Members Sgt. Rock Posted January 4, 2013 Members Share Posted January 4, 2013 Can having short hair and no beard have an effect on getting gigs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Potts Posted January 4, 2013 Members Share Posted January 4, 2013 Doubt it. Can having long hair, tattoos and an unkempt appearance cost you gigs? Probably. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members americansinner Posted January 4, 2013 Members Share Posted January 4, 2013 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SLScott86 Posted January 4, 2013 Members Share Posted January 4, 2013 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted January 4, 2013 Members Share Posted January 4, 2013 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: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Loner Posted January 4, 2013 Members Share Posted January 4, 2013 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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shaster Posted January 4, 2013 Members Share Posted January 4, 2013 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bob Dey Posted January 4, 2013 Members Share Posted January 4, 2013 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Notes_Norton Posted January 4, 2013 Members Share Posted January 4, 2013 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Potts Posted January 5, 2013 Members Share Posted January 5, 2013 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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Notes_Norton Posted January 5, 2013 Members Share Posted January 5, 2013 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Potts Posted January 5, 2013 Members Share Posted January 5, 2013 Originally Posted by Notes_Norton I wonder if it had a picture of a handgun on it, if it would have offended anybody. Awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members chemikool Posted January 5, 2013 Members Share Posted January 5, 2013 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shaster Posted January 5, 2013 Members Share Posted January 5, 2013 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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Notes_Norton Posted January 21, 2013 Members Share Posted January 21, 2013 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Voltan Posted January 24, 2013 Members Share Posted January 24, 2013 i've worked those in the past... keyword- past... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SusieP Posted January 25, 2013 Members Share Posted January 25, 2013 Sgt. Rock wrote: Can having short hair and no beard have an effect on getting gigs? I hope not. I have short hair and no beard! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Voltan Posted January 25, 2013 Members Share Posted January 25, 2013 SusieP wrote: Sgt. Rock wrote: Can having short hair and no beard have an effect on getting gigs? I hope not. I have short hair and no beard! i think you make up for the lack of hair by smelling much better than the rest of us... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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