Dressing well and dancing

[Muttleybass]

In order to be a GOOD bass player? No. Not at all.

In order to be an entertaining bass player? I'd say yes.

If we're talking live music, stage presence is definitely an advantage. It means dressing the part and moving according to the music. Jeans and a ripped T-Shirt and head banging is as much dressing and dancing for a metal band as a tux and light sway is for a wedding band.

 

[mrcbass]

You did?
I dress appropriately but do NOT dance.
That's not been a problem for me.
I chose gigs that suit me.

Using a Nilson kind of phrasing: Choosing gigs that suit your clothes?

 

[Chrisk-K]

No bassist dances better than Verdine White. No bassist is dressed up better than Verdine.

 

[two fingers]

IME coming up, i never remembered the individual band members by name. I remembered if i liked the music and i remembered if the band worked as a unit. Ten minutes after leaving the venue i couldn’t tell you how any one individual was dressed but i could tell you how many times someone missed a cue or there was an obvious lack of communication between bandmates on stage. But when you consider that it has always and will forever be only about the music for me, my perspective fits my goal. I don’t care who you are, how you dress or comb your hair, cool tats? There’s a convention for that every year down town, but a butterscotch jazz bass or a three tone cherry burst Les Paul wailing and thundering, now yer talking.
Don’t get me wrong here, i get it, performance is the total package and the vast majority of people who go to a concert are seeking entertainment and if the entertainers don’t deliver, they might as well don their yard work clothes and start earning the old fashioned way, but for me, growing up when my only connection to music was at home, occasionally on public TV, and live shows, the shows were more study hall than party time. I wanted to be close enough to see hands so i could match what they were doing to what i was hearing, that’s really all i ever went to live shows for. All my musical heros lived under the same roof i did so i was paying more for lessons than entertainment. That is not to say i didn’t appreciate the talent, hard work and dedication to craft required to demand payment for playing, and i was often moved by the level of raw emotion poured out for the world to see, but at the end of the day, i wanted to cop licks from that dude playing bass for (insert band name here). The only time i worried about how they dressed was if their outfit interfered with my lesson.

While I appreciate your experiences, you are the exception rather than the rule.

This whole forum is probably populated with the exception rather than the rule.

We are musicians. We aren't normal.

I went to a Vince Gill show last year. Everyone else was stoked when the curtain came up and there was Vince Gill. I looked about ten feet behind Vince and saw Willie Weeks. THAT'S when I got wound up! Everyone else saw a tall, slender, sharp looking African American man holding a "big guitar". I saw WILLIE FREAKING WEEKS!!!!

No, we are not normal.

 

[mrcbass]

While I appreciate your experiences, you are the exception rather than the rule.

This whole forum is probably populated with the exception rather than the rule.

We are musicians. We aren't normal.

I went to a Vince Gill show last year. Everyone else was stoked when the curtain came up and there was Vince Gill. I looked about ten feet behind Vince and saw Willie Weeks. THAT'S when I got wound up! Everyone else saw a tall, slender, sharp looking African American man holding a "big guitar". I saw WILLIE FREAKING WEEKS!!!!

No, we are not normal.

Agreed that musicians will take in a show completely different than "normal" people. But I do believe that sloppy transitions are something that everyone notices to some degree.

 

[GretschWretch]

I have not read all eighty posts in this thread, but to me the question is less about musicianship than it is showmanship. I came of age with the British Invasion, and THOSE bands, even the Kinks and Stones, wanted to be viewed a professionals. Some, like the Animals, Beatles, and DC5, wore matching attire. The Stones often did not match, but they still largely dressed to the nines. Even the Beach Boys wore matching casual.

As to dancing, formal co-ordinated choreography is rare, but nearly all the players kept the beat in a way that showed. (I , for example, never danced, but I bobbed my head and bounced. Still do.) This showed they were having fun and enjoying the music; and that energy transferred to the audience, which responded in turn. All this had very little to do with musicianship -- the quality of the playing -- but it had everything to do with showmanship and being seen as taking your craft seriously.

