Counting off the song w/banter

Toclemen

Junior Member
Hi All,

I have an issue... I start out every song when the entire band comes in. However, our lead singer (LSD) has constant banter, he doesn't stop for a second, in fact, he's still talking after we start the song! I find it intrusive to the music but more importantly I can't concentrate on the feel of the song before my count in. I only ask for a second or two but I don't get it. I'm curious if any drummer on here had that happen or any advice on how to deal with it. Is it just me? or does that seem a little messed up? The other guys in the band tell me to just start the song while he's talking and I'm finding it hard to do on every song. I mean when do I interrupt him while he's talking about his day or his wife or saying hi and talking to friends. Probably the worst part is when the guitar or keyboard player start the song and I can't hear where they are in the intro. I've been playing a long time and never heard constant banter like that.

It's driving me crazy!
 
It's not that unusual, as long as it's agreed upon with the singer and band. Just make sure you have the rest of the players' attention that you're starting, so the band is tight.

It doesn't generally happen in the bands I'm in, except occasionally where the singer also plays, and comes in on their own while talking. It's usually the same each time, everyone knows where to come in.

Bermuda
 
Get a grip, man.

Stage banter is one of the best ways to keep an audience engaged between songs or while guitar players fiddle with cables or tunings. A good front man doing banter is like a good salesman on a pitch. It's your job to back up his efforts unless I suppose they're met with cricket noises because he's simply not good at banter to hold anyone's interest.

So buck up and ignore what he's saying and just play your part as if he's not talking. Think of it as a personal challenge instead of getting upset about it.
 
Disagree Watso. Tell the guy to shut his gob...or at least reign it in.
I mean really, it sounds obnoxious to an audience...constant chatter. I don't want to hear about the guys wife or kids or new car or what happened to him at Walmart...boring....play the next damn song.
Of course my request to the vocalist to stop this would be less terse than my post.
 
I tried to say that it's pretty obvious when it doesn't work, but if the audience is digging it and the guy is good at it, don't let yourself get so hungup that you can't play your part simply because he's talking. Hell, I can play most of the parts I've written while I talk. I'm just not seeing how this is getting in the way of the drumming.
 
Thanks for the comments, a good mix. I’ve asked him several times to tone it down but it gets worst, especially when he drinks a lot. I think his friends all like
The banter but some people tell me he talks too much, so not everyone enjoys it. Some of the stuff he says is just point less. But I couldn’t be a front man myself. He talks over great guitar solos too, inconsiderate.

He’s a really good singer though, I’ll give him that. But he knows it too, that where the LSD comes in?
 
I can't really get on board with talking during solo parts... Maybe this guy is a problem after all! I've done the quiet vamp while people talk thing before, but talking over someone's solo?
 
Personally, I've done it. Say, for example our keyboard player is changing a patch. The lead singer engages the audience with his his/her banter, and when the keyboard player is ready, I count off the tune, banter still going and the band kicks in. Personally, I kind of like it.

Also I've played a beat, while the singer talks over it. Say, for example, the drum into to "Billie Jean" or "Hella Good."
 
There's good banter and bad banter. If it's bad, stay or leave are your choices. You have a case of the classic lead singer syndrome on your hands, it sounds like anyway. Is it worth quitting over? It might, just asking. That's your decision.
 
Hey Drummerca35, did the singer have you stop and restart because he was talking? I can get that too, not a lot but he does it. Very embarrassing. I would quit the band but the band does very well. I know what your thinking, well he can’t be that bad but the truth is, his voice is that good, if that makes any sense at all.
 
Hey Drummerca35, did the singer have you stop and restart because he was talking? I can get that too, not a lot but he does it. Very embarrassing. I would quit the band but the band does very well. I know what your thinking, well he can’t be that bad but the truth is, his voice is that good, if that makes any sense at all.

No, the singer has never done that to me in our band. Yeah, I could see that being totally embarrassing. And I understand what you're saying...it's hard to quit if the band's doing well. Good luck with this!
 
