Solo and Duo Acts

[Sgt. Rock]

Can having short hair and no beard have an effect on getting gigs?

[Potts]

Doubt it. Can having long hair, tattoos and an unkempt appearance cost you gigs? Probably.

[americansinner]

Originally Posted by Sgt. Rock

Can having short hair and no beard have an effect on getting gigs?

Just costs you ladies. If you're into dudes, most of them like the shave.

[SLScott86]

As a solo act, not at all. I do tend to try to dress the same as I would if I were at a band gig though. I enjoy that slight juxtaposition between my songlist and my metal roots.

[Terry Allan Ha…]

Dress for the gig...if you specialize in "upscale" gigs, like country clubs, neatness DEFINITELY counts. OTOH, if you primarily play biker bars, you can get away with black t-shirts, leather and engtineer boots.

I always notice how the patrons dress when I'm scoping out a new gig, and dress as they dress, just a little nicer.

Typically, I go with this look:

[Loner]

Originally Posted by Potts

Doubt it. Can having long hair, tattoos and an unkempt appearance cost you gigs? Probably.

If it does, then I'm glad! I wouldn't want to play for people who think I have to look just like they do.
I agree with the unkempt appearance part, though. Nobody likes a slob, not even bikers.
I have played for a lot of farmers, cowboys, bikers, businessmen and college students. No one has complained yet.
There are quite a few solos around here that look 'normal' and I work more than all of them!

[Shaster]

Short hair and no beard equal a blank cnavas in my book. Meaning, you could change your look depending on your needs. With short hair and no beard you could add a cowboy hat, or a baseball cap, leather jacket or black tuxedo. You could wear a beach shirt and shorts, or a white T-shirt and jeans with sneakers, and so on. And your dress would set your look.

If you're trying to be all things to all people and do a variety of gigs then the blank canvas approach could work for you. If a beard and/or long hair is part of your package and you can't be bothered with hotel lounge gigs, stuffy weddings or upscale barmitzvahs then it won't much matter to you.

There's the Willie Nelson look and the Garth Brooks look - both guys seem to be doing okay.

[Bob Dey]

Image is important. There are two basic images you can go with, clean or dirty.

Clean = Well groomed, shirt with collar, tie, suit. Nice looking equipment etc. Target market - Country Clubs, hotel lounges

Dirty = T-shirt, jeans, hat, facial hair, scuffed up speakers. Target market - Honky tonk bars, real dives, pig roast parties

Hair length could go either way, but some members of the CC probably won't like long hair.

I don't have that musician look. I'm growing my hair out a little because I've found it looks better that way. Haven't had facial hair for years. I dress appropriately for the gig, no hat. More on the clean side.

[Notes_Norton]

Anything can affect it. Depends on the gig and the person doing the hiring. I go anywhere from a Hawaiian Shirt and Ball Cap to Tuxedo, depending on the gig. I've played for bikers, dressed neatly, and asked to come back again. I always try to dress better than the majority of the crowd

BTW, I'm bald, have short hair (what's left of it) and a usually neatly trimmed short beard. If I've missed any gigs because of that, I don't know, no-one told me.

Insights and incites by Notes

[Potts]

I love playing country clubs or nicer restaurants where i'm playing Beatles, Ricky Nelson and Neil Diamond and have them eating out of my hand. Usually about an hour in I'll remove my jacket or roll up my sleeves to expose all my "ink" just for shock value. I ALWAYS watch the expressions because I know they're thinking I'm a "nice young man" playing all those classic songs for them and the BAM! Tatts!

[Notes_Norton]

You're more adventurous than I.

I don't like tats and have no ink (no judgement here, just not for me) and I think I am the nice guy that they think I am.

However on those tux gigs, I will untie my bow-tie and unbutton the first shirt button, "rat pack style" by the end of the night.

I try not to offend anyone in the audience.

I have a necktie with a cartoon version of Botticelli's "Birth Of Venus". Unlike the painting, it's done more in a line drawing style, she's got sunglasses on, and there are some small fish skeletons with heads and tails intact. I got this when I was in China because I thought it delightfully irreverent. But on the tie she does show one cartoon nipple.

The original hangs in the Uffizi gallery in Florence, Italy (I've seen it there) and is a very famous renaissance painting. The tie pokes a little fun at it.

I wore this one night at a party at "The Player's Club" at the PGA National Resort & Spa in West Palm Beach. At the end of the night, the agent that booked us there said everybody loved your music, they asked you back, but requested that you didn't wear that tie.

