Play That Funky Music - Live Band cover

michaelmusic

Hello Everyone, last week I performed with a live band! I have played with live bands since the age of 14, but never as a lead vocalist and guitarist. This band had a lead vocalist, but I sang lead for Play That Funky Music and for Pride and Joy.

My biggest issue with singing live is consistency. I have the hardest time sounding like I did in my bedroom.
Lots plays into this:

1. Nerves
   
2. Live performance
   
3. Poor monitors (tough to hear myself sing)
   
4. Playing guitar while singing
   
5. Performing while singing
   
6. Singing outdoors
   

I want to be SOOOO consistent. I'm curious how I can be more consistent. Let me know all thoughts and feedback. (and also help me not look like I'm in pain while singing).
https://youtu.be/yNi5BlhwMSQ
@DannyOc3an
@bentk
@Wigs
@LindseyBean
@guychan
@Terence

Terence

What stands out for me is your competence (voice, guitar, confidence.) You have the range to handle this song and probably could have even taken more liberty to expand the runs.

I don't hear any detractions from playing guitar while you're singing. Your posture is good and makes it easier when playing electric than acoustic, IMO.

The monitor(s) situation is so potentially perilous for the voice, it's scary. Don't know if you were having any issues with that here. Your voice is quite buried on the mix that got recorded here so can't really tell or hear the nuances of your voice.

One thing I do when singing at church is to turn up the in-ears volume of my own voice. That usually keeps me singing with less volume (and more control) and is a guard against yelling to be heard over other instruments (which is impossible, anyway.) Our responsibility is to bring the best voice and treatment of the song we can. It's not/can't be our responsibility to be heard (beyond arriving early, set up the mics, make sure our in-ears are good, and communicating with the sound guys. ) We can't turn up the sound on our voice like electronic instruments can. Even with my keyboard and guitars, when the interface is maxed out, that's all the sound you're getting and the rest has to be done at the board. IOW, the very notion of singing louder to be heard is non-effective, absurd, and destructive. . . so...best to refrain from even attempting.

I think you'd feel much freer in the performance if you didn't refer to the phone. On this song, you seemed to know the whole thing, anyway, so perhaps it was just a small comfort to refer to it.

Again, your competence is evident in all respects here and I really enjoyed hearing you guys do the song!

michaelmusic

Great points Terance! You mentioned asking if I had issues with the monitors. YES. There was so much feedback that I told the sound guy he should just turn off my monitor. Some solid points here. I agree that I probably didn't need the phone but it gives me comfort.