Members tlbonehead Posted November 13, 2008 Members Share Posted November 13, 2008 It really depends on the type of band you are and the music you play/cover. If I were to dress like many of the bands we cover, I'd dress even more slobbish than I do. Skynyrd, Pearl Jam, AIC, STP, CCR etc, were not exactly a model runway. Who wants to play EVENFLOW dressed like an accountant at a sports bar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members austikins Posted November 13, 2008 Author Members Share Posted November 13, 2008 thanks for all of the relplies. after reading all of your ideas and/or personal experiences i think i will let it slide for now, but if we play a "real" gig in the future, i might ask him to dress up a little more. i hadnt thought about the comfort issue. as a guitarist/vocalist ive never worried much about wearing comfortable clothes because it doesnt matter much. im hoping to take some decent band pics soon, maybe ill ask him to dress nicer for those too. if anyone else has suggstions/ideas feel free to chime in even though i think ive made up my mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tlbonehead Posted November 13, 2008 Members Share Posted November 13, 2008 thanks for all of the relplies. after reading all of your ideas and/or personal experiences i think i will let it slide for now, but if we play a "real" gig in the future, i might ask him to dress up a little more. i hadnt thought about the comfort issue. as a guitarist/vocalist ive never worried much about wearing comfortable clothes because it doesnt matter much. im hoping to take some decent band pics soon, maybe ill ask him to dress nicer for those too. if anyone else has suggstions/ideas feel free to chime in even though i think ive made up my mind. It would still be interesting to know what kinda stuff you are playing at your gigs.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members austikins Posted November 13, 2008 Author Members Share Posted November 13, 2008 It would still be interesting to know what kinda stuff you are playing at your gigs.. we are an acoustic trio (guitar/vocals, bass, and drums) right now, but i hope to add electric guitar and a girl that play keys and sings harmony. our sound is like a mix of dashboard confessional and jack johnson, all originals. you can hear samples of my songs on my myspace, the link is below. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MuddyJohnson Posted November 13, 2008 Members Share Posted November 13, 2008 He's a drummer for christ sakes. It's not like he's out in front. If he's a good drummer, my advice is to shut up and let him wear whatever he wants. Drummers are a dime a dozen. Good drummers can make an average band great, and bad drummers can make the same band suck. Ask yourself this question. Do you want to look good or sound good? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members B Money Posted November 13, 2008 Members Share Posted November 13, 2008 ...Drummers are a dime a dozen... not around here they're not. Even a lousy drummer is hard to find. If you are lucky enough to get a good drummer, you do anything you can to hold onto him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FireWithin Posted November 13, 2008 Members Share Posted November 13, 2008 Interesting. I went to your MySpace page and you guys look like you don't care what you look like. So I guess it's working for you. Except... all the bands you mentioned look cool. And you guys just look like you don't care what you look like.Sorry, and not to get into this again, but you went into it with guns blazing so... It's not working for you. Nobody's talking about tux's or geek clothing. All the bands you mention in the good category had a visual style that implied they didn't care. But they did. actually, it IS working for us. Always has. Every other death metal band around here is the same. I would expect to get our asses kicked if we went to a show looking like you or what you have in mind. ...plus, it's extremely lame and sad that you care/feel this strongly. If you were a big name in pop music I would agree with you entirely. Doing a corp. blues show or wedding and I'm with you again. But, if you play rock music in bars for drunk people....you need to lost the fancy get-up and additude. You are taking yourself way more serious than anyone else is. :poke: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueStrat Posted November 13, 2008 Members Share Posted November 13, 2008 He's a drummer for christ sakes. It's not like he's out in front.As long as he stays behind the kit when he's taking a break and doesn't mingle his just-woke-up-in-an-alley-and started-dumpster-diving looking ass with the paying customers, no problem. Acoustic gigs are a lot different than playing metal or high energy rock. Different clientele, mostly listeners and mostly not wearing torn pants and black T shirts. Just sayin'. If he was playing with an in your face rock band, what he's wearing would be fine. Acoustic gigs, not so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FireWithin Posted November 13, 2008 Members Share Posted November 13, 2008 You're lucky he doesn't wear animal skins ! haha! I didn't relize this was acoustic stuff. Yeah, he need to clean up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted November 13, 2008 Moderators Share Posted November 13, 2008 actually, it IS working for us. Always has. Every other death metal band around here is the same. I would expect to get our asses kicked if we went to a show looking like you or what you have in mind....plus, it's extremely lame and sad that you care/feel this strongly. If you were a big name in pop music I would agree with you entirely. Doing a corp. blues show or wedding and I'm with you again. But, if you play rock music in bars for drunk people....you need to lost the fancy get-up and additude. You are taking yourself way more serious than anyone else is. :poke: But see, I'm not suggesting he adopt a "fancy get-up and additude". What I'm suggesting is he get over the crazy attitude that to look like you don't care, you shouldn't care. It doesn't work. You mentioned Nirvana. Kurt looked worse than anyone in the audience. That works too. He might not have admitted it but he cared what he looked like. Even if it was to have a "junkie on the streets of Portland" look about him. He worked it. So if it makes you feel uncomfortable admitting you might care, don't admit it, maybe like Kurt didn't admit it. But he was a fashion influence on a generation for a reason. He had style, even with weeds in his hair and his skinned knees showing. Toes sticking out of his obliterated Converse shoes. Why do you think when he did decide to glam it up for fun he was so good at it. Cause he did care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wheresgrant3 Posted November 13, 2008 Members Share Posted November 13, 2008 