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Identity Crisis?

JehuJava

Bass Frequency Technician
Oct 15, 2002
2,494
153
53
Yorktown, VA
I'm the bass player in a relatively new band (9 months). We've been gigging around NYC for a couple of months and just recorded an EP that sounds awesome at the rough mix stage. We're female fronted, heavy but melodic.

We just got a new drummer who keeps harping on "We got to get an image...we got to get one now before some record company tells us what to wear when get signed." He specifically targets me. I prefer to wear cut off tan Dickies, a t-shirt, a baseball hat, and low top converse. He prefers to glam up.

I'm into more underground bands indie and harcore bands (Fugazi, Gorrila Biscuits, Mogwai, Karate) where my "image" is the norm. He is into bigger acts (King Crimson, Tool, Led Zep, Crue, Police, etc) that kinda dresses the part.

Do I really need to change my "image" to be a bad @ss band and get signed. Or is my image already good enough...I certainly don't look like Abercrombie and Beotch?

Any thoughts??

Alan

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I think your drummer has got a point there. The question now is whether you blend in with the rest of the band in the sense that you don't create a disturbance on stage. If the rest has this uniform style of dressing and you are the only one to stand out: seriously consider changing your style. If not: no worries.
 
Then ignore my previous post. He does not have a point. If he has this "secret look" in mind he should either forget about it or reveal it to the entire band instead of nagging at you exclusively. And when it comes to the whole "image & style-thing" the one pointer you need to follow imo is that, whatever it is, it should never be too far off from who you really are and comfortable with.
 
IMO, you don't all have to wear the same thing, but you should all look like you semi-belong onstage together. Go look at some other local bands. You'll see what you like or dislike, and go from there. Have someone take pictures of your band while you're playing, and you'll get a viewpoint of what you look like, dislikes and likes, etc.
 
Yaw said:
Then ignore my previous post. He does not have a point. If he has this "secret look" in mind he should either forget about it or reveal it to the entire band instead of nagging at you exclusively. And when it comes to the whole "image & style-thing" the one pointer you need to follow imo is that, whatever it is, it should never be too far off from who you really are and comfortable with.
ditto. except for the "ignore my previous post" part, as I did not make one.

...nothing says "ass clown" like people faking it for "the image" and feeling uncomfortable.
 
Does every contract come with previsions on how the band should dress? I don't imagine this to be true for every contract. I would believe we would be able to shop around for the best deal for each and every one of us.
 
Image? If you're heavy but melodic, just have everyone wear black (black anything, black everything). Theres your image for you.

Your current look is the image for a few bands around here, so you could go with that.