Unlike popular boy bands like N * SYNC or the Backstreet Boys, true rockers don’t use headphone microphones. Can you imagine a rocker on stage with headphones on? No way! Seriously, no one but the weak pop bands wears those headphones to prance around the stage. Say hello to the microphones and stands of the rock world, people!
Jonathan Davis from Korn has a wicked mic stand, with a nude female torso done in chrome. How much cooler can you get? I know if I had that mic, I’d really be rocking out. Davis has all of her unique personality that includes a kilt, wicked dreadlocks, and a sparkly silver fishnet. Now imagine him with a boring, school talent show type microphone in front of him. You can see it? Neither do I. The microphone itself has become part of him, like another part of the body, and completes his image to the core. It’s the perfect combination of sexy and dangerous with that bad mic in front of him!
Of course, the voice effects that the microphone allows the vocalist to create are intrinsic parts of the song, as well as the way the artist handles the microphone. Three Days Grace’s Adam Gontier uses an old-school handheld mic that you can get intimate with and that creates the sound we know and love.
Some, like Dani Filth, prefer to rotate their microphones to create interesting ripple effects. Keep singing as the mic rocks, twists, and turns, creating an amazing effect on your voice. Others incorporate the use of switches on the microphone itself that can make the singer’s voice sound hollow and distant or generate an eerie echo.
All of this adds to the mood and tone of the song itself. While some bands like hanging mics, the ones that are attached to a crane neck extension and suspended above the artist, just like in the recording studio. Then there are those that have the long, usually decorated mic stands with a handheld mic that can be removed while on the go. Still others, like Three Days Grace, use a fully handheld microphone that can be held very close to the mouth to obtain the desired effect. What do you think this says about them?
Bands like KoRn and Cradle of Filth have vocalists who really get on the mic. He makes fans go crazy when they dance with him, they caress him and, in Dani Filth’s case, they even lick him. Hell, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler decorates his with quirky scarves and practically seduces him on stage. These artists really treat their microphones as part of their wardrobe, just as much as the shirt they wear on the back. They become the kind of accessory tailor-made for the person who wears it.
If you are a musician, you have to remember that whatever your personality is, the microphone you choose can enhance it or make it completely blown up. The audience sees your team as part of who you are. Use the microphone that best represents your cause and you are definitely on your way to victory. The microphone is part of your band, take as much time to choose yours as you would with any other member of the band.