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Is Wearing Sunglasses On Stage Douchey?

It's all about context to me.

If you're playing outside at 2 PM in full sun there's nothing douchey about it at all. In fact it's smart.

If you're playing a bar at midnight, you don't have a legitimate medical reason and you're not ZZ Top or Stevie Wonder, then yeah you might be trying a little too hard.

Whoever gives a rat's ass whether I wear sunglasses on stage is trying to hard!

Wear whatever the f you want...to even care what others think is douchey.
 
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There is an old saying that goes only two types of people wear sunglasses indoors... blind people and douche bags. if you aren't blind you're a douche bag.

That being said the singer for my band wore sunglasses for the first few shows. I wasn't happy about it, but I figured if Guns 'N' Roses could do it why not us? Also he was a few years younger than me so I figured maybe I was out of touch and sunglasses on stage were cool again. After a few shows he realized they made him look like a douche and stopped.

Of course if he had listened to me in the first place (as was the case with many of his issues) the whole thing might have been avoided.

The point I'm trying to make is if you do wear sunglasses, your friends and family might be ok with it (some might even encourage it), but the random people in the club that you are trying get to buy your record and be your fan will think you're a douche bag.

Of course all of this is out the window if you have a strong enough personality to be that kind of douche bag.
 
My personal impression of people who wear sunglasses on an indoor stage isn't usually favorable, but that doesn't mean some people can't pull it off.

Much like hats or shorts on stage... some people can make it work for them, others can't. A huge part of evolving into a viable performer (not musician... PERFORMER) is finding/developing a stage persona that's true to who you are and still fits the context of the band, the audience and the gig. It's not always as easy as it looks and there's no set formula.
 
Maybe you just have a strong enough personality to be that kind of douche bag...

My point is if you're playing for more than a small group of friends and you don't have the swagger to pull off sunglasses, somebody in the crowd is laughing at you for being "that guy". I'll never tell somebody they can't wear them, but unless you're a bonafide rock star, somebody is having a laugh at your expense. That's just a fact, and I figured the OP should know. It's up to him whether he's okay with that.

Also if you're playing blues it's just part of the uniform.
 
There is an old saying that goes only two types of people wear sunglasses indoors... blind people and douche bags.

I THINK it was originally "Blind people and a$$*****" per Larry David, more recently uttered on television by Gene Simmons while he was wearing sunglasses indoors. Good enough for me.

The only exceptions are bona-fide rock stars such as Dusty Hill, or anyone in a Blues Brothers tribute.
 
I grew up surfing and sailing on the beaches in So Cal. Sunglasses are kind of the normal standard California ocean culture look in the beach cities out here. If it's a day gig, all the guys in my band wear them. With that said, when we are giging at night we would not even think of wearing them. People here would think you are trying to look too "Hollywood" and probably laugh. Now that I think about it, a drummer in one of my bands in the 90's always wore sunglasses, day or night. We nicknamed him "Hollywood."
 
I normally don't, because once I start to sweat, they start to slip. There's one place I gig where it is required. The stage lights in front of the stage are aimed directly into the performer's eyes. We've asked for them off or turned down without success. So for that gig, I'm a douche :)
 
You know, I always thought that it was a douche move to do this BEFORE I was a stage player. Now that I have "seen the light" (oh come on, that was clever right there) my tune has changed a little. I still have not worn sunglasses on stage, but I have been on several where I wished I'd had some.

+1

Stage lights can be blinding some times.
 
I THINK it was originally "Blind people and a$$*****" per Larry David, more recently uttered on television by Gene Simmons while he was wearing sunglasses indoors. Good enough for me.

The only exceptions are bona-fide rock stars such as Dusty Hill, or anyone in a Blues Brothers tribute.

You are correct! I paraphrased because I thought ******** would get censored.