Gig clothes?

[agreatheight]

I'll tell you what I tell people I work with: "I didn't become a graphic designer to wear a tie. If I wanted to wear a tie, I'd have been a lawyer." Part of me getting into the field was the laid-back atmosphere and the lack of strict rules / codes.

Now, this hasn't really ever been a problem for me in a band situation, but if someone made a comment about my attire I'd probably tell them something similar. I didn't become a musician to wear a uniform. I show up on time, behave politely, and play my ass off, but I wear what I like (generally shorts, no shoes, t-shirt, which are clean and more-or-less wrinkle free). If that's not enough then I'll gladly find other people to play with.

The ONLY, imo, reason for me to dress up is to play a corporate function or wedding. YMMV.

Lots of people are more into the presentation of the music more than I am, and that's cool. Just be aware that dictating style can be some tricky busines, so do it with caution.

 

[Lorenzini]

depends on the room youre playing. plain and simple, nothing else to complicate matters.

i play in black clubs and hipster doofus fashionable restaurants & bars, as well as super upscale resorts, hotels, weddings and house parties.

i usually wear black slacks with a button down shirt, or nice dark jeans with a button down and a nice pair of adidas or something.

but this is a smooth jazz, funk, r&b and dance band. that's the vibe and those are the people that book us.

if we were playing any form of rock i'd be wearing worn out jeans with a ****in plaid shirt, with a baseball cap

if you run the band, though, YOUR call!!! they are playing in your group. you should make them wear bolo ties!

 

[jsbass]

Black jeans and plain black shirt.

 

[theshadow2001]

We'll be playing mostly hard rock/blues covers in the vein of Led Zeppelin and Cream

I always arrive on time, and dressed for the gig in a button down shirt and jeans.

Is it wrong to ask band members to wear a nice shirt and jeans?

Being nicely dressed just doesn't scream i'm in a band. Nor does it describe the musical vein of zepplin and cream. Sounds to me like your dressed like a 50 year old playing for other 50 year olds? Let me guess you tuck your shirt in as well? Get some worn out jeans some band related or other genre appropriate t-shirts (not necessarilly band or music related) some boots or worn out converse grow some stubble and start to look like your in a band

 

[Subculture13]

The drummer has taken to wearing a vest covering in fake blood and faded gwar patches with camo pants.

The guitarist dresses like a skinhead

and the singer dresses, literally, like a hobo

Is getting a new band an option?

 

[BellBottomBlues]

I don't care what they're wearing, so long as they don't look like disheveled bums that just walked on stage.

And no, I don't tuck my shirt in I'm only 17, not 50

But it puts a lot of people off when you're playing in a restaurant or coffee house, and you're covered in fake blood.

Thats the best dressed I've ever seen the guitarist. You can see the singer slightly to right.

 

[Subculture13]

It all boils down to what type of band you want to be. It sounds to me like you all want to be different things.

I sympathize. When I was your age, I lived in a tiny town. If you could find enough people to fill out a lineup, you were a band, plain and simple. The pot smoking hippy played with the death metaler, the punk and the grunge lover because hey, at least you are playing in a full band.

 

[Jimbow]

That drummer looks lamer than a lame thing.

 

[lpdeluxe]

A singer and I started a band last year and it evolved from the two of us into a four-piece. Once we started getting better jobs, we started wearing neater outfits. It helps project the idea that we're not a bunch of derelicts who can't hold down day jobs. We're now working steadily, four jobs a month, and making some money, and club owners trust us because we look like we are taking care of our business.

If you want to dress sloppily, you can get away with it while you're young and your audience dresses the same way. Once you get out of your thirties, you begin to look clueless.

Neat dress also helps getting jobs like wedding receptions and corporate functions, which often pay better than beer joints.

 

[BellBottomBlues]

We end up playing for people a lot older than us.

