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Lack of style

#101
Bunk McNulty said:
There is truth in this. We don't just stand there and look at our shoes. We engage in the same kind of play-acting that you see in professional wrestling. When one of the guitarists has a flashy solo, we hoot and holler at him, like he's having this great breakthrough, even though he's playing exactly the same line as he did the night before. Etc. It is, most definitely, a performance.
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This.

When I'm paying money to get in, I do not want to see somebody who looks just like me doing exactly what I would be doing in my home studio. I want to be wowed by the total package. Sound good, look good, and I'm good with it.

Note: Also show up with the full band? I'm getting pretty sick of these "groups" booking smaller venues and showing up with just the singer/guitarist, the bass player, and maybe the drummer. Call it "a more intimate performance" if you like. (Yeah..."intimate" my arse bro!) But at least make it abundantly clear in your advertising - and don't wait till I get up to the door - to inform me that: "This is a special performance...so it's not the entire band that will be playing tonight."
 
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#102
i've gone to see many bands that wear street clothes when they play. it must have seemed appropriate to me, as i never gave it a thought until i read this thread. that being said, it's gotta work for the type of music, i think; i expect some kind of bands to dress up a little more or have more of a cohesive look, but if the music is good enough, i don't really care.
 
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#103
It definitely depends on the gig. When I used to play metal, we dressed appropriate for the concert: Black jeans, black shirts, jackets (not dressy), boots, whatever. In my current group we play a large variety of Adult Contemporary and at gigs it's always a nice dress for our singer and suits for the rest. Depending on the event, dark jeans with a dress shirt and sport coat / waist coat can also be part of our attire.

In my opinion, no matter where you're playing, dress as nice as you can without being out of place. Show the audience that you care about looking clean and sharp for them. I'm sure they appreciate it!
 
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#104
catcauphonic said:
I'll never understand some bands aversion to having any kind of visual interest while on stage as far as their wardrobe goes.

Both bands that played after we did last night were wearing things that I barely even would wear around the house when no one is gonna see me.

Yea, the music should speak for itself blah blah blah, but if you're going to be the center of attention for almost an hour, I don't see why you wouldn't want to put a little thought into adding some visual interest as well as musical.

Just a pet peeve of mine. /rant
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Totally agree!! You're onstage, essentially an employee of the venue you're playing in, and everyone's looking at you. DRESS NICE!!!
 
#106
mellowinman said:
So just for fun, what would you wear to a classic rock gig?
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image.jpeg
 
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#107
catcauphonic said:
I'll never understand some bands aversion to having any kind of visual interest while on stage as far as their wardrobe goes.

Both bands that played after we did last night were wearing things that I barely even would wear around the house when no one is gonna see me.

Yea, the music should speak for itself blah blah blah, but if you're going to be the center of attention for almost an hour, I don't see why you wouldn't want to put a little thought into adding some visual interest as well as musical.

Just a pet peeve of mine. /rant
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you'll find a fair amount of resistance even here on TB. I agree with you.
 
#109
Max Blasto said:
Well, for one, he's not on stage. His clothes tell you that he can get more views just sitting on his couch at home than trying to get people to buy tickets to a concert. Which means he's boring to watch. And that means that while his playing is fantastic, it's a niche market: bass players who like instrumental jazz.

Now, if he were wearing an Iron Maiden tshirt with rips in it .....
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40Hz said:
Mike's not on stage in that video. But he's still nicely dressed IMO. The three times I've seen him playing out he was also nicely dressed,
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On stage!Now what?
 
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#113
Watchootognbout said:
He dresses the same on stage or in some ones living room.
The point is:Higher playing ability trumps stylish clothing any day.
His stage clothes have nothing to do with anything.
Stage or street corner.
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So I guess he knows enough to skip the grungy t-shirts, shorts and sandals no matter where he is huh? :p

And maybe his appearance has nothing to do with anything as far as you're concerned. But by the same token, you're not the only person listening to him either. So to each their own, right? :)
 
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#117
We are a Country/Blues/Some rock band of people aged 40+. We don't require expect or even want full-on matching 'Good Ole' Boys' attire or Nudie Suits or any of that stuff. We really have only one rule:

- No Hawaiian shirts (it's a all-too common stereotype with a lot of local bands out here: Hawaiian shirts, shorts and jogging shoes, with the occasional gardener hat).

But the reality is that our members all seem to know to dress for the venue while still being comfortable so it's not an issue. Respect yourself, your audience and the venue by presenting yourself well.
 
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#120
A nice dress shirt and jeans suits me fine. If I didnt go bald and could still have long hair I might have some more options. I don't really care what people wear on stage to an extent. There is a certain responsibility to look somewhat presentable, you are the focus and people are looking at you. Not exactly a job interview but I think alittle of the same logic applies. It dosent bother me too much if you wanna wear sweat pants and flip flops with a raggy sleeveless shirt but your music better be darn good to take the attention off that. Otherwise I won't want your autograph when I see you at walmart.
 

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