Jump to content

Who is the best front man?


PauloBarnesi

Recommended Posts

If we include singers outside of Rock music, it's got to be James Brown, hands down.

If you're including solo artists, then I'd go for Otis Redding every time. The voice, fantastic showman, fantastic backing band.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

PbO0m.jpg

The more I think about it the more I think of Jarvis Cocker. He ticks every box really, always in the papers, definitely the face of his band (go on, how many people can name the other members of Pulp?) and really good on stage. Great fun and always has the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand. Pulp's spectacular rise to fame was largely on the back of him doing his thing when due to a bloke in Manchester falling off his pushbike they somehow found themselves headlining Glastobury 1995 and Jarvis was the star of the show.

vUKUi.jpg

Wayne Coyne is great too. His band never had the mainstream success they deserve, but anybody who has seen The Flaming Lips live will know what I mean.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Glad to see that people can be a bit objective sometimes. :) As Freddie's already mentioned and my obvious choice I'll name two other singers that I've seen live that I think are great front men:

Geoff Tate (whwich ain't a too big surprise to some either, I presume)

and Bruce Dickinson.

.

I saw Dickinson when he fronted Samson, and he was nothing special. At the same time Iron Maiden, with Di'Anno as front man were excellent. As Maiden live continued to be excellent I concluded that it was the band, not the front man that were the driving force.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

PbO0m.jpg

The more I think about it the more I think of Jarvis Cocker. He ticks every box really, always in the papers, definitely the face of his band (go on, how many people can name the other members of Pulp?) and really good on stage. Great fun and always has the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand. Pulp's spectacular rise to fame was largely on the back of him doing his thing when due to a bloke in Manchester falling off his pushbike they somehow found themselves headlining Glastobury 1995 and Jarvis was the star of the show.

vUKUi.jpg

Wayne Coyne is great too. His band never had the mainstream success they deserve, but anybody who has seen The Flaming Lips live will know what I mean.

Two great choices Nays. Pulp are one of THE great English bands, and Cocker is easily one of the best songwriters and frontmen of our generation. I've seen the Flaming Lips loads of times, and Wayne Coyne is **** ace.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The first time I saw the Flaming Lips was when they were touring The Soft Bulletin. There was no drum kit on stage, the Drummer was projected onto a white sheet behind the band instead. Wayne Coyne came onto stage absolutely caked in blood. Race for the Prize kicks in and I knew I was in for a treat. I wasnt disappointed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It would have been about the same time time that I saw them, at the Bowlie festival at Camber Sands that Belle and Sebastian were headlining. What an awesome weekend that was, Belle and Sebastian, Teenage Fanclub, Mercury Rev, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Mogwai, Jarvis Cocker (DJing) and The Flaming Lips, who blew everybody else out of the water.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh, and Cristiano Ronaldo deserves a mention too. He is a great front man, 96 goals in his first 100 games for Madrid, and everybody has an opinion on him, which is part of the job too isnt it?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh, and Cristiano Ronaldo deserves a mention too. He is a great front man, 96 goals in his first 100 games for Madrid, and everybody has an opinion on him, which is part of the job too isnt it?

His record really does stand comparison with the best players ever. 10 hat tricks for Real Madrid, and the only player ever to score 40 goals in one La Liga season.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Somebody agree with my Joe Strummer IMMEDIATELY!!!

Great guy and an exceptional talent, but for me The Clash were always Joe and Mick. I guess my argument falls down if you think of other double acts which include a great front man (Mick & Keef, Noel & Liam) but Strummer to me is a great singer songwriter and the brains behind one of the best bands ever. I just dont think of him as a front man.

Agree. It's not really fair to single out Joe, as having Joe, Mick and Paul in the band was like having 3 front men.

It is entirely fair to single out Joe, because he was the front man! And a **** great one. Mick was just the sidekick. I saw Joe with the Mescaleros in New Zealand in 1999 - the only time I've seen him live - and he was just brilliant. Such a huge presence. You knew you were in the company of a bona-fida legend.

And I'll add the following:

Bob Marley

Freddie Mercury

Luke Kelly

Jarvis Cocker

Mike Scott

Justin Sullivan

Nick Cave

Stiv Bators

Jello Biafra

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A few from Down Under

michael_hutchence_001_061609.jpg

Until he choked on his own belt....

2048205.jpg

Until he choked on his own vomit....

EA-MidnightOil01.jpg

Until he choked on his own self-righteousness and sold out to a political party....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Glad to see that people can be a bit objective sometimes. :) As Freddie's already mentioned and my obvious choice I'll name two other singers that I've seen live that I think are great front men:

Geoff Tate (whwich ain't a too big surprise to some either, I presume)

and Bruce Dickinson.

.

I saw Dickinson when he fronted Samson, and he was nothing special. At the same time Iron Maiden, with Di'Anno as front man were excellent. As Maiden live continued to be excellent I concluded that it was the band, not the front man that were the driving force.

You might be right. I've never seen Dickinson without Maiden or vice verse. But yes, the whole band is behind their great shows but as the front man of Iron Maiden I think he's very good. One of the best I've seen. And well supported. Especially by Harris and McBrain. But as said, you might be right that without the band behind him he might be average or worse.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Somebody agree with my Joe Strummer IMMEDIATELY!!!

Great guy and an exceptional talent, but for me The Clash were always Joe and Mick. I guess my argument falls down if you think of other double acts which include a great front man (Mick & Keef, Noel & Liam) but Strummer to me is a great singer songwriter and the brains behind one of the best bands ever. I just dont think of him as a front man.

Agree. It's not really fair to single out Joe, as having Joe, Mick and Paul in the band was like having 3 front men.

It is entirely fair to single out Joe, because he was the front man! And a **** great one. Mick was just the sidekick.

Bit harsh! Mick was far from a side kick. I love The Clash, and obviously Joe Strummer, but to underplay Mick and the rest of the band's contribution with a statement like that, is well wide of the mark in my opinion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Indeed. I'd have spat out my coffee had I been drinking any. The question is about frontmen, not who is your favourite band. The Clash were very much a group in my opinion. Arguing for Joe Strummer would be like arguing for John Lennon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ooh, and how can I forget this man?

rsz_mattpercent20berrypercent2008.jpg

In terms of sheer entertainment, simply brilliant (though Matt Berry's brand of psychedelic space-folk is a somewhat acquired taste).

FAAATHHHEERRRRRR!!!!

For me the 2 'front men' that really engaged the crowd when I saw them were Neil Hannon and Jarvis Cocker. But are they they best 'front man'? Probably not of course.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...
Â