Frontmen (And Women!) For Dummies
Article ★ Kenzie Gay ★ @kenzwrites ★ 1.2k words
Axl Rose. Dolores O’Riordan. Neil Young. Layne Staley. Hope Sandoval. James Hetfield. Alex Turner. Steven Tyler. Susanna Hoffs. All of these people come from diverse backgrounds, styles, and genres altogether: some rock, some grunge, some metal, some alternative.
They have one thing in common, however, and that is the matter of their integral position as artists, as frontmen and frontwomen.
Even with the vast differences in sound and technique, a common expectation of frontmen and frontwomen has been established for years dating back to the prohibition era and perhaps older.
What is it, though?
Why does it matter?
And how is it changing?
Frontmen and Women: An Introduction
At its very core, the face of a band and its image is nothing but a mask or a part to play both on and off the stage. Concerts, whether we want to believe it or not, are performances that require engagement and it is the frontman/woman’s job to steer the ship and guide the crowd. If that means adding extra theatrics or putting on a character, then so be it.
Take Mick Jagger, for instance. Arguably the most iconic frontman in all of rock history, Jagger helped put The Rolling Stones on the map not just for the music itself but for the insane shows they would put on. Jagger was wild and moved rather lewdly for the times, which in turn got them attention and a reputation for energetic, one-of-a-kind performances. Even apart from live shows, Jagger built himself a persona that was unorthodox and ‘a little out there’ that can be seen in interviews and simple photo shoots. Many refer to Jagger as the patient zero of the modern day frontman because of these things.
Mick Jagger onstage
That still barks the question, however, as to what traits make up a frontman/woman whether it be real or feigned.
What It Takes To Be A Frontman
In most cases, a frontman/woman is the lead vocalist of a band since they are up front and center in a concert setting. There have been minimal instances where this differs (Van Halen, Santana, etc.) but generally speaking, vocalists take the cake. This can mostly be attributed to the fact that vocalists have more flexibility to move and experiment with said movement given the free hands (aside from an occasional tambourine, rhythm guitar, or harmonica). We looked at Mick Jagger earlier but if we span out, this continuous theme of wild, vulgar, and non conforming personalities remains a pillar across most frontmen, but not the frontwomen.
Starting with frontmen and their traits, we’ll look at Elvis Presley. In retrospect, he wasn’t nearly as raunchy as later stars (including Jagger) but for the time he was extremely suggestive in his stage mannerisms. Most rock fans know the story behind his Ed Sullivan Show performance in which they only filmed him above the waist due to his fluid, ‘crude’ dance style but little did they know that Mr. Presley would be a saint compared to the future of frontmen in rock.
During Jagger’s reign there was also Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin and Jim Morrison of The Doors that blazed the trail for frontmen and the stereotypes surrounding them. Plant’s approach was mystical and commanding, relying heavily on interaction and chemistry between himself, his band mates, and the crowd before them whereas Morrison’s approach was more challenging than most. Morrison loved to test boundaries and that was evident in his performances that reeked of rebellion, sex, and intensity. Much of this could be due to the fact that he saw himself as not a musician but a poet (and the heavy drug use but that’s neither here nor there).
(left) Robert Plant and (right) Jim Morrison
In a nutshell, frontmen are traditionally loud, energetic, a little egotistical, adaptive, confident, charming, and dramatic when it comes to the image they put out with the band or musical project they are fronting. Behind the scenes, these artists could very well be quiet and meek in grand contrast but again, showmanship sometimes requires a little romanticization.
Now for the women, who have much different (and unfair) expectations.
What It Takes To Be A Frontwoman
For a long, aggravating amount of time, women that served as a the face of a band had near-opposite expectations of them compared to the men (what’s new?). It wasn’t acceptable to most for frontwomen to be particularly rough let alone scandalous. Hell, most people didn’t even want to see a woman facing any musical group to begin with. In the beginning of rock and its revolution, frontwomen were ‘softer’ and not so in your face. We see this in past frontwomen such as Karen Carpenter (The Carpenters), Cass Elliot (The Mamas and the Papas), and Grace Slick (Jefferson Airplane). Granted, their sound reflected such an energy but the division was very apparent. Especially when you look at the backlash that women with heavier sounds (Janis Joplin, Stevie Nicks, etc.) faced.
(left to right) Karen Carpenter, Cass Elliot, Grace Slick, Janis Joplin, and Stevie Nicks
Throughout the dominion of rock, more insurgent frontwomen such as Cherie Currie and Ann Wilson would make themselves known by going against the grain but the biggest turning point on a global basis was in the 90s when the Riot Grrrl Movement took the world by storm. Angst-ridden, powerful, feminist shows and music came out like a flood through bands such as Bikini Kill, Bratmobile, 7 Year Bitch, Le Tigre, Babes in Toyland, and more. The frontwomen for these groups were as defiant as they come with vivacious presence and boisterous mannerisms that most had never seen before and since it was on such a wide scale, the norms finally shifted.
(left) Bratmobile and (right) Bikini Kill
The Future of Fronting
A lot of time has passed since rock had its predominancy in mainstream music but bands never went away. Therefore, frontmen and women never went away, either. We’re seeing a new era for such a thing, though.
The stereotype of unhinged, impulsive, and outlandish personalities that’s followed these people is beginning to alter itself through this new wave of bands we’re being subjected to. Frontmen are no longer anticipated to act frantically through stage dives and spicy interactions and frontwomen are no longer expected to fit into a box whether it be the dainty, suave one or the angry, defiant one. There are no limits anymore and that’s because of the past trailblazers I’ve listed throughout this essay and the new, up and coming faces.
I’ll highlight the modern rock group Surf Curse to start. Frontman Nick Rattigan not only sings but he lays down the rhythm on the drum kit, too. His performances pack a punch but it’s all done digestibly, lacking the movement and hefty coarseness you’d expect.
There’s also Motionless in White, which takes a more aggressive and melodramatic approach at showmanship thanks to frontman Chris Motionless and his knack for horror, raw power, and enthusiasm.
We can’t forget about Amyl and the Sniffers, either. Frontwoman Amy Taylor is known for her unrelenting energy, punk-like attitude, and fearlessness in performances.
Houndmouth is another group that’s flipping the script with frontmen. Musically, frontman Matt Myers puts his entire livelihood into every rip-roaring guitar solo and radical belt but he handles it meekly and with class. He doesn’t find it necessary to be overly chatty or rambunctious within his shows and it works.
Those frontmen and women are just the tip of the iceberg but they serve as monumental figures that are breaking the mold not just for themselves but for others, too.