Well, us being me and the guitarist. The singer is 37 and the drummer is 28

 

[theshadow2001]

your drummers 28? Are you sure he's not kidding and is really only 17

 

[steve21]

comfortable jeans, whatever t-shirt, and these thick leather work shoes that look awesome and are nice for hitting effects.


If you're not doing metal, why would a drummer go looking like that?

I mean, the guitarist doesn't look that bad, and singers might as well be hobos, but GWAR patches for blues? Lame!

 

[txbasschik]

We play very much the same kind of music you do.

A nice button-down shirt...meh. That's too dressy, imo.

We play blues and Southern rock and the like. Never saw anyone in Lynyrd Skynyrd dressed for a show in a button-down.

My on-hiatus band plays garage/alternative/classic rock. The singer looks quite hobo-ish. The guitarist looks more country than anything else. Drummer (hubby) and I usually just wear jeans and whatever shirt we feel like wearing that day.

My main band pretty much does the same.

That being said...The whole "GWAR patches on the ripped jean vest" is awfully "worst of the 80's metal look". I would be praying to God that he would lose that vest somewhere, or a skunk would spray it, or something.

Just my 2 cents...

Cherie

 

[HomeBrewTJ]

You need matching outfits like we do

It would be so punk to do this in a metal band. Screw all the others that only where jeans and tshirts!

 

[txbasschik]

You need matching outfits like we do

It would be so punk to do this in a metal band. Screw all the others that only where jeans and tshirts!

I saw a punk band at a B.O.B. last fall. They were great!!! When they walked onstage, I thought we were going to hear alt-country...and then they started playing. Truly great stuff!!!

They look like cowboys just in from the trail...

They sound like The Dead Kennedys with Texas accents...

Cherie

 

[ALiP BoB]

Sweatbands, Sweatbands, Sweatbands.

 

[Subculture13]

I saw a punk band at a B.O.B. last fall. They were great!!! When they walked onstage, I thought we were going to hear alt-country...and then they started playing. Truly great stuff!!!

They look like cowboys just in from the trail...

They sound like The Dead Kennedys with Texas accents...

Cherie

Thats's cool. It makes me think of Me First & The Gimme Gimmes.

 

[tZer]

However, I feel if we're going to act like professionals, we might as well look like them too. We're not just selling our music, we're selling ourselves. I always arrive on time, and dressed for the gig in a button down shirt and jeans.

Its not like a huge step, I just don't want us to look like bums. Is it wrong to ask band members to wear a nice shirt and jeans?

Uh... no - but the "Button-down shirt and jeans" edict makes you sound like an bit of a dictator more interetested in controlling your bandmates than encouraging professionalism.

"Dressing for the gig" and "Wearing what I tell you to wear" are two very different directives. Encouraging them to "not look like part of the audience - look like you belong on stage" - that's another story. But citing specific parameters is lame as hell...

Here's one of young tZer (age 17 - circa 1985-86) - I was a Zep fanatic and wanted to be Robert Plant... Couldn't pull that off... but what the hell?

 

[badstonebass]

I would be more worried about the PLAID PANTS and the awful haircut..........I didn't know it was a BAY CITY ROLLERS tribute band

The only thing you can do is have a talk about it. if they agree they will change if they don't they won't. Maybe try and find a middle ground between "button down shirts" and "bloody GWAR vests". You do have to respect everyones inspirations and tastes.

However I personally think the PLAID PANTS are 200000000 times worse than a bloody GWAR vest.

Besides where are the photos of YOU!? Afraid we'd see you look like a dork as well?

 

[Sundogue]

I don't care what they're wearing, so long as they don't look like disheveled bums that just walked on stage.

Thats the best dressed I've ever seen the guitarist. You can see the singer slightly to right.

OK, I agree with everyone that each member needs to dress the way they feel comfortable and still look like they belong in the band.

But what's up with the guitarist in his pajamas? He doesn't look like he belongs in a band. He looks like he should be at home with mommy, all tucked in his bed and holding his teddy bear!

I think my 10 year old daughter has some pajama bottoms like that.