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Lack of style
- Thread starter catcauphonic
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I guess I'll throw in my opinion.
I've always thought the 'costume' aspect was ridiculous. I'm not in a circus, and it's only Halloween once. If I won't wear it out anywhere, I'm not wearing it on stage. I'm being paid to play music..to do a job. For complete disclosure, I could wear a t-shirt and jeans to my 8-5 if I wanted.
That being said, I wear a t-shirt and jeans to 90% of my gigs. Usually bar gigs. On the occasion we play a private event, wedding, or something other than a bar, it gets a button down and jeans. And black slip on vans. Always. Nobody in a bar is there to hear the band. At least down here anyway. They're there to drink. Bands are just background noise.
When it's 105 degrees, 97% humidity and we're playing outside.. shorts and a t-shirt with an industrial fan blowing on me. Probably a hat and sunglasses.
I've always thought the 'costume' aspect was ridiculous. I'm not in a circus, and it's only Halloween once. If I won't wear it out anywhere, I'm not wearing it on stage. I'm being paid to play music..to do a job. For complete disclosure, I could wear a t-shirt and jeans to my 8-5 if I wanted.
That being said, I wear a t-shirt and jeans to 90% of my gigs. Usually bar gigs. On the occasion we play a private event, wedding, or something other than a bar, it gets a button down and jeans. And black slip on vans. Always. Nobody in a bar is there to hear the band. At least down here anyway. They're there to drink. Bands are just background noise.
When it's 105 degrees, 97% humidity and we're playing outside.. shorts and a t-shirt with an industrial fan blowing on me. Probably a hat and sunglasses.
Not only that, but Buckethead kills with some sick kung-fu moves and nunchaku maneuvering, but is an extremely talented musician. So, to have your own look, put on a performance and be a beast at what you do, is very possible.Works for Bucket head !
In response to some earlier comments, I don't think it's so much that visuals come first and music second. I think it's more a case that once you get to the live performance level, the quality of the music is taken as a given.
So with the music out of the way, the next nagging issue on the band's to-do list - the visual aspect - receives an immediate promotion.
Good visual appeal won't turn a bad group into a good one. Because no matter how good a band looks, if their music isn't appealing to enough people, that band won't last long.
But a bad visual impression can definitely hurt a good band in the same way that a really fine meal, served sloppily and with no regard to appearance, will greatly diminish many diner's enjoyment of the dish.
My take is it doesn't ever hurt to show a little style on occasion. It costs next to nothing. And it's usually appreciated when you make the effort.
So with the music out of the way, the next nagging issue on the band's to-do list - the visual aspect - receives an immediate promotion.
Good visual appeal won't turn a bad group into a good one. Because no matter how good a band looks, if their music isn't appealing to enough people, that band won't last long.
But a bad visual impression can definitely hurt a good band in the same way that a really fine meal, served sloppily and with no regard to appearance, will greatly diminish many diner's enjoyment of the dish.
My take is it doesn't ever hurt to show a little style on occasion. It costs next to nothing. And it's usually appreciated when you make the effort.
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
One of my personal funny moments along these lines was going to see the Grateful Dead for the first time. With all the tie-dye, furry freaks and wizards running around (seriously. I saw a wizard.) to me it was a moment of zen to see the Dead come out looking so....shockingly...normal!!! My God, I think Bob even had a POLO SHIRT on. What twisted deviants.
OTOH, I similarly had no idea what to expect when seeing Parliament-Funkadelic the first time. Let's just say the polo shirt would not have worked here. : )
If you're not familiar with P-funk, we are talking about a man in a nun's robe playing a Gibson flying V. Another guy in a giant diaper. George in some kind of space alien robe.
Currently P-funk has a less outlandish look -George cut off the rainbow dreads and comes onstage in a 3 piece suit and fedora now, and the younger ones sport a more classic hip-hop look. The ladies are a bit more conservative than the Brides of Funkenstein look.