Live banter is very important but the banterer has to have a rhythm to his banter. If they are just blabbing, it's like talking to those lonely, non stop talkers who won't take a pause so you can squeeze in and say something.

When it's time for the song to start they need to give a cue so we can count it in. It sounds bad when the song cuts off the banterer. It's even worse if the vocals come in on the first note.

It should be simple. We (drummers) are sitting back there, ready and waiting. Say what you want to say, give me a simple and consistent cue and lets do this thing.

What I hate is small talk between songs in rehearsal. I don't really care who played what instrument on what song whenever. I just wan't to rehearse our parts on our songs right now dammit.
 
One somewhat unprofessional band i play with make counting off very difficult for me.

they talk among themselves between songs trying to decide what to play next, and I'm always the last person to hear what song it will be.
I've mentioned a set list but no they don't want a set.

It takes me about 3 to 4 seconds to grab a tempo from memory but if someone is noodling on guitar or making noise i can't hear myself thinking.
The bass player has this habit of tapping his foot loudly or tapping his bass strings for a tempo before i count it in ???? I don't need any help thank-you.
And his count in are always too fast and frantic.

Tough going, I think its actually a type of nervousness or hyperactivity on their part.
Not saying I'm perfect either but i dont noodle between tunes right up till the count in.
Shame as they are great guys otherwise
 
Wow Michaelg, talking and no set list! I’m feeling a lot better about my situation. Just kidding, that sucks. At least I know I’m not the only one who can’t concentrate while talking is going on, on stage.

New trick, I actually asked the singer to give me a que when he’s done cackling and then I can start the song, we’ll see how that works out. The one thing I’m worried about is we may have him talking a minute after every song, seriously!
 
While at it...anybody here have 2 guitar bands, and both guitarists tune incessantly and at length after just about every tune? Oh and to boot - they need to click on and adjust a few pedals, all for a total of what seems like eternity.
Ya we are obviously not pros, but I have made a comment that all this tinkering makes for too long between songs. Maybe WE need a banterer
 
I used to cut off my old lead singer all the time by counting off and starting the song.

No one needs that much banter.
 
In several past & current bands, I used to have many of these problems. Here are a few useful ideas that helpled:

#1 - The band should treat song transitions & banter just like it does learning songs themselves. You have to practice them. Focus on transitions, practice them, find places to fix, tune, change sticks, etc. that are not taking 15-30 seconds between songs (an eternity). The best way for the entire band to get feedback and concentrate on transitions is:

#2 - Buy a Zoom H1 recorder for $100 (https://www.guitarcenter.com/Zoom/H1-Handy-Recorder.gc). This is money well spent as you can record personal practices, band practices, band gigs, etc. A great tool for improvement. Use it to record gigs - turn it on at the beginning of the evening and off at the end and have the whole night in one easy recording. Then listen to your band's song transitions - how long between, what the banter is like, what works, what doesn't, etc. This is the best way for criticial feedback on what the band sounds like at gigs from the viewpoint of the listening audience (instead of a busy band member) . After the gig, I use audacity (https://www.audacityteam.org/) to cut specific songs out of such recordings and have also cut out major chunks of songs leaving only beginning, ending & transitions between songs so you can listen to these from a 3 hour gig over a short time frame. I'll analyzed how long between each transition, writing down the amount of seconds between each song - the goal generally being as short as possible 3-5 seconds with slightly longer breaks after bunches of 5-6 songs. The goal, in general, is to play fluidly through the set, with very, very little down-time. Keep people engaged & dancing. Don't give them an opportunity to leave the floor or the club.

#3 - Some longer banter (between bunches of songs) is good but as others have said, it depends on how it's done. The only way to really know how it comes off is record it at gigs, then email it around the day or two after the gig for all band members to hear, critique and find/suggest ways to improve.
 
James Brown used to do entire songs of banter: Escapism, the longer album cut of Sex Machine. And the grooves on both is in the pocket all the way. But that's next level sh*t.
 
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