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Style On Stage....Does It Matter?

#81
I've never been in a place where everyone in the audience was a musician. The reason why is that people PAY to see us play. Musicians never pay and so they don't get in unless the door man knows them. Musicians coming to your gig are as useful as boobies on a boar hog. When it comes to looking good on stage I consider it to be an indication of respect for the audience. I live in Texas where it's so hot in the summer that you don't have the opportunity to wear a lot of clothes and especially suits and ties. You do the best you can in venues without a/c. In the winter we try to dress up more. What younger players fail to penetrate is that the audience is the focus of the whole thing...not the band. They think the audience is there to see them. The audience is really there to see each other, have a few drinks and maybe get laid. That's why they're really there. The band is a pleasant excuse that makes it all work. Dressing differently than the audience sets you apart & makes you special whether you like it or not or even believe it. If you want to toss that out the window ....have at it.
 
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#83
FretNoMore said:
Of course looks on stage matter. Take two bands and have them play the exact same notes, one band scruffy looking and staring at their feet, the other band sharply dressed, smiling and interacting with the audience. Which band do you think will be the better band in the eyes and ears of the audience? Pure and simple psychology - subjectively the second band will even sound better because they look and act better.
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So your saying that someone like Derek Trucks who dresses normal and doesn't move around much at all on stage doesn't sound as good as joe blow and his blues band dressed in suits and fedora hats with face melting bass solos.
 
#84
Moe Monsarrat said:
I've never been in a place where everyone in the audience was a musician. The reason why is that people PAY to see us play. Musicians never pay and so they don't get in unless the door man knows them. Musicians coming to your gig are as useful as boobies on a boar hog. When it comes to looking good on stage I consider it to be an indication of respect for the audience. I live in Texas where it's so hot in the summer that you don't have the opportunity to wear a lot of clothes and especially suits and ties. You do the best you can in venues without a/c. In the winter we try to dress up more. What younger players fail to penetrate is that the audience is the focus of the whole thing...not the band. They think the audience is there to see them. The audience is really there to see each other, have a few drinks and maybe get laid. That's why they're really there. The band is a pleasant excuse that makes it all work. Dressing differently than the audience sets you apart & makes you special whether you like it or not or even believe it. If you want to toss that out the window ....have at it.
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Move to Athens Ga everybody and I mean everybody is in a band. Go to a show and the audience is made up musicians. But then again Athens is a town that pumps out signed and successful bands like a factory. It's also a town that has music venues were people still go out every evening to see music. And yes I'll toss that out of the window along with countless other meaningless statements I read here on the reg.
 
#88
Austin has at last count over 255 venues that have live music at least three nights a week. There are so many bands here you would not believe it. Competition for gigs, money & recognition is BRUTAL 365 days a year. Touring bands come here and sometimes fail to draw a crowd at all....Lol! You use every single asset you have to stand above the crowd. Shoe gazers draw flies and not much else. People want to see & hear something exciting or they just leave. They are jaded to the nth degree. I'm sure there are plenty of bands who dress in sorry ass rags and stand there looking at the ground. You can find the members working at Starbucks or bussing tables all day because no one cares about their bands. If you're not exciting to watch as well as a killer player, you're toast in this town. After all, you can walk down the street and see 10 guys in an hour who will blow your hat in the creek and THEY are busting their ass up there moving AND looking good. Why would they flock to see a bum looking at the ground when they can stroll down the street and see freaking Eric Johnson or Van Wilks or 10 other badass cats play and murder the place? As for your legitimacy I have only what you say to gauge that.
 
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#90
10cc said:
Yes but do people actually take a dump...

I hear ya though. Here is the thing with me. I've been in bands where everybody dressed up and bands where it wasn't even mentioned.

It's like everything else in life as you get older you realize that things really don't matter as much as you thought they did.

Wear what you'd wear anyhow regardless if a stage is in your schedule for that day. It's much more believable to hear.
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How old are you, may I ask? I ask because your attitude regarding appearance would seem to be more in tune with young people. As most of us get older, we realize the opposite, that appearances do matter as well as presentation.
 
