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Gig clothes?
- Thread starter BellBottomBlues
- Start date
- Feb 21, 2007
- 1,853
- 7
- Disclosures
- Endorser:Fender User:Rotosound, LaBella, Ashdown, Lindy Fralin
I'll post a pic of me at our latest show when I get them. Which bass would you prefer? The 58 precision or the mangled as hell Jaguar bass?
I gotta say, in all this discussion about gig clothes it surprises me how uptight everyone is about the pj pants... Looks kinda punk to me... When I see dudes wearing their Levi's 501's and a polo shirt... ok, that guy is NOT rockin'... or Dockers and a button-down shirt... nope... not cool.
But hell - pj pants and a funky band shirt? why not? Not my cup of tea - but it aint 501's or Dockers with business casual shirts, right? - How is "Jeans and a button-down shirt" any better than "wild-assed plaid pants and a black tee shirt"?
How's his attitude on stage? If he is at all animated and looks like he's having fun - then he can probably pull off that look. If he hide behind the singer and looks at the stage, no amount of dress-up will fix that...
Think about some of the quintessential rockers and their "signature" garb...
Angus Young - short nickers, white socks up to the knees - a beanie? Rockin? Cool? Really? Yep.
David Byrne - a sharkskin suit 3 sizes too big - cool? rock? yep.
David Bowie - ok... let's leave Bowie out of this...
Eddie Van Halen - Football pants and no shirt - boy, took a lotta effort to come up with that, huh?
So really... hell - even if he wears the same uniform he wears when he's flippin' burgers, at least it's different and more than likely that there is no one in the audience dressed that way (unless he brought the gang from Burger King with him right after work)
But button down shirts and jeans = negative rock 'n' roll situation - seriously - you would OWE to the equation - you would have to dress like Bootsy Collins or George Clinton for the next 10 gigs to make up for that rock 'n' roll fashion "don't"! LOL
But hell - pj pants and a funky band shirt? why not? Not my cup of tea - but it aint 501's or Dockers with business casual shirts, right? - How is "Jeans and a button-down shirt" any better than "wild-assed plaid pants and a black tee shirt"?
How's his attitude on stage? If he is at all animated and looks like he's having fun - then he can probably pull off that look. If he hide behind the singer and looks at the stage, no amount of dress-up will fix that...
Think about some of the quintessential rockers and their "signature" garb...
Angus Young - short nickers, white socks up to the knees - a beanie? Rockin? Cool? Really? Yep.
David Byrne - a sharkskin suit 3 sizes too big - cool? rock? yep.
David Bowie - ok... let's leave Bowie out of this...
Eddie Van Halen - Football pants and no shirt - boy, took a lotta effort to come up with that, huh?
So really... hell - even if he wears the same uniform he wears when he's flippin' burgers, at least it's different and more than likely that there is no one in the audience dressed that way (unless he brought the gang from Burger King with him right after work)
But button down shirts and jeans = negative rock 'n' roll situation - seriously - you would OWE to the equation - you would have to dress like Bootsy Collins or George Clinton for the next 10 gigs to make up for that rock 'n' roll fashion "don't"! LOL
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
Rocket from the Crypt used to do the matching Western outift thing, and they were unimpeachably rawk.
2 thoughts:
--the best leaders give the fewest orders.
--time is the great homogenizer. as your band jells together musically, the desperate cries for attention with wardrobe should settle into a group sensibility.
...and the drummer should be mostly hidden by his kit, so it's probably not as bad as it seems.
--the best leaders give the fewest orders.
--time is the great homogenizer. as your band jells together musically, the desperate cries for attention with wardrobe should settle into a group sensibility.
...and the drummer should be mostly hidden by his kit, so it's probably not as bad as it seems.
Hmmm, I wear button down shirts on stage. I just prefer a shirt with a collar and I ain't wearin' no damn polo shirt. They're not dress shirts though. I wear button down shirts, most of the time unbuttoned over a t-shirt unless it's a hot summer day/night. Usually a black shirt over a white or red t-shirt, along with black pants. Sometimes I'll do the whole Johnny Cash thing and wear all black just to disappear.
