• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Stoner/Doom Bassists 54: Big Cabs and Nerd Bombs

#101
The_Janitor said:
...I guess it just bothers me because the whole stoner doom movement started out being anti image and unpretentious. Now there's d bags posting ads requiring you look a certain way to be in their band.
It's no skin off my back and obviously anyone who doesn't like it can avoid those types of people. It just seems like these guys are sort of missing the point.

That's my take on it anyway...
;)
Click to expand...

The Janitor is cleaning up the trash!

+1

That's what got me into it. That and the heavy music. I don't need a uniform to play music and that's what was lost on punk rockers. I have always been the one who is "comfortable". My friend had a house party in high school. We found some special fungus, and from that point forward, I was in gym shorts and my hepcat t-shirt. People were all partying the whole night and were asking me why I was wearing my ensemble. My reply was that I didn't want annoying clothes distracting me from my good time. I have always tried to abide by that, regardless of the situation. I can't enjoy myself anywhere, if my clothes suck...

So, you will never catch me in stage in a flannel.

A genre should be defined by the music.
 
#104
Lazarus.Bird said:
I'm not kidding myself, I fully disagree. If we're talking about **** like Ghost then yeah sure, image is a pretty big deal there. But I'd say it's the exception way more than it is the rule.
Click to expand...

look at the band kadavar you sent me the other day. they fit the exact description that these dudes are looking for. they look straight out of the 70s, big beards, grungy looking, all have long hair. thats an image. theres plenty of bands that look like this too that do similar music.

Kadavar.jpg


just like in hardcore/metalcore, skinny jeans, bad lip rings, swoop haircuts.
 
#105
Image is only a key issue if you care about it. I don't bring it up that much in this thread, because it's not that big a deal and I don't care that much about genre names in general, but I hate the "stoner" label. I don't smoke pot, I don't write lyrics about smoking pot. The things I like about these kinds of music have nothing to do with that. On the other hand, I don't care at all if bands I like do. The irony is that when I was in punk bands I had long hair, didn't trim my beard, wore flannels and smoked a lot of pot (never wrote any lyrics about it though)...and I used to get sh*t about it constantly. I actually got told once "dude, would you please shave? Beards aren't punk". I don't care either way. If a band has long hair and beards and vintage gear or plays modern gear and wears shorts and flip flops on stage and have short hair and a goatee...and play a blue Ric and be really tall...that's fine by me, as long as they rock.
 
#106
DethByDoom said:
More money than sense. Showed my drummer. His response was the the same added "it'd take me a week to set that up, he doesn't play half that shvt."
Click to expand...

Yep, I respect his talent, not many who could play for Frank Zappa. I could see something like that in his house, because he collects gear and he can afford it, but not taking it out on stage. It's funny my buddy showed me those pics a while back because we both love Frank Zappa, but I said they same things you all are saying about his kit, like deja vu.
 
#109
I would have to go with agreeing that image is definitely part of this music scene, as it is in most music scenes.

We definitely have had past experiences where people wrote us off or didn't think we were very good since we didn't look very "metal" or fit the image people expected us to have. We still get comments or whatever from people now and then saying that we don't look like they would expect. But it doesn't matter to me.

I dress the way I do every day of my life, whether I'm playing a show, going to work, or just hanging out. Most people would consider me "put together" or "well dressed" and I regularly get compliments on my choices. They may not fit my look as a bassist in a doom band, but I play music because it's what I truly love to do, and that's all that really matters to me.
 
#110
beebassdude said:
look at the band kadavar you sent me the other day. they fit the exact description that these dudes are looking for. they look straight out of the 70s, big beards, grungy looking, all have long hair. thats an image. theres plenty of bands that look like this too that do similar music.

Kadavar.jpg


just like in hardcore/metalcore, skinny jeans, bad lip rings, swoop haircuts.
Click to expand...

Well sure, if you're gonna bring Europeans into it... haha.

So that's one band. Yes, there are a decent amount of European 70s retro-rock revival bands that shoot music videos that look like they're 40 years old. That doesn't mean it is the norm for our entire "genre".


I guess the point that I'm making is, I don't give a **** about image. Neither does anyone in my band, and from what I can tell neither do any of the amazing bands I've had a chance to share the stage with. So just because a few popular bands do it, doesn't mean that it is common in stoner/doom.
 
#111
Well, to be fair, the guy that we had come audition is a friend from High School that I haven't talked to in quite a long time that I knew was a drummer. I hit him up outta the blue after I saw he had scored a drumset for cheap. I sent him the songs, talked to him on the phone and he talked up his skill level like he was on par, if not better than the old guy. Couldn't have farther from the truth. We first jammed with him on Saturday, where he admitted he was a little rusty...big deal, try to work through it. Saturday was pretty awful, but we figured we'd give him another chance. That was yesterday. Still awful, and we could tell that he was obviously irritated that he wasn't performing like he thought he should. Can't be fun for him. I feel bad...he sounds alright when we jam off the cuff, but he just cannot play the structured songs to save his life.
 
