I'm with ya there! Les" comment about vocals is dead-nuts ON (a complete duplication of my wife's comments, and she's completely non-musical and atonal. Heck, I had to ask her not to sing to the kids when they were little so they wouldn't think it was the way to sing. :creep
. But she's a music
listener and is the perfect voice of reason. Most of our crowds are made up of people who feel the same way.
I came in to my classic rock band as a hired gun, not from start-up. So it already was what it was. We have the best piece of sh*t Peavey system around and it gets the job done. Only vox and drums go thru it so it's no big skin off my chin, but it gets
under my skin some. But is that worth derailing the band dynamic for the sake of being a gear snob? Would it be worth missing good gigs because I caused a stink? No. But I still hate Peavey PA gear.
I kind of agree on the point of the vocalist being the most important factor in a gigging group, a vocalist is kind of like the gate to the whole band. If they suck, no one is going to get past it, but if they're good, people will not only notice their skill, but start to notice the rest of the band as well. I was at a wedding reception this summer, and the band had a KILLER vocalist, and it really helped to make the night great. No matter what, more attention will always be paid to the vocals, but I think with a good vocalist, people are going to notice a difference between an Epi through a modeler and a 408 through an HXDA, though they don't think of it in those terms. Subtle? To the untrained ear, sure, but I think still noticeable. Probably just a case of the "wow, this band is REALLY good!" instead of just "this singer is really good" or "this band is pretty good." There are people that want that icing on the cake, even though they might not be able to put their finger on where it's coming from.
Anyways, back to the original topic.
I play music for fun, any money made is just a bonus. I've already paid for my guitar gear, that's my ticket to the show. I guess if it ever gets to the point where money is being made, and/or gigs are being played specifically for money, the game will change to a scenario more like the one Les described. I would probably pony up for a PA. However, just as Les described it as being a business, if I were the one buying the system, I would be taking that into account when the gig money gets paid out. Granted, it would be my equipment at the end of the day, but when a business fronts an investment for equipment, they also expect a bigger return than if they had not made the investment.
Not trying to be prickly at all, I really respect the opinions of the more experienced members (which is almost everyone here compared to me). I guess my opinions are just a product of where I'm at right now in life, and as a musician. Someday, if I'm in a band gigging for green, I'll keep all of this in mind!