I haven't worn the tie on a gig since.

Some people are just too sensitive.

I wonder if it had a picture of a handgun on it, if it would have offended anybody.

Insights and incites by Notes

[Potts]

Originally Posted by Notes_Norton

I wonder if it had a picture of a handgun on it, if it would have offended anybody.

Awesome!

[chemikool]

I always try to dress nicely, I'm not 15 anymore. One of my theories is that it's better to err on the side of overdressed. Clean, shaved, ironed shirt and pants, etc make a difference because probably more than half the audience will "listen" with their eyes. One of my other theories is that every person should KNOW that you are the performer, and appearance is one way to achieve that goal. To that end...I'll post some pics of what I'll wear on my gig tonight, or maybe a video from the gig.

It's hard for me to hide my hair, though...so people still are still biased and prejudiced against me for that...and since I'm in the bible-belt south I seem to get quadruple dinged for it.

[Shaster]

Originally Posted by Notes_Norton

However on those tux gigs, I will untie my bow-tie and unbutton the first shirt button, "rat pack style" by the end of the night.

I try not to offend anyone in the audience.

I have a necktie with a cartoon version of Botticelli's "Birth Of Venus". Unlike the painting, it's done more in a line drawing style, she's got sunglasses on, and there are some small fish skeletons with heads and tails intact. I got this when I was in China because I thought it delightfully irreverent. But on the tie she does show one cartoon nipple.

I wore this one night at a party at "The Player's Club" at the PGA National Resort & Spa in West Palm Beach. At the end of the night, the agent that booked us there said everybody loved your music, they asked you back, but requested that you didn't wear that tie.

I haven't worn the tie on a gig since.

Some people are just too sensitive.

I wonder if it had a picture of a handgun on it, if it would have offended anybody.

Insights and incites by Notes

On dress gigs my trademark is a suit and a white, black or maroon shirt with a Mandarin collar. I got a call once from an agent who (I believe) got a call from a keyboard player I was working with. The agent said "hey do you own a tie" and I said yes, I own about fifty of them, and he said "well wear one". So in this instance the keyboard player had squealed on me.

I also own about a half dozen Mandarin collar tuxedo shirts because me and bow ties just don't get along. They're always crooked by about the third song!

[Notes_Norton]

I like to wear a bow tie with the tux, but not one of those pre-tied things, one that I tie myself. It stays straight even changing from sax with strap to guitar, and near the end of the night I can untie it and let it hang "Vegas Rat Pack" style.

[Voltan]

maybe i'm crazy... ok i am crazy but i think that how one presents is more important than appearance...   yes, i know, they can be related to a degree but for instance i never have any difficulty with folks about hair length and i have had a braid that reached my ankles to high and tight... right now it's past my shoulders but, it's always clean and well kept. despite my character here on HC i am a decently well spoken, well travelled and educated human being with the ability to be a social chaemeleon...  with a modicum of common sense and, most of the time, a well mannered disposition...   i prefer being barefoot on stage and wearing tie dyed scrubs or shorts, flips and tanks but i'm willing to wear whatever necessary to sell the job...  

[Shaster]

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Voltan wrote:

maybe i'm crazy... ok i am crazy but i think that how one presents is more important than appearance...   yes, i know, they can be related to a degree but for instance i never have any difficulty with folks about hair length and i have had a braid that reached my ankles to high and tight... right now it's past my shoulders but, it's always clean and well kept. despite my character here on HC i am a decently well spoken, well travelled and educated human being with the ability to be a social chaemeleon...  with a modicum of common sense and, most of the time, a well mannered disposition...   i prefer being barefoot on stage and wearing tie dyed scrubs or shorts, flips and tanks but i'm willing to wear whatever necessary to sell the job...  

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I've found that some venues and some agents are so concerned with rules and regulations that if you don't fit the bill appearance wise, you just don't get the job - no matter how personable and presentable you are.

The gig I played where the agent told me I had to wear a tie, also has a policy that the entertainers can't sit down in the same room as the patrons. This policy is not because of a space issue, they just don't want the riffraff musicians socializing with the patrons.  Now that is some kind of uptight.

[Voltan]

i've worked those in the past... keyword- past...

[daddymack]

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Voltan wrote:

 i prefer being barefoot on stage ...  

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just don't grab the mic stand!

I know, with an acoustic, there is no ground loop to close...but...

[SusieP]

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Sgt. Rock wrote:
Can having short hair and no beard have an effect on getting gigs?

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I hope not.

I have short hair and no beard!