Musicians on stage wearing black clothes...

[Bassman Spiff]

Yeah... my touring band is guilty of the blackfit trend - with the exception of our female lead singer, who understandably should stand out a little bit. We do perform in "casual" clothes now and then, but black outfits are the norm.

It is our bandleader's call, and I can't see a reason to disagree. It looks good (IMO).

 

[Marc valero]

I have shirts set aside for performing, but my rule is when we do a big show on a large stage I wear a yellow shirt, which really stands out and is noticeable in color photos in the newspaper. A jazz band did a gig in our little downtown with everyone wearing black, there is some backlight from the sun that causes underexposure and the photographer from the newspaper didn't make any adjustments. The photo was on a black and white page and the band was just kind of one blob of black where you couldn't even identify the instruments.

 

[Mikey F]

I prefer cargo jorts and a tie dye

 

[Killing Floor]

I’m not about uniforms but I think you can use a theme sometimes like if everyone has black bottoms, it’s cohesive but doesn’t look too campy.

 

[Killing Floor]

The best and most significant guitarist of all time wore a lot of black.
Bassist quiz, who is this? Hint, he’s why your hero’s hero learned to play.

 

[bassdude51]

 

[SaucyJackBass]

Not to derail this thread, but I am amazed at the number of short sleeves. When onstage I wear long sleeves simply to keep my sweaty arm from sticking to the bass.

 

[HardNHeavy]

hiding fat, a funeral gig, or playing metal......walk around nyc on any given day

 

[BrotherMister]

Concert blacks! I always dress in black so I know I'm always ready for a gig.

 

[shastaband]

I like to wear black too.

 

[swink]

Black on stage? ..... It's a classic

 

[Bunk McNulty]

I think we look pretty good in black. The boss wears whatever she wants.

 

[Danny O Danny]

I recall back in the early 80's when my teenage band got signed on to a booking agency and started playing nightclubs, one of the pieces of advice they gave us was "people hear with their eyes, so dress like professionals." That's always stuck with me. It's hard to go wrong with black clothing onstage, although nowadays it's usually a black shirt with jeans or khakis.

 

[electracoyote]

However, the trend of wearing black seems to be a thing.

Yep, you used the right word: Trend. To elaborate, a trend of convenience for the band which usually does nothing to enhance the experience for the audience. Especially if we're talking black tees or button downs with black dad pants and non-descript black footwear. Add a black hat and a black instrument for emphasis. Against a black or dark background. Depressing.

As an entertainer, I'm often at odds with trends, especially what I consider tired worn-out lazy trends. If for no other reason than the spirit of competition, I'd rather set myself and my band apart from trends like the black-dominant fixation.

Putting myself in the audience's perspective, with only a few notable exceptions, most bands in all black make me think of the wait staff or a funeral. It's what they wear in the orchestra pit so as not to distract, to be inconspicuous and attract as little attention as possible away from the stage.

My brand of entertainment has me vehemently opposed to black being the dominant color (or lack thereof) on stage, and I have actually quit or refused to join a band over that.

 

[dlb1001]

The band that I play in, she wants us in black dress shirts. She supplies the ties that match the colors of her outfit. I think the last gig we did, she wore a gold jacket so we got gold ties.

 

[Shizzean]

I'm still waiting for this look to come back!

 

[Killing Floor]

Not to derail this thread, but I am amazed at the number of short sleeves. When onstage I wear long sleeves simply to keep my sweaty arm from sticking to the bass.

Tank tops for the win!

 

[Deleted member 365158]

CAUTION!!!
if you wear black, you might get mistaken for a roadie or stagehand and get put to work!

 

[jmlee]

Who got it right? Ricky or Little Jimmy?

 

[swink]

I'm still waiting for this look to come back!View attachment 4179317

It can be sooner than you think,.... barbershops are closed due to Covid