Then came the San Francisco Invasion with bands like the Grateful Dead and Moby Grape, and players dressed like they had come to the gig directly from cleaning leaves out of their gutters. And then the black jeans & tee shirt phenomenon. And the attitude among too many bands now is to want to be taken seriously without giving any indication they take anything seriously other than themselves.

Ubi sunt gloria mundae?

 

[TBird1958]

I read somewhere that in order to be a good bass player, you need to dress well and dance while you are performing live. How many think that these two things are really necessary for being a bass player in a gigging band?

Dressing for a show and being an entertainer as well as a musician gets you called back and more money. Pretty tangible evidence in my case.
The way to make it work for you is simple (I finally get to quote Skakespeare!) "To thine own self be true"
Find yourself, be genuine and believe in what you're putting out there, and don't be afraid to let the audience see that.

 

[jshinal]

No bassist dances better than Verdine White. No bassist is dressed up better than Verdine.

Robert "Kool" Bell always makes me feel a little better about my lack of onstage dancing ability.

 

[Tony In Philly]

Did you ever stop and think that the REASON dive bar gigs are only $400 is because bands don't dress the part, put on a show, and attract a crowd?

Which came first? The chicken or the egg?

Did pay for bands go down because club owners suck? Or is it because musicians got old and lazy and quit trying so crowds stopped coming? No need to pay you more if you aren't drawing and/or keeping a crowd. Music can be had with a used stereo and a cell phone.

If I draw a crowd, that club will pay me $400 ONCE. (If I even agree to it once.)

Maybe REASON I'm playing a $400 a night dive bar is because I WANT TO AND I LIKE PLAYING THERE. Also the crowd is rowdy and the loves the atmosphere. It's not the sandals and cargo shots "Dad band" scenario that you present in your rather condescending suggestion. I make plenty of money during the week and for me this is fun and relaxation.

 

[JRA]

Come on!!!!!!! I never judge TB questions - but with all due respect - this is a ridiculous question . No?

Never confuse being a bass player with being an entertainer. There is no reason you can't be both, but they are separate skills.

Dressing in a diaper way makes me play better. Yes, I know it's silly, but for me it works.

that's what i read until i realized that it didn't make sense in your third sentence!!!

 

[tb4sbp]

Like was mentioned earlier if you are in a band you have a certain amount of musical knowledge and can play decently. If you are in a band that plays out regularly then I suppose you would have to look the part for the type of band you are in. More importantly than dressing up or dancing is how you interact with the audience. To me from a show point of view that would be more important.

But if you are just a weekend warrior and doing it for the love of preforming then go as you want.

 

[superheavyfunk]

Regardless, the entire band should have a cohesive look. If you're gonna wear camo cargo shorts and a flannel shirt, then everybody should have something going on that's in the same vein.

As for dancing, I recommend trying it and filming yourself. You may find that a little movement helps the show, unless you're the only one moving around. Or, you might find that jumping about with the guitarist looks ridiculous and then decide that a relaxed head nodding is more appropriate

 

[two fingers]

Maybe REASON I'm playing a $400 a night dive bar is because I WANT TO AND I LIKE PLAYING THERE. Also the crowd is rowdy and the loves the atmosphere. It's not the sandals and cargo shots "Dad band" scenario that you are rather snottily suggesting that it is. I make plenty of money during the week and for me this is fun and relaxation.

While I'm not berating you for doing such gigs, you are making my point. If you are playing bar gigs in a T-shirt, it's for YOU. And it will stay a $400 bar gig.

That's fine.

But in the long run, it's hurting your local music scene. If that's what people see in every local bar band, they begin to think there's nothing special about live music. If the guys on stage don't care, why should we?

