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When bass playing is secondary...

#21
Lucky enough I do play in a section of music where looks is not the key factor: jazz. And I do not refer to the smooth-pop-jazz where a femal singer is the front-woman and the band comps away with simplified changes to a simplified straight beat.

And they are lots of great bassist that deserve their fame not from the looks. I think Geddy Lee never could count on a second carreer as male-model.

So just don't care.
 
#23
playbass0410 said:
Lucky enough I do play in a section of music where looks is not the key factor: jazz.

And they are lots of great bassist that deserve their fame not from the looks. I think Geddy Lee never could count on a second carreer as male-model.
Click to expand...

Jazz definitely has no discrimination there.
That would be funny poll... Greatest-least model like bassists. I could think of a few...
 
#25
Some friends of mine are in the Nashville market. I play with them from time to time. "The look" is everything in the modern country scene. You have to have spiky hair, be skinny, look like a 90's rocker pretty much. Most all of them wear Converse Chucks. Nearly every single bass player plays a P.

The funny thing is, these "rules" are all among people who are not famous, not on huge stages, and not rich. Many of the players for huge headlining tours are guys who look like me. 41 but look a tad younger. Stubble beard. Regular Joe wearing jeans and some cowboy boots. (I even wear them to Funk and Soul gigs just to make people say "Huh?")
 
#26
Haha, so country is the same way whether in Nashville or Brazil!

See this for an example: - the singer has The Look - skinny, spiky hair, pink shirt. The backing band looks like they might as well be his parents with half a dozen aunts and uncles who all got off their shift at some supermarket 30 miuntes ago and just put on black shirts before the gig. And this is a big outdoor arena packed with hot Brazilian women - as big as big gigs get.

I do some lead vocals sometimes, though, so I gotta Look Good for that!
 
#28
Having a good look is important if you wish to have some success, even on a local cover band level. However, playing and ability should never be overshadowed by having a good look. My guess the band who made the ad are complete idots who can barely play and will get a dose of reality if they ever actually make it to LA.
 
#29
I've been told that I look good on stage. My hair is usually straightened, I wear my glasses (very rare outside of musical stuff), a blue V neck and black jeans. My playing is better IMO but the ladies supposedly dig my look and the drummer has complimented my appearance in weird ways...

Could just be my funky colored bass, though :D That thing gets a lot more compliments than me in regards to looks....
 
#30
Hell yeah I have the look. Sure, I'm a bald overweight white dude in his forties, but that doesn't stop me from gazing at myself longingly in the mirror and stroking the reflection while whispering "yeah baby, you got the look"...
 
#34
salcott said:
Anybody can get a tat or two, a spray tan, an eggbeater haircut, and make a Jersey Shore lipgloss pout.......
Click to expand...

Too funny. Reminds me of Zappa making fun of Punky Meadows

IMG_0002.jpg
 
#36
"The Look" is very overrated and in my opinion, is what is wrong with the music industry today. I would rather listen to a great band than watch a bunch of people who can't play. If you look at the most successful solo artist, most of their bands are made up of great musicians regardless of the way they look.
 
#39
pklima said:
Haha, so country is the same way whether in Nashville or Brazil!

See this for an example: - the singer has The Look - skinny, spiky hair, pink shirt. The backing band looks like they might as well be his parents with half a dozen aunts and uncles who all got off their shift at some supermarket 30 miuntes ago and just put on black shirts before the gig. And this is a big outdoor arena packed with hot Brazilian women - as big as big gigs get.

I do some lead vocals sometimes, though, so I gotta Look Good for that!
Click to expand...


Based on the pictures I've seen of you, you can't sing lead. Sorry.


;)
 
#40
we had about ten weeks notice of a big gig coming up so I went on a diet and started exercising again, lost fifteen pounds. I've spent my whole life practicing, I decided I could afford to spend a few months trying to look decent instead.

The journey tribute band that opened the evening at the big gig featured a very overweight lead singer gentleman, which I don't condemn him for, but he wore open toe sandals! this was a kinda high class party where lots of the women wore sparkly evening dresses and such, and you're putting your big smelly feet in sandals?

One of my favorite bands epically failing the style test
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoeMHoVnjWo&feature=related
:hyper:but golly gee do they rock:hyper:
 

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