Is the singer always the frontman???

[Alex]

So we all know the singer is usually the frontman of a band. He's the most recognisable person and is easily identifiable as part of a particular band.

However there are some instances where it's another member that seems to get the most recognition, case in point Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy. Most people who aren't major fans of Fall Out Boy (myself included) only know Pete Wentz as one of the member's however he's the bassist. Another one is Travis Barker, the drummer of Blink 182 as the most recognisable member.

Now why are these guys (and others) the more recognisable members of their respective bands???

I believe it's something to do with a combination of their look (I mean apparently Pete Wentz is the most attractive member of Fall Out Boy) or simply have an interesting aura about them.

 

[Ferbian]

I think it's all about how their promoted. The fact is that Travis Barker got himself a MTV show where his life was being followed. The same goes for Pete Wentz, or not a MTV show but nonetheless other projects.

This is what usually gets the person noticed. Not necessarily because of looks. But because of both association (Pete Wentz and Ashley Simpsons) as well as where they make appearances and in what manner they make these appearances (Movies, parties, television cameo's / episode appearances).

 

[TheAnimal]

If the band is recognised for being the band then yes i think so because the frontman would be featured most prominently. If they are recognised for something other than the band then i dont think it counts really. I suppose it depends, using the example of Pete Wentz, when people see him do they say a) Thats the guy from fallout boy? Or b) Isn't that the guy who is with Ashley Simpson? If its b then to me he isnt the frontman because his recognition isnt associated with being in the band thus not making him the frontman. I think it goes deeper than the most exposure in general because if he is recognised as being with Ashley Simpson then that is greater than his exposure of the band and not reinforcing that association.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Usually the frontman is the face of the band, he is the most recognisable through being at the front of the stage, his image, and that it is his voice that people know above all others due to the fact he is the one singing. The frontman is usually the most charismatic member of the band, and takes the lead in photoshoots and interviews.

However, there are several examples where this isnt the case.

Kiss are one, where Gene Simmons is easily the most recognisable member of the band, and the dominant one.

You could possibly argue that Slash rivalled Axl in Guns N Roses??

 

[LikeSheamusLoveOrton]

I think alot of times it really depends on who is the charasmatic one. In my band www.myspace.com/swvatorque I am the technical front man. Im the one who 80% of the time addresses the crowd. We try to incorporate jokes and such into the set to draw the crowd in. However, I dont sing lead vocals. I do some backup and I do all the screaming we do, which is very little. But I think it has more to do with that.

 

[Spidey Revivey]

I think it has to do with the settup and gimmick of the band, and which people really standout. Yes, the singer is, what? 90% of the time the frontman. That's usually how it's set up. Morrison, Cobain, Eminem, etc are the energetic guys that truly speak to the audience with their music. But some guys (like Flea, or as mentioned Simmons) are the ones jumping around, breathing fire or just going batshit crazy.

That's the call of the frontman; do the things that will leave you remembered. Whether it be to mesmerize the crowd with your words or put on a spectacle- any member of the band could do it, not just the singer.

 

[LikeSheamusLoveOrton]

When I went to see The Dropkick Murphys a few days before St. Paddys day in Charlotte they had a band open for them called Kevin and his Flask. They were truly an odd band. Acoustic guitarist looked just like the caveman off the Geico commercials. Banjo player. A drummer that stood up and drummed, oddest thing ive ever seen. A mandolin player. Another guitarist. And a bassit that played Upright bass. But he was the centerpoint. He went crazy with that damn thing. Head banging to what I called "Bluegrass Punk". Running everwhere with that thing. He was nuts. It just depends on who creates the attention to who is the frontman.

 

[JuviJuiceIsLoose]

Another example of a band in which the lead vocalist isn't necessarily the "frontman" is The Roots. When people thing of The Roots, they mostly think of ?uestlove the drummer.

He's the member of the band that gets most of the exposure. He's the one doing most of the talking for the band. He's the one in the commercials. That 'fro is the most recognizable part of the group.

He's a lot more of an extrovert than Black Thought is. That's why he does most of the interviews and most magazine articles about the band revolve around him both personally and professionally.

?uesto is the guy jamming with John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin, Rick Ross. and Prince.