Of course we don't play all rock'n'roll all the time and we have a lot of wedding/corporate gigs too. If anyone doesn't like me wearing what I do, they just need more to drink. It hasn't had any effect that I know of with regards to crowd acceptance. I do my share of dancing with the girls while we play, and we get quite a bit of crowd interaction. Maybe they just feel sorry for my clueless fashion sense.
Pajamas might look cool on some people...but not the kid in the picture. It just makes him look even younger. I saw that pic and thought his parents might come onstage any minute and pull him home by his ear.
In deference to Sundogue - I should clarify... when I say "button-down shirts" I am thinking along the lines of my corporate "business casual" guidelines - plain, ordinary, safe, corporate-friendly shirts that look weird without a tie.
I didn't mean to besmirch your sartorial elegance, my friend! LOL
I was pretty much reacting to the "jeans and button-down shirt" mandate this dude was proposing.
And I don't care what any of you say - I think the PJ pants are just fine. Who cares if he looks "younger" - what the heck does that have to do with the price of tea in China? LOL
Again, if he has presence - moves, looks up, lets the crowd know he is not afraid of them - even looks like he might have some twisted, scary thoughts in his head, then PJ pants may become the next Dragon Boots, Spiked Capes and Cod Pieces!
I didn't mean to besmirch your sartorial elegance, my friend! LOL
I was pretty much reacting to the "jeans and button-down shirt" mandate this dude was proposing.
And I don't care what any of you say - I think the PJ pants are just fine. Who cares if he looks "younger" - what the heck does that have to do with the price of tea in China? LOL
Again, if he has presence - moves, looks up, lets the crowd know he is not afraid of them - even looks like he might have some twisted, scary thoughts in his head, then PJ pants may become the next Dragon Boots, Spiked Capes and Cod Pieces!
Glad you clarified. Otherwise I feared I would have to add a tie to the ensemble.
According to Kiplingers and the Dow Jones, stocks dropped sharply on Chinese tea the day after some young rockers were caught breaking curfew by wearing their pj's to concerts.
Apparently parents boycotted the Chinese tea in protest over the Beijing Tea Co. sponsoring some youth rock concert.
Go figure.
whats wrong with button downs hirts? heh, short sleeve black button down, camo pants and my rugged boots look pretty good if i do say so myself heh and cant forget my rugged facial hair
LOL! Damn! This is why I spend too much time here!
Actually, ANY clothes work! OK? ANY... Pink Tutus - Camo-pants and muscle shirts - spandex - fishnet stockings - hey, Flea goes Au Natural - so even NO clothes are fine!
It's all in the delivery. You could have the most fab outfit on and be a total dud on stage and no amout of fashion accessorizing with help you. On the flip - you could walk out of your job interview with your suit and shiny, shoes and rock your arse off and be golden.
Or you could be a fish.
And I still say the PJ pants are fine... I am even contemplating getting a pair myself for my next gig!
Actually, ANY clothes work! OK? ANY... Pink Tutus - Camo-pants and muscle shirts - spandex - fishnet stockings - hey, Flea goes Au Natural - so even NO clothes are fine!
It's all in the delivery. You could have the most fab outfit on and be a total dud on stage and no amout of fashion accessorizing with help you. On the flip - you could walk out of your job interview with your suit and shiny, shoes and rock your arse off and be golden.
Or you could be a fish.
And I still say the PJ pants are fine... I am even contemplating getting a pair myself for my next gig!
Hey different strokes for different folks. Look at Entwistle. The man dressed up and just stood there, and still he was the epitome of cool. Like you said, it's all in the delivery.
As far as pj's go...again, if you can pull it off...cool. Army boots over pink paisley pj's might make a statement (of what I don't know). But that kid just looks even more like a kid in those.
Maybe it's because my kids have pj's similar to that. When you are always seeing little kids (from less than 2 years old to 14 yrs. old) wearing pj's, somehow seeing pajamas on someone up on stage just doesn't seem to make a rock'n'roll kind of statement.
Passinwind
I know nothing.
- Dec 3, 2003
- 23,045
- 45,906
- Disclosures
- Designer/Toaster Tech @ Passinwind Electronics
I mixed a band a bunch of times whose (male) lead singer was partial to pink tutus. That was pretty tame for him though. My favorite was a "family-friendly" outdoor show where he wrapped himself in aluminum foil and had a rather young and innocent looking girl pull it off him as he spun around. I think he had a diaper on underneath, maybe? But maybe not, knowing him.
