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Image and Rock

#21
carlthegroover said:
Well, I think that's all normal since rock music, as with any other genre, has evolved and divided into many different categories. Crossovers between genres have happened for decades now, so the line has been blurred.

Still, there are people who can consider "classic rock" the "true" rock music and stay with it.

Well, if image seems like a problem, there is always the possibility of talking about it, right? And to do research about image and intended gigs to see how to adapt to it.
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One of the things I don't understand are bands that have no problem going on stage ( bar or club gig) dressed just like the patrons
 
#22
bluewine said:
One of the things I don't understand are bands that have no problem going on stage ( bar or club gig) dressed just like the patrons
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I'm usually dressed in jeans, and a T-shirt that says something sort of clever, or very offensive.

I'm fat, I don't shave real regular like, and I own three pairs of shoes.

We don't play the Casino around here because we say **** a lot. I mean we say **** a lot! Apparently, the casino has no problem taking an old ladies social security check, but when the band says **** a lot, well, there's a moral dilemma.

After reflecting on that previous statement, I think I'm gonna have a T-shirt made that says "I say **** a lot". I bet a T-shirt like that would go over big........ :D
 
#24
Phalex said:
I'm usually dressed in jeans, and a T-shirt that says something sort of clever, or very offensive.

I'm fat, I don't shave real regular like, and I own three pairs of shoes.

We don't play the Casino around here because we say **** a lot. I mean we say **** a lot! Apparently, the casino has no problem taking an old ladies social security check, but when the band says **** a lot, well, there's a moral dilemma.

After reflecting on that previous statement, I think I'm gonna have a T-shirt made that says "I say **** a lot". I bet a T-shirt like that would go over big........ :D
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Liar-PB.jpg


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#25
After reading the original/initial post I was upset over the sentiment implied. I (more than anyone) understand that today's music industry is image driven and not talent driven. But really, if bands and musicians focused more on how they sounded and played than what they looked like I'm sure the music biz would be all the better for it.

Remember when the 'rock image' looked like we were all addicted to heroine and homeless, yea...

I too play shows in ripped jeans and black t-shirts
 
#28
Well, I may not look cool, and whether I have style is up for debate, but when gigging, I always dress in a way that makes me stand out. I'm young and long-haired, which helps. I don't want to be hiding on stage. I try to always be more noticeable than any member of the crowd, or other bands for that matter, without being utterly ridiculous. I still want people to take me somewhat seriously.

I feel like this helps not only with stage presence and the "it" factor, but with auditions too, because I try to be memorable. I don't dress like anyone else either, which makes it more difficult for someone to lump me into a category, instead of judging me fairly. Last gig I played, I wore black slacks, bowling shoes, tiedye dress shirt, green Masters jacket, turqouise necklace, giant gold hoop earring, silk bandanna, and a top hat covered in shiny buttons. With my orange metallic bass, it's quite photogenic. :)
 
#31
Hmmm. Big band era the band members all dressed like the patrons too... in tuxedos. Beatles era, in the beginning, it was the matching monkey suits. Then rock went hippie and rock stars pretty much dressed... like hippies. Still seems like they were dressed the same as the patrons, more or less. Punk, new wave music - I think that there's always been some correspondence between how the fans dress and how the band dresses. The 80s probably had the widest gap between band and fan outfits but even then when I go back and look at old videos, the band's attire often wasn't AS wild as I seem to remember.

I DO think there's such a thing as stage presence and that choice of wardrobe is a part of it. But if you're a band of blue-collar guys playing Bruce Springsteen for a blue-collar bar crowd, I don't expect you to show up in spandex, or tuxes. Some bands do have a chip on their shoulder about "not" dressing for the show, which I think is short-sighted, but a lot of the time the jeans-and-t-shirt band look is deliberate and well-chosen for the shows they're putting on. It's not my thing personally, but it is what it is.
 
#33
Come to think of it not my last band but the band before that I always work trendy low cut jeans,boots and shirt. Accessories were always bracelets and chokers.

The other guys in the band wore jeans, hiking boots or gym shoes.

I guess I was the Guy that looked dated
 
#34
bluewine said:
Anyone ever experience this:

Say your a rock Guy a cool rock Guy and maybe a little older. Being a rock guy use to mean looking cool and feeling cool.

The term "Rock Band" has become alot more reletive than it used to be.

Have you ever been between bands and your doing the audition thing.

