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Does your band actively work on your visual show?

#41
We have invested in a complete light truss with spots, led dancing lights, hazer, and multi axis lights that spot and throw patterns where we want. They are all controlled from a dmx board that our second drummer will hit on important 1's. Having this has made an impact because having this makes it a bigger and better show.

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#42
I play in an original pop band with a female singer and we spend far more time talking about appearance than I would like! It definitely works though and we have gotten nothing but positive feedback for our stage presence so far.

Also do a bit of prog rock / metal and we all just make sure we are getting into and banging our heads during the show.

Covers band? I'll cheese it up and get matching shirts
 
#43
At the very least, I like that we all dress with a certain theme or in a certain style. Not necessarily the exact same outfits, but something in the same category. For instance, we'll all do a show wearing suspenders (braces for our UK friends), vest (waistcoats) and either a cap or fedora. Something along those lines. It helps a lot to make us look like one cohesive unit.

The theme can just be jeans and a similar colored tshirt, like The Ramones did, etc.

I personally don't like when I go see a band and everyone is wearing whatever, and some of the members look like they just rolled out of bed or grabbed whatever t-shirt was clean that morning, or came to the show wearing what they wore at work that day.
 
#44
ChrisB2 said:
When I see top-name artists/bands perform on TV, they always have a very intentional and structured visual aspect to their performance. It may vary from cool clothing and some nice moves to an all-out choreographed dance routine with coordinating costumes. But it's intentional, and it usually looks good.

..
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Always? I usually see just the opposite. It seems to me like there are queues at certain points but for the most part band members are pretty much just playing and moving around without any choreography. The only time I see anything that is structured is if it is a show band or a theatrical band such as KISS or Alice Cooper.
 
#45
Feelindingwall5 said:
We have invested in a complete light truss with spots, led dancing lights, hazer, and multi axis lights that spot and throw patterns where we want. They are all controlled from a dmx board that our second drummer will hit on important 1's. Having this has made an impact because having this makes it a bigger and better show.

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That sounds very fancy, but all I can see is 3 baseball caps :P
 
#47
mellowinman said:
Please don't use "hazers."

Signed,

Your Audience's Lungs
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Seconded, this asthmatic bass player's lungs.

Amusingly, our guitarist is also epileptic, so it you could politely say that we have a volentarily stripped-down stage presence, relying on our own hedonistic gyrations to tickle the audience (which of course some flashing lights would definitely help our guitarist do, but might get in the way of his playing >.>)
 
#48
If your in a jazz or blues band it's probably not as important. But even in jazz or blues if your performing and your getting paid you still don't want to look like slobs or ignore the audience.

Blue
 
#49
My band is an instrumental trio. We mainly play rock clubs. We wear dark-colored dress shirts with neckties, which makes us the most "dressed up" people in the room by far. We get a lot of compliments on the look, especially from the women, which is nice, because none of us are exactly Brad Pitt. I've been told I have a natural stage presence. I can't help moving to the music; I do it even at practice. I've been working with the guitarist on making more eye contact. (Working with? Well, razzing him about it anyway). He tends to stare at his fretboard, although he does at least move a bit.

An earlier version of the group had a tune where the guitarist and I would trade fours. We were a two-bass band, and the other bass player would back us both during this bit. When the guitarist would take his four bars, he'd kind of "charge" me, and I'd back off with my arms up in a defensive posture, as if he were pummelling me with his musical awesomeness. Then I'd do the same to him during my four bars. We'd go back and forth like that three or four times, chasing each other across the stage. The audience seemed to dig that. I'd like to get some of that kind of thing happening in the current group.

Trust me, when you're playing mostly original and all-instrumental, you gotta do SOMETHING, unless you want the whole audience to consist of five guys with beards trying to get a better look at your pedal boards.
 
#50
Being in a Skynyrd tribute, we have to at least try to look the part.
I even have to do the wig thing to even attempt to look like the late great Leon!
 

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#52
ChrisB2 said:
When I see top-name artists/bands perform on TV, they always have a very intentional and structured visual aspect to their performance. It may vary from cool clothing and some nice moves to an all-out choreographed dance routine with coordinating costumes. But it's intentional, and it usually looks good.

For example, I saw a band on TV this morning doing a very simple pop song yet the guitarist and bassist were moving in ways that were much more exaggerated than necessary to perform their parts. It looked good, but it was obviously (to me anyway) that the routine was intentional... i.e., purposefully added to the act of playing the instrument to increase the visual enjoyment of the performance.