#91
image.jpg
Stranger Danger said:
How old are you, may I ask? I ask because your attitude regarding appearance would seem to be more in tune with young people. As most of us get older, we realize the opposite, that appearances do matter as well as presentation.
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I am over the hill as they say. I am in total agreement on the standing there like a stick in the mud shoe gazing the night away image (not very entertaining). I'm just saying be yourself and wear what you wear when your not on stage.
 
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#92
been gigging now for 30+ years...large venues/small venues/festivals, house shows....metal, indie pop, pit orchestra, wind ensemble....have NEVER had anyone come up to me after a show and say "man, the band looked great" the first comments are always on how we played

just sayin'....

I guess I have been lucky enough(?) to not play places where the band was/is an afterthought/background noise
 
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#93
Thanks for all the replies. Had a great show last night, one of our best musically. Good crowd, and we had a blast. Don't think we've ever gotten more compliments than we did last night on our playing. Guitarist played "out of his mind" good, it was one of those nights that we were hitting on every cylinder and the crowd responded in turn.....Financially it was one of our best nights, as well. Let's just say for a band in our category, we did okay.

I'm actually laughing as I am writing this. Some more photos for your enjoyment.

Here is a blurry pic of me and a few of our fans. They're sporting band tee shirts. The girl on my right....trust me this pic does NOT do her justice.....(got a funny story about last night and her.....no, nothing dirty....just comical);
20140516_215610_zps5dc75829.jpg


Our drummer, and our singer just chilling before the night started;
10305329_10202224826565486_249904261422317235_n_zps5a067aa2.jpg


You can kinda see the common theme..... Casual

And then there was the guitarist........ :)
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Next time I'm bringing a beach ball and coconut drinks...... :)
 
#94
BayStateBass said:
Thanks for all the replies. Had a great show last night, one of our best musically. Good crowd, and we had a blast. Don't think we've ever gotten more compliments than we did last night on our playing. Guitarist played "out of his mind" good, it was one of those nights that we were hitting on every cylinder and the crowd responded in turn.....

I'm actually laughing as I am writing this. Some more photos for your enjoyment.

Here is a blurry pic of me and a few of our fans. They're sporting band tee shirts. The girl on my right....trust me this pic does NOT do her justice.....(got a funny story about last night and her.....no, nothing dirty....just comical);
20140516_215610_zps5dc75829.jpg
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looks like the guy in the tv above you either approves of the happenings in the picture, or is wondering how he can get that lucky too...
 
#95
xUptheIronsx said:
looks like the guy in the tv above you either approves of the happenings in the picture, or is wondering how he can get that lucky too...
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Okay, I'm itching to tell this story. So I'm hijacking my own thread.

Dear Penthouse,

I'm an average guy and I never thought something like this would happen to me, but last night I met a trio of girls, two of them twins........

Just kidding.....but they were twins (the ones on the outsides).

The girl next to me is named Kayla. The twins (Ali and Abby) are friends of mine, actually they are my boss's daughters, and Kayla is one of their closest friends. All three are 22 years old. They come see us a lot. So they come walking in and Kayla is immediately picked up on as "food" for the shark tank of guys buzzing around. And she is quite a looker, a real nice kid as are the twins. Anyway, she came up with this plan where if a guy wouldn't take "no" for an answer, she'd say "my boyfriend is in the band.....that's why I'm here, that's him up there". So I got to be the decoy boyfriend for the night. I suppose it's probably happened to a lot of guys but it was a first for me. I got a lot of kisses on the cheek and multiple hugs to keep up the charade.....

My wife had a good chuckle out of it this morning...... :)
 
#100
10cc said:
View attachment 420200
I am over the hill as they say. I am in total agreement on the standing there like a stick in the mud shoe gazing the night away image (not very entertaining). I'm just saying be yourself and wear what you wear when your not on stage.
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It looks like you've got 90s alternative guy look down pat. :0)

I don't disagree with your premise but I do think it matters. People I respect in the real world do too. A lot of it (music) is a business.
 

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