#113
Corey Y said:
Image is only a key issue if you care about it. I don't bring it up that much in this thread, because it's not that big a deal and I don't care that much about genre names in general, but I hate the "stoner" label. I don't smoke pot, I don't write lyrics about smoking pot. The things I like about these kinds of music have nothing to do with that. On the other hand, I don't care at all if bands I like do. The irony is that when I was in punk bands I had long hair, didn't trim my beard, wore flannels and smoked a lot of pot (never wrote any lyrics about it though)...and I used to get sh*t about it constantly. I actually got told once "dude, would you please shave? Beards aren't punk". I don't care either way. If a band has long hair and beards and vintage gear or plays modern gear and wears shorts and flip flops on stage and have short hair and a goatee...and play a blue Ric and be really tall...that's fine by me, as long as they rock.
Click to expand...


100% agree with all of this. image is stupid but i still acknowledge that it exists because it blatantly does. all genres have a look that go with them, just the way it is. whether a group decides to look that way is their choice, but a lot of them do.

grunge, thrash, punk, stoner, euro metal, rock n roll, black metal - i could drop all of these names and id bet everyone in this thread could rattle off at least 5 visual aspects that define the genres. and again, not everybody adheres to them, but a lot of the time they do.
 
#114
I would say that Josh Homme never rocked a beard and hasn't had "long" hair in decades but it seemed like they don't like his stuff....

Yeah unfortunately image does matter a bit. If for nothing else than, first impressions. I just dress like I normally do. Boots, jeans, band shirt or button down with sleeves rolled up. (Short sleeve button downs on tall guys look fun imo, and experience.)
 
#115
beebassdude said:
100% agree with all of this. image is stupid but i still acknowledge that it exists because it blatantly does. all genres have a look that go with them, just the way it is. whether a group decides to look that way is their choice, but a lot of them do.

grunge, thrash, punk, stoner, euro metal, rock n roll, black metal - i could drop all of these names and id bet everyone in this thread could rattle off at least 5 visual aspects that define the genres. and again, not everybody adheres to them, but a lot of the time they do.
Click to expand...

Well now I'm confused as to what you're even arguing. I never said that a certain image doesn't exist, I said that it's not huge/important.
 
#116
Lazarus.Bird said:
Well now I'm confused as to what you're even arguing. I never said that a certain image doesn't exist, I said that it's not huge/important.
Click to expand...

whats confusing? i said image was huge, you said:

Lazarus.Bird said:
Image is not huge in this scene. I severely disagree. Music is huge in this scene.
Click to expand...

i posted one pic of a band that adheres to the rule (and if you seriously dont think theres countless others, we'll just agree to disagree because im not taking the time to just post countless pics of doom/stoner bands that all look similar). image might not be important to you, it isnt to me either. but clearly its important to a lot of bands or it wouldnt exist. or i guess they accidentally end up looking that way? lol
 
#118
JoeVictim said:
If Sam already ditched it, maybe... ;)

I didn't notice any major swell on mine though...

Lifetime warranty if you have to go that route.
Click to expand...

Not yet, but I'm not sure how long it will stick around for. But the gain is pretty gradual i don't notice a huge bump at any point.

beebassdude said:
obviously not every band fits the mold, and i agree its stupid to request, but just like every genre, theres a look thats associated with it. labels sadly care about that stuff too, which is why when you look at a roster on most big labels, you can tell right away what type of band they are.

but in short, those guys are mostly likely douchers.
Click to expand...

I agree, just take a look at the band on Tee Pee.
 
#120
beebassdude said:
100% agree with all of this. image is stupid but i still acknowledge that it exists because it blatantly does. all genres have a look that go with them, just the way it is. whether a group decides to look that way is their choice, but a lot of them do.

grunge, thrash, punk, stoner, euro metal, rock n roll, black metal - i could drop all of these names and id bet everyone in this thread could rattle off at least 5 visual aspects that define the genres. and again, not everybody adheres to them, but a lot of the time they do.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I look at it the way I look at pretty much everything in life that most people do. Furrowed brow and a quick "I don't get it, but whatever". There's no kind of fashion or aesthetic inherent to any kind of music, it's just a cultural component. Someone does something original, because they like it, a bunch of people admire that person and copy them until it becomes the standard and variation is discouraged. Hilariously irrational and devoid of any sense of irony or self awareness, but people do it all the time. When I was a teenager I got told by a pastor that Christians should wear suits, have short hair and be clean shaven. That has about as much to do with the bible and the philosophy of Jesus as long hair and beards have to do with minor scales and fuzz.

Everyone's free to do however they like though. I don't look down on anyone for it. It only bothers me when people try to enforce it on other people and discourage them from doing what they want too. Again, pretty much my outlook on life in general.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back