Non-singing band members mouthing the words to songs when playing live

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I just got back from seeing the Pipettes play at Glasgow's illustrious Garage. The girls put on an okay show, but I ruined it for myself by noticing early on that the drummer was kinda mumbling along with the words of the songs.

The other members of the Sleeperblokes-in-excelsis band were perfectly happy to stare sullenly into the middle distance with their mouths firmly shut, but the drummer kept catching my attention by singing along to himself from time to time.

I'm sure he wasn't doing it for attention (although his ridiculously mahoosive and unkempt whitefro might as well have been a big neon "LOOK AT ME - I'M A TWAT" sign flashing on and off over his head), but band members who don't actually contribute vocally singing along with their band's songs ALWAYS distracts me and ALWAYS cheeses me off.

Once I notice someone doing it onstage, it's all I can concentrate on, like catching sight of someone with a really obvious wig or spinach between their teeth.

Is it too much to ask that only band members with mics should sing?

Am I alone in finding this hugely annoying?

Am I wrong to protest against someone genuinely enjoying their own songs and being unable to stop themselves from having their own on-stage sing-song?

Help me out, guys - classic or dud?

― Hippy Johnny (Elegant Mess), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 20:58 (nineteen years ago)

Depends who it is. Iron Maiden's Steve Harris does this quite a bit, with his foot on the monitor, playing his West Ham bass, and he looks gas.

― musicjohn73 (musicjohn73), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 21:02 (nineteen years ago)

Whichever member of Whitehouse isn't singing at that particular time tends to mouth the words along with the other one, while chugging beer and looking like an idiot.

CLASSIC

― Matt #2 (Matt #2), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 21:05 (nineteen years ago)

Am I wrong to protest against someone genuinely enjoying their own songs and being unable to stop themselves from having their own on-stage sing-song?

Yes.

― bernard snow (sixteen sergeants), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 21:07 (nineteen years ago)

Anyway, back to Whitehouse :

http://www.noiseindex.com/document/images/wh_la93_8.jpg

― Matt #2 (Matt #2), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 21:09 (nineteen years ago)

Whenever I notice this I think it's funny and don't really mind. I think my bandmates do it sometimes, but I haven't caught them in the act yet.

― Steve Go1dberg (Steve Schneeberg), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 21:13 (nineteen years ago)

Hstencil is in Whitehouse?

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 21:14 (nineteen years ago)

What about when a guitarist is playing constantly with wah-wah and mouthing the patterns with his mouth? I saw that a couple months back.

― ross m (Snorb), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 01:41 (nineteen years ago)

*mouthing the patterns that is. No need for the extra "with his mouth".

― ross m (Snorb), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 01:41 (nineteen years ago)

I'm with you. It annoys me.

― Zachary Scott (Zach S), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 01:46 (nineteen years ago)

Shit - I do this on stage. I'd better stop.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 07:35 (nineteen years ago)

The drummer dude is probably getting some practice in before he makes the transition to lead vocalist.

He's probably hoping to do a good job of it like Dave Grohl but will probably end up shyte like Stacy Jones from American Hi-Fi.

BTW, does anyone know if the Taylor Hawkins solo album is any good?

― I say we take off and nuke the site from orbit (I say we take off and nuke the), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 08:00 (nineteen years ago)

i do this onstage too... now i'm worried! :-/
i dunno, i think it's a way (as a drummer) to follow the song changes naturally, following the vocal line.
and of course, it means you enjoy the songs (i sometimes mouth the words of a song i like when i'm watching a band).

― joan vich (joan vich), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 08:32 (nineteen years ago)

This whole thing a bit like moving your lips when you're reading a book right?

― NickB (NickB), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 08:34 (nineteen years ago)

only following a rhythm

― joan vich (joan vich), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 13:21 (nineteen years ago)

If looking like a twat isn't the point of playing in a band, what the fuck is? Any foolish, attention-whore behavior is welcome. I mean shit, IT'S SHOWBIZ.

― 100% CHAMPS with a Yes! Attitude. (Austin, Still), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 13:55 (nineteen years ago)

It can annoy me if they're constantly singing along, but if they're belting out a really intense part along w/ the singer then I don't mind. I've caught myself doing it, and I sometimes feel like a twat myself.

― seedy brom (grammatron), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 14:11 (nineteen years ago)

(although his ridiculously mahoosive and unkempt whitefro might as well have been a big neon "LOOK AT ME - I'M A TWAT" sign flashing on and off over his head)

Almost spit my drink out reading this!!

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 20:17 (nineteen years ago)

haha, we just played with a band whose drummer AND guitarist did the exact same thing. The drummer (female) made it worse by wearing ridiculous goth make up and some sort of cyberpunk dreads dyed a couple of different colors and making exaggerated glam rock faces at the audience, which consisted of me, two other guys from my band, and two random other dudes, all standing sheepishly in the shadows and wondering when would be a good time to make for the door.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 20:44 (nineteen years ago)

Jazz pianists who make weird humming noises during their improvisations

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 20:51 (nineteen years ago)

Liberty DeVito to thread.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 20:56 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, I do it sometimes, not often. These days it's mostly the "1, 2, 3, 4" on our cover of Peter Schilling's "Major Tom."

I also just watched Waiting for Guffman for about the zillionth time the other day and was reminded of Ron and Sheila's audition scene, where Catherine O'Hara mouths Fred Willard's lines as he's saying them. Another one of those "funny cuz it's true" moments if you've done any amateur theatre whatsoever.

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 28 September 2006 15:11 (nineteen years ago)

It's nice that they're enjoying themselves. Though I will say that if they are out-performing the actual singer, it could be annoying.

― steal compass, drive north, disappear (tissp), Thursday, 28 September 2006 15:20 (nineteen years ago)

These days it's mostly the "1, 2, 3, 4" on our cover of Peter Schilling's "Major Tom."

I mean "4, 3, 2, 1"! Ha.

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 28 September 2006 15:25 (nineteen years ago)

They're gonna shut off your mic just like Jason Newsted's, J.

― nabisco (nabisco), Thursday, 28 September 2006 15:37 (nineteen years ago)

John Deacon, anyone?

― hank (hank s), Thursday, 28 September 2006 16:15 (nineteen years ago)

or Tony Banks, for that matter...

― hank (hank s), Thursday, 28 September 2006 16:16 (nineteen years ago)

Robbie Robertson.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Thursday, 28 September 2006 16:29 (nineteen years ago)

and why the hell does Alex Lifeson have a mike onstage?

― hank (hank s), Thursday, 28 September 2006 16:34 (nineteen years ago)

― Petroski (petroski), Thursday, 28 September 2006 21:11 (nineteen years ago)

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Non-singing band members mouthing the words to songs when playing live - C or D?