Also, I'm not doing anything "snottily". You might be reading into my words that I am taking a "holier than thou" stance. But I'm not. You can wear a T-shirt, wear one of those stupid backwards Kangol hats, wear nothing, or take a nap on a train track. I couldn't care less.

So getting all defensive is ridiculous. I literally asked a question. You answered with flying colors.

Your gigs are about YOU and what YOU want. You are living out YOUR hobby in front of people. It's a "fun and relaxation" for YOU.

Every other part of the equation can go stuff it. The audience, venue owner, local music scene, and local live music as a whole can suck it. I NEED FUN AND RELAXATION!!!!!

I get it.

 

[higain617]

If your BL is Morris Day, dancing is required.

 

[zjanderson]

But in the long run, it's hurting your local music scene. If that's what people see in every local bar band, they begin to think there's nothing special about live music. If the guys on stage don't care, why should we?

This.

 

[chaosMK]

I once saw a country guy who had strong stage presence and expression of attitude with his eyes/eyeballs alone. I loved it. He could barely trouble himself to move but if he got you in eyelock and "popped" you it was pretty intense.

I have to wear a business costume to work so dressing for the stage is not a big deal I prefer it. Dancing is hard because I play in odd time signatures. It can be done but you need to come up with custom moves for each signature.

 

[Wasnex]

Come on!!!!!!! I never judge TB questions - but with all due respect - this is a ridiculous question . No?

Seems pretty judgy to me.

If you want to be a pro gigging musician, IMHO success is usually about a lot more than simply playing well. Dressing well and dancing is a bit vaque...this could mean wearing a leather thong, covered in tatoos, and striking a pose in some circles.

Seems clear that a lot of dad bands need to step it up. General advice...wear some nicer clothes, groove with the music and interact with your fellow musicians (dance), smile at the audience and make eye contact (have fun), and stop staring at your hands...I guess I am a bit judgy too .

 

[Tony In Philly]

While I'm not berating you for doing such gigs, you are making my point. If you are playing bar gigs in a T-shirt, it's for YOU. And it will stay a $400 bar gig.

That's fine.

But in the long run, it's hurting your local music scene. If that's what people see in every local bar band, they begin to think there's nothing special about live music. If the guys on stage don't care, why should we?

Also, I'm not doing anything "snottily". You might be reading into my words that I am taking a "holier than thou" stance. But I'm not. You can wear a T-shirt, wear one of those stupid backwards Kangol hats, wear nothing, or take a nap on a train track. I couldn't care less.

So getting all defensive is ridiculous. I literally asked a question. You answered with flying colors.

Your gigs are about YOU and what YOU want. You are living out YOUR hobby in front of people. It's a "fun and relaxation" for YOU.

Every other part of the equation can go stuff it. The audience, venue owner, local music scene, and local live music as a whole can suck it. I NEED FUN AND RELAXATION!!!!!

I get it.

I'm not being defensive. Rather, you are as I mentioned earlier, being somewhat condescending in pigeon holing everybody that isn't the consummate professional that you purport yourself to be as silly fools who are "hurting your local music scene", and are apparently prone to wearing "backwards Kangol hats". You make sweeping generalizations and immediately start dismissing weekend players as lesser musicians that are causing full-time musicians to be payed less because of the sell-out busking ways of such "hobbyists". That's not true; gigs are negotiated based on what the venue can afford and how many drinks the band can sell for them. It's simple math, bottom line business for the drinking establishment, and what the band considers acceptable for their time and effort.

 

[easyj]

One thing I can add is that, as bass players, we don't really get to do the poses and make the funny faces that guitar players make when they are soloing. So we need our own thing. When my guitar player is "hamming it up", in guitar player fashion, I have the opportunity also do the same with my dancing to the rhythm, like it is adding to my groove.....which it is not.

Lots of great and insightful replies, btw.

 

[bass71]

What's dressing well?..and for some reason I always start pogoing when we play Cockney Rebels , Come Up And See Me...yep I look ridiculous.