There's no one answer! Might as well be discussing tone. But I do see a lot of local bands look like poopie in jeans & tshirts. Jeans & Tshirt is a LOOK that has to be "pulled off" like any other. You metal guys that are all "I don't do costumes", and come out in all black, well...
OTOH, I similarly had no idea what to expect when seeing Parliament-Funkadelic the first time. Let's just say the polo shirt would not have worked here. : )
If you're not familiar with P-funk, we are talking about a man in a nun's robe playing a Gibson flying V. Another guy in a giant diaper. George in some kind of space alien robe.
Currently P-funk has a less outlandish look -George cut off the rainbow dreads and comes onstage in a 3 piece suit and fedora now, and the younger ones sport a more classic hip-hop look. The ladies are a bit more conservative than the Brides of Funkenstein look.
There's no one answer! Might as well be discussing tone. But I do see a lot of local bands look like poopie in jeans & tshirts. Jeans & Tshirt is a LOOK that has to be "pulled off" like any other. You metal guys that are all "I don't do costumes", and come out in all black, well...
except actually jeans and Tshirt is their costume, the music they play require a certain look. they will never wear a suit on stage (maybe they wouldn't want to anyway) as it would go against the image they have carefully created for themselves over the past 30 years.
Well, I know James wears the t-shirts other bands give him. A local band here gave him one that he wears in the video for "Nothing Else Matters". Nosferatu.
Same one he's wearing right here:
I had one too for a long while, but finally wore it out.
I sort of wish I'd gone to the trouble of having it dry cleaned, so it would last longer.
Same one he's wearing right here:
I had one too for a long while, but finally wore it out.
I sort of wish I'd gone to the trouble of having it dry cleaned, so it would last longer.
Well, I know James wears the t-shirts other bands give him. A local band here gave him one that he wears in the video for "Nothing Else Matters". Nosferatu.
Same one he's wearing right here:
I had one too for a long while, but finally wore it out.
I sort of wish I'd gone to the trouble of having it dry cleaned, so it would last longer.
NICE! HA!
This is the dorkiest looking band I've ever seen. What are they called? Revenge of the Nerds?
Well, I know James wears the t-shirts other bands give him. A local band here gave him one that he wears in the video for "Nothing Else Matters". Nosferatu.
Same one he's wearing right here:
I had one too for a long while, but finally wore it out.
I sort of wish I'd gone to the trouble of having it dry cleaned, so it would last longer.
Another band's T is ok. But IMO it's a gig-foul to wear you own band's swag when you're onstage.
I totally draw the line on buying anything that ever needs dry cleaning ... unless my cat pees on one of my fave fuzzy leopard print jackets!
It didn't need to be dry cleaned, but I know a guy who dry cleans all his vintage T-shirts & he's had some for 20 year, and still wears them all the time.
That Nosferatu one would have been one to hold onto.
I've got some t-shirts from some motorcycle clubs in Thailand that I love, and consider dry cleaning those when I can't hand wash them.
That Nosferatu one would have been one to hold onto.
I've got some t-shirts from some motorcycle clubs in Thailand that I love, and consider dry cleaning those when I can't hand wash them.
With all due respect I believe that this is the crux of the misperception for those who are "anti-showmanship" (for lack of a better term)
It is not that music and musicianship is secondary, it is that it is a given.
To use a sports analogy, when a professional football team takes the field there is no question that every man there is able to perform at the highest level. If this were not the case they wouldn't be on the team.
Likewise only after a band is squared away musically should issues of showmanship be addressed. If the goal is to perform for an audience (and be successful in a business sense) then at that point showmanship is of equal importance.
I believe this is just as relevant for a band attempting to gain notoriety on the local/regional scene as it is for top tier artists.
Wait, so if my band does Jazz Fusion, progressive metal, avant-garde metal, alternative metal and hard rock, am I allowed to tuxedos, tactical gear or buttoned shirts with ties, along with masks, or none?
It wasn't anti-showmanship at all, but in a town where the mailman could play like Brad Paisley, something had to set "The Band" apart from every other band competing for the same amount of attention.
