Canceling shows is always a last resort for bands. Most avoid it until the last possible minute, caught in the worst circumstances, but even rock bands get sick. One of the most inconvenient, but surprisingly popular, reasons for canceling is due to vocal damage. Last April, Nate of the Cold War Kids came down with a throat infection that made his lymph glands swell. He isn’t alone in reaching a down and out moment due to unexpected vocal troubles, though. Singers all across the board have encountered complications at one point or another.
Vocal coach Brett Manning is one of the people in the world who make a living teaching vocalists how to take care of themselves. He talks about what happens when singers wreck their voices, and then shows that it’s possible to bounce back.
One of the most common complications singers develop are vocal nodules. They’re also affectionately called “screamer’s nodules” or “singer’s nodules,” because they generally come from vocal cord abuse. In 2007, The Used had to cancel several summer tour dates so that their lead singer, Bert McCracken, could have nodules removed thanks to all the screaming he does on stage. Embedded Tour Stop artist Amanda Palmer was forced to cancel a 2008 mini-tour to undergo vocal cord surgery in March of that year. Even pop superstars like Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey have both had nodules removed and been advised to stay silent for several days (or sometimes weeks) in order to give their vocal cords time to heal.