I mixed a band a bunch of times whose (male) lead singer was partial to pink tutus. That was pretty tame for him though. My favorite was a "family-friendly" outdoor show where he wrapped himself in aluminum foil and had a rather young and innocent looking girl pull it off him as he spun around. I think he had a diaper on underneath, maybe? But maybe not, knowing him.
LOL - fun!
Cool last name, by the way... any relation to M.C.?
Passinwind
I know nothing.
- Dec 3, 2003
- 23,045
- 45,906
- Disclosures
- Designer/Toaster Tech @ Passinwind Electronics
Nah, but I used to get introduced as Young MC Escher when I was busting the hip-hop in Passing Wind shows. As you can see from my current avatar though, "young" doesn't really fly in my case.
- Feb 21, 2007
- 1,853
- 7
- Disclosures
- Endorser:Fender User:Rotosound, LaBella, Ashdown, Lindy Fralin
Wehn I meant button down shirt, I didn't mean like an office shirt. Just a regular shirt that looks nice.
The guitarist (pajama pants) wore his pants tucked into 2 foot vynal boots and a white power t-shirt. That pic is pre-haircut. Cool guy though, but he isn't racist, he just likes pissing people off. He mainly stands there on stage playing guitar. He's kinda shy on stage (for some strange reason considering his personality) and stares at his guitar or the floor, or just closes his eyes.
The guitarist (pajama pants) wore his pants tucked into 2 foot vynal boots and a white power t-shirt. That pic is pre-haircut. Cool guy though, but he isn't racist, he just likes pissing people off. He mainly stands there on stage playing guitar. He's kinda shy on stage (for some strange reason considering his personality) and stares at his guitar or the floor, or just closes his eyes.
In my opinion the fact that he is 'trying to make a statement' or 'be controversial and provoke (X)' is a good thing. Now I wouldn't choose to be a little white dude, wear "white power" anything and think that anything other than angry confrontation would come of it - but that's me.
If you are a punk band, then that is right in line with the punk ethic - controversy, antagonism, breaking "rules" and "norms".
Also - the pic is a frozen moment - and unless the person being photographed is posing, it is not a surprise that the pic captured a mundane moment. Home many thousands of photos of ourselves to we all have where we were looking at the neck, caught concentrating or simply weren't expecting the lens to be on us? I'd say most pics that come from any band are 75% to 85% so-so shots and the rest are reasonably good shots.
If that kid moves, has confidence and owns his part of the stage, he can wear those PJ's all he wants. I personally would not be happy with the white power t-shirt - and if I were in a rule making position, my rule would be that you are not allowed to make the band look like a bunch of racist a-holes - so no swastikas, no SS uniforms, no white power t-shirts.
It's one thing to be personally expressive - quite another to be mindlessly antagonistic and to drag your friends down with you.
If you are a punk band, then that is right in line with the punk ethic - controversy, antagonism, breaking "rules" and "norms".
Also - the pic is a frozen moment - and unless the person being photographed is posing, it is not a surprise that the pic captured a mundane moment. Home many thousands of photos of ourselves to we all have where we were looking at the neck, caught concentrating or simply weren't expecting the lens to be on us? I'd say most pics that come from any band are 75% to 85% so-so shots and the rest are reasonably good shots.
If that kid moves, has confidence and owns his part of the stage, he can wear those PJ's all he wants. I personally would not be happy with the white power t-shirt - and if I were in a rule making position, my rule would be that you are not allowed to make the band look like a bunch of racist a-holes - so no swastikas, no SS uniforms, no white power t-shirts.
It's one thing to be personally expressive - quite another to be mindlessly antagonistic and to drag your friends down with you.
I mixed a band a bunch of times whose (male) lead singer was partial to pink tutus. That was pretty tame for him though. My favorite was a "family-friendly" outdoor show where he wrapped himself in aluminum foil and had a rather young and innocent looking girl pull it off him as he spun around. I think he had a diaper on underneath, maybe? But maybe not, knowing him.
You worked with The Tubes?
LOL!
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.
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scary people wear that stuff!
(oh, and for a nice laugh, check the site those last 2 come from)