You see an ad for a "Rock Band" that looks like it might be worth investigation.

You go to the bands web-site and all the band members look like "Larry The Cable Guy"

Happened to me yesterday :)
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There is a 70s hard rock cover band in the unit next to mine practicing. They all wear their every day "larry the cable guy-ish" clothes to practice. Gigs to I imagine. Lotta people just wear their everyday casual clothes in a band setting and don't think twice about it. For cover bands it's more than fine.

I prefer when the bands dress the part too. Though it depends on the genre. I think cool stage outfits are just as important for setting the mood and feel of the band as the music is as well. Look at a new heavy metal band called Ghost to see what I mean. If they just dressed like your everyday metal head it wouldn't be as interesting. Ghost (Swedish band) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I'm not saying every local band needs to go out and don costumes n ****. But generally I get more interested when they pay attention to their looks in ways like that.
 
#35
bluewine said:
Come to think of it not my last band but the band before that I always work trendy low cut jeans,boots and shirt. Accessories were always bracelets and chokers.

The other guys in the band wore jeans, hiking boots or gym shoes.

I guess I was the Guy that looked dated
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I try to look my part, nice jeans, shirt, sometimes a vest or jacket but always a hat..nice ones that I wear well and boots. The rest of the band dress decent mostly jeans and a nice shirt except for our multi strings player who dresses like me and we are the two oldest members :rolleyes:. I dont worry about it too much, dress my age and look like a hippster doofus not a rockstar. At almost 50 I would look like an idiot trying to pull off "rockstar...." Blues dude? roots rocker? country? Yes... Rockstar?..Gosh no :rollno:
 
#37
hrodbert696 said:
Hmmm. Big band era the band members all dressed like the patrons too... in tuxedos. Beatles era, in the beginning, it was the matching monkey suits. Then rock went hippie and rock stars pretty much dressed... like hippies. Still seems like they were dressed the same as the patrons, more or less. Punk, new wave music - I think that there's always been some correspondence between how the fans dress and how the band dresses. The 80s probably had the widest gap between band and fan outfits but even then when I go back and look at old videos, the band's attire often wasn't AS wild as I seem to remember.
Click to expand...

Except for the big band where everyone is in a tux ('cause you can't get more dressed up then a tux, really), there's a big flaw in that logic. The Beatles' audiences didn't dress up in suits and ties to go to the show. Hendrix's 'hippy' style was WAY more flamboyant then almost certainly anyone in any of his audiences. Pick any one of the bands from that era, and I think (as a general rule), you'll find the same gap between the audience and the performers. Even in the punk era, the bands typically were way more 'punk' then the audience.

It's been pretty darn consistent through time that performers with a good, solid following always dressed up more then their audiences. True, there are exceptions, but they're the exception, and far and away not the norm.
 
#38
Ubersheist said:
Except for the big band where everyone is in a tux ('cause you can't get more dressed up then a tux, really), there's a big flaw in that logic. The Beatles' audiences didn't dress up in suits and ties to go to the show. Hendrix's 'hippy' style was WAY more flamboyant then almost certainly anyone in any of his audiences. Pick any one of the bands from that era, and I think (as a general rule), you'll find the same gap between the audience and the performers. Even in the punk era, the bands typically were way more 'punk' then the audience.

It's been pretty darn consistent through time that performers with a good, solid following always dressed up more then their audiences. True, there are exceptions, but they're the exception, and far and away not the norm.
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All good points, I think it gets tricky when your talking about your average bar band and the venues your playing.

I'm not going to wear eye liner to a hard core biker bar that holds 50 people Max.
 
#39
I may be being ageist, but IMHO the older you get, the more important it is to dress sharp. I have a hard time taking anyone post-45 seriously if they are still trying to pull of the rock-star thing. On the other hand, show me a bassist with gray hair dressed classy, and he gets more respect right off the bat than any kid my age, regardless of clothing.
 
#40
Last rehearsal the band who had the space booked before us went over-time, I open the door to the studio and see Dave Lombardo (Slayer Drummer) and one of his bands wrapping things up... Guess how they dressed. They wore clothes like the rest of us as if they didn't give a crap,'cause they didn't. In fact, every 'known' rockstar who rehearses at my studio dresses chill...I ran into Gavin Rossdale in Venice a couple weeks ago, shorts and T-shirt.... This original post is null and void
 

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