When I see local bands, whether it be cover or original, for the most part the visual performance is not that great... or downright bad. Sometimes there is some obvious intentional effort, but a lot of times it comes across poorly, like a cover band with guys in bad drag (think Marge Simpson boobs and hair) or devil costumes. Some bands look pretty good and dress nice, maybe throw in some nice moves, but that seems to be the rare exception. Of course, top-tier bands have the resources to produce a great show. But that doesn't mean the local band can't at least work on it.

Usually the overall visual package just doesn't seem like it gets the same attention as playing the instruments, singing, setting up well with proper gear, and sounding good (yes, obviously the main concerns).

This leads me to wonder if we're giving enough attention to this aspect of performing, so my questions are (just for the purpose of discussion):

- Does your band actively work on your stage show like you would practicing songs and working on writing?

- How successful have you been, as a band, working out a visual component that you think works? Have you seen any results from this?

- Describe your band's attitude and approach to the visual show. Also describe the show itself.

- What are your personal thoughts and actions regarding your own personal visual appearance and behavior on stage?

- How successful have you been, as an individual, working out your own visual "show"?

- Do you think these performance aspects are natural and just "flow" from some people, or are they learned and rehearsed? Or a combination of both depending on the personality? Is it possible to evolve from a statue to a believable showman?

- Add any other comments that you want to! :D

I'll go: Sadly, the reason I thought of this thread was because my middle-age classic rock cover band doesn't really discuss this area, and I think it shows. We do not work on our show besides bringing and setting up lights. That's it. The singer has made noise before that we need to step up our show, and I agreed, but it has gone nowhere. That pretty much describes our attitude and approach, and our show. :(

Personally, I try to stay fit, dress in nice "stagewear"-looking clothes, and do my best to look as good as I can (limited haha). I try to move around without looking clownish, and not stare at my fretboard. Usually I'm looking at the other guys looking at their fretboards. :p I don't "dance" but I try to get into the groove and move accordingly. I don't think I can do much more without attracting undue attention to myself for the contrast in behavior that would result. I'm still working on my personal thing and see it as an ongoing project.

I'm not sure about the last question. I know there are people who are natural showmen/women, and some who will never be. Not sure about the middlers though....
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We definately work on it.
Our lead singer doesn't have the best stage presence, we have to push it with her - as a consequence the rest of us are quite a bit more up front and active. For us it's mostly discussion about being someplace onstage during a song, if it's somebody's turn to swing the bat - step up and do it!
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#56
For as much as my guitarist and I write, we have never found (or put real effort into finding) a drummer, so everything for us is purely excogitation...

Imagine King Diamond. Now imagine Immortal. Imagine a blend of the two. That's the rest of the band. Compare King Diamond to the rest of his band in terms of appearance... that's me compared to the rest of my imaginary band. There are more specifics to it than that, but I could also compare the type of show I want to GWAR, or even KISS - you go for the show, not necessarily for the music.

Even if you're focusing on your music and keeping the show simple, there's still "show", and it doesn't take much to put on something decent looking.
 
#57
GKon said:
At the very least, I like that we all dress with a certain theme or in a certain style. Not necessarily the exact same outfits, but something in the same category. For instance, we'll all do a show wearing suspenders (braces for our UK friends), vest (waistcoats) and either a cap or fedora. Something along those lines. It helps a lot to make us look like one cohesive unit.

The theme can just be jeans and a similar colored tshirt, like The Ramones did, etc.

I personally don't like when I go see a band and everyone is wearing whatever, and some of the members look like they just rolled out of bed or grabbed whatever t-shirt was clean that morning, or came to the show wearing what they wore at work that day.
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I see the " came to the show wearing what they wore at work that day " a lot. My position, if your doing that and your in a rock band, there's something about this business your not getting.

By no means am I saying wear a fedora or some sort of nonsensical shirt.


BTW, everyone can't pull off wearing hats

Blue
 
#58
Desirsar said:
Even if you're focusing on your music and keeping the show simple, there's still "show", and it doesn't take much to put on something decent looking.
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I think young attracive guys in great physical shape can pull off just about anything.

Once your older looking like a bum is not cool. The only thing your acomplishing is not only looking like a bum, people will think your a bum.

Blue
 

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