect. I don't have that skill.

Someone who thinks they can sing but cannot is a different matter.
 
#49
singing-drummers-ringo-starr-corbis-630-80.jpg
 
#51
I was in a cover band for a couple of years with a drummer who sang 99% of the lead vocal. He was not a good singer or a good drummer but somehow managed to get the crowd dancing. This was a guy who in the heat of the moment could forget to use the kick drum and who's fills varied in speed depending on what the vocal was doing.

For a while I was one of two backing vocals who stood left and right of the drums. (3 guitars, bass, drums - ridiculous lineup). Then the other guitar/vocalist quit and I was front centre. Did lead vocals on two songs out of fifty and backings on the rest while somehow trying not to look ridiculous.

I am very glad to not be in that band anymore. Though I do miss the 50 odd gigs per year.
 
#52
I was BL in most the bands I've been in ... I tried to be as democratic about stuff as possible ... if all members are sensible adults and not spoiled little brats ... things can be OK ... there is truly no excuse for intentional lame parts of any kind ... do you best, or take a hike ...
 
#53
In principle, a singing drummer isn't a problem. I mean, look at Tortured Soul. A dancey funky three-piece group whose drummer isn't just the lead vocalist, he's the front and center guy on the stage. And absolutely slays it for 2 hours at a stretch.

Few cats will be as amazingly capable, but if your drummer can sing, he should get some songs. If your guitar/keys cat can really sing, he should get more songs. If the drummer has a problem with his fave tune not getting done, he should practice his singing, come to rehearsal and kill it, and thus show evidence why his fave song should be played at the next gig.

It's not a competition, it's a mutual challenge among musicians who are all on the same side of playing excellent songs excellently. In an ideal situation.
 
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#54
My friends used to have this super amazing R&B/dub/hiphop band we used to go and see. They were fronted by the beautiful woman who sang, while the drummer sang background. We'd leave the show thinking, "Wow, she is so awesome. She's got lots of soul." One day to see the band, but the singer wasn't there. But, Jim (the drummer) was singing and the band sounded exactly the same. We realized that he was singing lead the whole time and frontperson was singing backgrounds.
 
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#56
Freekmagnet said:
My friends used to have this super amazing R&B/dub/hiphop band we used to go and see. They were fronted by the beautiful woman who sang, while the drummer sang background. We'd leave the show thinking, "Wow, she is so awesome. She's got lots of soul." One day to see the band, but the singer wasn't there. But, Jim (the drummer) was singing and the band sounded exactly the same. We realized that he was singing lead the whole time and frontperson was singing backgrounds.
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you couldn't tell the guy was singing and not the girl?

Either he has a very high voice or she has an Adam's apple lol
 
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#59
Sometimes it's difficult to deal with an "embarrassment of riches." The last band I played with (for five years) had the opposite problem: the drummer had the best voice in the band and it was like pulling teeth to get him to sing a song once in a while. It was not really a problem, though, because we had a great female lead singer and the guitar/sax player and myself, who had about equal vocal abilities, had no problem letting her do most of the vocals.
 
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