Dressing well and dancing

[SmokinJoe992]

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This is perfect for me. No one stick out. They aren't a bunch of individual trying to get your attention, they are a unit just like it is the case in classical music, no one is more important or whatever.

They aren't dressed diffirent than you and me.

These guys are dressed way better than most of the cover bands I see around here. Brand new looking black pants, New looking dark colored T shirts. I would argue that they are definitely putting an effort forth with their appearance and I could not imagine them playing a show in cargo shorts. I am going to guess that they move a little bit while they are playing also and probably have one hell of a light show.

 

[Jscriv]

If you play in a wedding/casino/dance band, yes. Maybe.
If you play in a punk band, no. Maybe. Depending on what you consider dressing well, and dancing.
If you play in a country band, I don't know. I don't see or hear much country.

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

I will field the punk bass player aspect here.. even though I play alot more ska, I try to always been moving around. Not because it's cool, because I love playing out and I love seeing people move to what I'm playing.

 

[petrus61]

He’s got half of it covered. I think.

 

[Clef_de_fa]

These guys are dressed way better than most of the cover bands I see around here. Brand new looking black pants, New looking dark colored T shirts. I would argue that they are definitely putting an effort forth with their appearance and I could not imagine them playing a show in cargo shorts. I am going to guess that they move a little bit while they are playing also and probably have one hell of a light show.

This is putting effort ? Damn ...

I saw them twice and they are something. Playing that difficult music live is a feat and no need to dance, run or have flashy gimmick

 

[Brad Johnson]

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?

I'd find better reading material. Then again, was it "The Onion"?

 

[Old Blastard]

Clothes and bass have got to coordinate. Just my thing.
I was having a beer in a bar when Bowie died. The ladies next to me commented that when he was performing, whether the Ziggy era or Thin White Duke style, he dressed to play. Then one lady said "most bands in town look like they fell off their lawnmowers and ran to the show."

I went to Goodwill, bought some nice suits and a tux for $8 each and vowed to dress. No one else in the band needs to do it, but people do notice and it allows me the freedom to moonwalk, duckwalk or other weird thing since I'm already standing out a bit.

 

[diegom]

FAIL!!!!

FAIL??!!??
They seem to be plenty busy... looking the part, acting the part (thx @two fingers )
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[Watchootognbout]

For a Fusion or Prog Metal band?
NO.
You can try.
But you will severely hurt yourself.

 

[petrus61]

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This is perfect for me. No one stick out. They aren't a bunch of individual trying to get your attention, they are a unit just like it is the case in classical music, no one is more important or whatever.

They aren't dressed diffirent than you and me.

They are most certainly dressed different from me, but I’m not music nerd posing as metal nerd. I’m music nerd with a very poor wardrobe. They can’t touch this.

 

[Watchootognbout]

Yes, but if you want people to come and watch you, you'd damn well better be both.

If you don't want to be an entertainer, stay in your bedroom.

I want people to come and HEAR me play.
Not to be a center ring circus show.

 

[easyj]

I agree.

I need to give myself some space to be a douche every now and then. To the OP, I was only half serious . I love everyone here!

I think my post was also half serious. When I initially came accross the statement, it came off as a joke. Like a lot of jokes, it's based in some truth. I wanted to know what some more experienced members think. I haven't been playing bass for long...I am primarily a guitar player. The more I play bass in a band situation, the more I realize the differences in the roles of the bass guitar player vs. the guitar player(s). I realize that there I things I can't do, and things I can. Bass players can often take a back seat to the guitar players on stage, so what do we do to stand out? Bass players can stand there looking really cool, effortlessly carrying the groove, while the guitarists are working hard....it might be nice to be dressed well, like Entwistle in the video a few posts back. I notice that I often have time to mess around and dance, while my guitarist is focused on a really busy lead. Many times my important contribution is carrying a simple bass line for the band and I feel that I should do some other things to make it interesting.

 

[easyj]

I think this bass player is hilarious. He's working hard, though.

 

[Watchootognbout]

I will say that if you dress well and dance, you will attract a lot more people you are trying to attract than someone who doesn't dress well and dance.

Pretty much 100% of the time, by the way...

Tosin dresses well,but try dancing to this!

 

[easyj]

He clearly upstages Rivers Cuomo on this one. Another hard working bass player. I don't think I ever saw someone put so much effort into picking a note. I could throw my shoulder out like that.

 

[IamGroot]

FAIL??!!??
They seem to be plenty busy... looking the part, acting the part (thx @two fingers )
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Great clothes, blasphemous cover version.

 

[Bob_Ross]

I have no clue about the "dress well" thing.

About the "dance" thing however...imho the audience doesn't give a crap if you appear to be able to dance well. They honestly don't care what you look like up there. But if you can't dance well it's my contention that you will in all certainty SUCK as a bass player. And the audience cares about that.

I'm not saying you need to look good shaking yer azz onstage. You certainly don't need to be a trained terpsichore or have the slightest inkling about how to execute choreography. But if dancing in some way/shape/form isn't the most obvious, instinctual, natural thing for you to do when you're playing bass, I simply can't understand how you can find the groove, the pocket, the one...how you can do your job on the instrument.

Y'know how they say You Steer A Bicycle From The Hips? You play the bass from the hips also.

 

[Watchootognbout]

Dress better then your audience and try to look like you're having a good time, even if you aren't. If I go to a show I like to see some energy from the performers, not some dude sitting on a stool watching his fingers.

No middle ground eh?

 

[dbsfgyd1]

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?

As long as you can actually play the instrument while doing so, it certainly could not hurt. Keep in mind, most people learn more from the visual, as opposed to the audio.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

Whether I dance or not depends on:

If I like the music or not,
How drunk I am, and/or
How much I get paid.

In other words, I don't dance, I make moooooney moves.

 

[Bassheart365]

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?

Is this a real question? If so, depends entirely on the band. "Jam band" - not so much. Trucker hats and T-shirts seem to be the dress code there. Classic rock - depends, Jazz band - dress well, no need to dance - in fact it would look weird if you did, Pop cover band - absolutely, R&B/Soul/Funk band - absolutely - Country band - dress well and appropriate to the theme, no need to dance, blue grass - dress the part. And so on. The main thing to keep in mind is, as a musician, no matter what instrument you play, or what genre, you are also an entertainer.