Guest Singers with bands?

[Doug Palmer]

I was in a band who had a terrible singer that followed us around always nagging us and the club owners to let him set in. Nobody liked him, so I came up with a plan. I told the band when he got up and called out a song and key we would play it in a key 5 steps higher. It worked. He came on stage real confident and called out Your Cheatin' Heart in C. I kicked it off in G and the band stayed there. He found a few of the notes but never came to see us again. It was very funny. He leaned over to me after his first few words and asked if that was C. I said yes!

[Don R Brown]

Doug, sometime nasty works when nice does not! Problem solved!

[Earnest Bovine]

when he got up and called out a song and key we would play it in a key 5 steps higher.

I thought that sort of thing would work with harmonica players, but I found there is no key that can make a harmonica player stop playing whatever harp he brought.

[Clyde Mattocks]

Oh no, you've brought up the dreaded harmonica player. You know the one who asks if he can play ONE SONG and then you can't get him down, blowing every note of every song.

[Richard Sinkler]

I used to play an every Sunday jam session/open mic gig. There was one dude that thought he was Eddie Rabbit. He brought in his wireless mic and walked around the audience and have some of them sing with him for a couple bars. He was actually an egotistical jerk. Occasionally, the band would play in the wrong key, each player in a different key, and actually switch to a different song than the one he was singing. He had no clue, and just kept on singing. Maybe he knew and just played along, but I don't think so.

If Barry Blackwood sees this, he might remember this. This was at Sam's Club / Cowtown in San Jose.

[Tony Prior]

when he got up and called out a song and key we would play it in a key 5 steps higher.

I thought that sort of thing would work with harmonica players, but I found there is no key that can make a harmonica player stop playing whatever harp he brought.

amen to that !

[Darrell Criswell]

I've seen people run out of the club when the band started bringing on guest singers.

[Walter Killam]

For me it depends on the gig. When we are playing to a dancing crowd, the only guest we would think of allowing on stage is someone that is a known variable/dependable good singer. Biker bars are a whole different thing, if the crowd's in to it then let the guest wail away. If they suck, push 'em off the stage after one song.

[Chris Walke]

Meh, I'm not too proud to let someone come up, unless they are falling/spilling all over our equipment - then it's not safe or practical. But if we're the COVER BAND in the corner, we get over ourselves & let them up, especially if their party is large and engaged. It'll keep the group there, and they'll tell their pals about how much fun they had seeing the band. If they are really bad, one song. If they are surprisingly good, maybe another song or two.

If it's a showcase style thing, a listening audience, first gig for the band at a particular venue, then no.