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Bands using singers name


SteveXFR

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I've been looking in the black holes that are bandmix and joinmyband.

Am I weird in being put off by bands who use the singers name? 

I kind of get it if the band are just expected to show up and play music written by someone else but some advertise that the band are involved in the writing and are equal partners. If everyone is equal, why is one person's name on the poster?

Am I just being weird and unreasonable?

 

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I totally get where you’re coming from Steve, at “star” level it wouldn’t concern me but at local level it would, just makes me think that said singers are a tad ambitious shall we say. Just about the only one who imo gets away with it is Spunk Volcano & The Eruptions, a true larger than life character and a great bloke too.

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I think the biggest problem I have is I don't like big egos. Musicians have to have a bit of an ego to stand on stage and play loud and expect people to enjoy it but for one member to put themselves above the others requires quite a large ego. I'm not sure I'd get on well with that person. 

What I like about a named band is everyone is equal and the name often gives a clue about what to expect.  A band called Satanic virgin decapitation isn't going to be playing ballads. A band called Jesus's Friends will probably have some Christian content in their lyrics. A band called Nickelback will be terrible. 

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My main band these days is a rock'n'roll 3-piece called Damo & The Dynamites.

 

Apart from the fact that the name is 'authentic' and period-correct (so works well for the punters), the reality is that Damo is the frontman, singer, and guitarist. I have no problem at all with the name, whereas a band named either The Dynamites or (much, much worse) Jack & The Dynamites would just be wrong.

 

I should mention that the band probably wouldn't exist at all, and certainly would be nowhere as successful, without @Silvia Bluejay and me. Nowt to do with my God-like bass playing, more a matter of us providing ALL the gigs, plus the PA & lights, and the sound engineer, and the photos and video, and the social media presence etc. etc. etc.

 

But so what? People don't come to see the band because Silvie and I will be there. They come (whether or not they realise it) to see Damo.

 

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2 minutes ago, Happy Jack said:

My main band these days is a rock'n'roll 3-piece called Damo & The Dynamites.

 

Apart from the fact that the name is 'authentic' and period-correct (so works well for the punters), the reality is that Damo is the frontman, singer, and guitarist. I have no problem at all with the name, whereas a band named either The Dynamites or (much, much worse) Jack & The Dynamites would just be wrong.

 

I should mention that the band probably wouldn't exist at all, and certainly would be nowhere as successful, without @Silvia Bluejay and me. Nowt to do with my God-like bass playing, more a matter of us providing ALL the gigs, plus the PA & lights, and the sound engineer, and the photos and video, and the social media presence etc. etc. etc.

 

But so what? People don't come to see the band because Silvie and I will be there. They come (whether or not they realise it) to see Damo.

 

Damo is also the songwriter and 100% copyright holder for the band's originals.

 

Edit to add: he's The Talent, while Jack and I are the band's managers... :)

Edited by Silvia Bluejay
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I suppose if you are a singer / songwriter /lyricist /bass player , then you may feel that your musical contribution is not being appreciated .

If I am just playing bass lines to other peoples songs (even if they are my bass lines ) , I don’t really have a problem playing in a band called “Colin” or “Nigel “ 

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I suppose it depends how the band formed. If it was originally one singer who initially aimed to sing to some random backing band or session musicians, then they would have to use their own name to advertise their 'brand'. They would have been new to the music business, so as time went on they may have learnt enough to realise that maybe they want to have a regular backing band for stability.

 

It's not always about ego, but marketing.

Edited by TheLowDown
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8 hours ago, SteveK said:

Manfred Mann. He wasn't even the singer... either🤪

He wasn't even the featured artist🤔

There’s loads of bands like this - 

Van Halen, Santana, Elvin Bishop Group, Dave Clark Five, Fleetwood Mac, Kool and the Gang, Alan Parsons Project, Spencer Davis Group etc etc. Not sure it’s held many of them back really.

 

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I play in a couple of bands where the singer is named in the band name - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers type names. There is an assumption that you are just a pick up band. At my last gig I was asked if I played on the album that actually I co-produced, as well as played on. It doesn't massively bother me but my preference would be make it more of a band thing. The singer in my main band is very gracious so that helps but the other band it's a bit all about him so I may not be taking that forward longer term. 

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I totally wouldn't have an issue with is as long as the (word of the day) eponymous band's front man didn't actually believe the PR and treat the rest of the band like staff.  So if my blues rock trio had a name change to the Alan McWhirter Band that would be cool.  In fact I think I would prefer it.

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I'm still having bass lessons (coz I'm rubbish) and my teacher plays with a band under his name but two thirds of his shows are just him with an acoustic guitar and he played all instruments on his record. I think the band are whoever is available from a group of several musicians he knows. In that case, it makes most sense to use his name instead of a band name. 

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