Sorta laughing at this thread... it took a little while when my band first started for everyone to 'dress down': that meant ratty jeans and T-shirts instead of casual wear clothing. We'd be playing a bar in clothing we'd dress for in at a private party. Some of us worked in the professional field and had long grew out of our Bad Religon T-shirts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SpaceNorman Posted November 13, 2008 Members Share Posted November 13, 2008 On this one I'd go the band meeting route - with the topic of discussion being "what image are we shooting for - and what attire fits that image?" I'm guessing everybody else in the band has been dressing the part in similar attire - and that the drummer is the only one who's been sticking out like a sore thumb in terms of dress. If you've been dropping hints that he's simply ignored - he either doesn't realize you're really talking to him about him - or he just don't give a {censored} what the rest of the band says. Hopefully it's the former (because that's "fixable") - if it's the latter, you're going to want to know that too because that is another can of worms. Because the topic is so much a matter of personal taste - conversations like this which are intended to send a message to somebody who hasn't fit into the group's image on their own - are awkward to initiate and challenging to drive to an effective conclusion. They either end up being a wishy-washy converation that fail to produce clear agreement on what is expected - or worse, the equivalent of a gang attack on the guy who's not getting with the program on his own. As a guy who's lived in military barracks for 6 years, school dormitories for 4 years and has been a manager for 25+ years - I've had to initiate more conversations with folks whose personal habits (hygene, housekeeping, attire, etc) simply weren't "fitting". Here's a nickel's worth of free advice on how to steer the discussion. You'll want to keep the discussion focused on band image and clothing styles in general - and NOT on what your drummer has worn in the past. Be specific about clothes - what constitutes "acceptable" shirts, footwear, etc. Whatever you do - do NOT allow your drummer to "sit out" the conversation. If he doesn't volunteer input - stop and ask him directly "Bob ... you've been sorta quiet. What do YOU think?" You need to ensure he's had an opportunity to put in his two cents on the topic if you expect him to buy into the band "policy". Finally - be certain that everybody comes away from the meeting with a clear understanding of what's the group expectations are regarding wardrobe. A simple recap of what you agreed upon will help you avoid confusion. A simple - "So...we all agree .... when we're playing bars ... it's clean jeans, shirts with a collar of some sort and shoes....no T-Shirts, no sandals and no tennis shoes ... right?" (or whatever it is you agree on) ... and then go around the room and put each guy on the spot for HIS answer. Once you've hammered that out and come to an agreement - it's simply a matter of holding people accountable for what they agreed to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MapexDrummer Posted November 13, 2008 Members Share Posted November 13, 2008 agreed. I've tried wearing formal shirts, but the material is never flexible enough.. t-shirts seem to do the trick... I have long arms, and I do crossovers/visuals when drumming so formal wear doesn't work for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zon5string Posted November 13, 2008 Members Share Posted November 13, 2008 [YOUTUBE]Ln6b_nBM-V8[/YOUTUBE]Yeah....can you imagine what these guys would have sounded like if they didn't have to dress like that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zildjian@consol Posted November 14, 2008 Members Share Posted November 14, 2008 Next band meeting bring attention to the subject of wardrobe. Outline what you like and dont like and see where his tastes fall.In showbiz, image is essential. He should know that already. And dont fall for the old 'I'm behind the drums and no one can see me' BS. Steady time or fashion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueStrat Posted November 14, 2008 Members Share Posted November 14, 2008 Steady time or fashion? Believe it or not, some guys can actually do both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 5THSINGER Posted November 14, 2008 Members Share Posted November 14, 2008 All band's have a "look", even Death Metal Bands. And to say that you don't care how you look is selling yourself AND your audience short. If your in a Bar Band or a Corporate type gig how you present yourself MATTERS! Some guy's are CLUELESS when it comes to these things. Try picking up a couple items to steer him in the right direction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GreenAsJade Posted November 14, 2008 Members Share Posted November 14, 2008 Yeah....can you imagine what these guys would have sounded like if they didn't have to dress like that? Good? Listenable? Rocking? Rhythmic?Instead of poncy random clanging?I think you just made the point: dress rock drummers like rock drummersand maybe they'll rock GaJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JAFH Posted November 14, 2008 Members Share Posted November 14, 2008 He's a drummer - the way I figure it, he's behind the drums...if he keeps a good beat, has good meter and shows up, you're ahead of the game... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zon5string Posted November 14, 2008 Members Share Posted November 14, 2008 Good? Listenable? Rocking? Rhythmic? Instead of poncy random clanging? I think you just made the point: dress rock drummers like rock drummers and maybe they'll rock GaJ OK. I understand that some folks don't "get" jazz, but Steve Gadd (the guy on the far left) has played on many, many pop-ish, rock-ish hits. Also, once you get past their little "introductions", it's far from "poncy random clanging". And, while (to me, and many other broad-minded musicians) those guys may not "play rock", they still "do rock". My opinion, nothing more. Really, I was trying to illustrate that while "clothes don't make the man", the simple act of wearing something nice is not counter-intuitive to playing well. Yeah, maybe a suit jacket will keep you from being able to do a Tommy Lee snare rimshot that starts with a wind-up way back behind your head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Krypter Posted November 15, 2008 Members Share Posted November 15, 2008 Next band meeting bring attention to the subject of wardrobe. Outline what you like and dont like and see where his tastes fall.In showbiz, image is essential. He should know that already. And dont fall for the old 'I'm behind the drums and no one can see me' BS. Good point, BUT, remember that he may choose clothes that allow him to drum better. I know every drummer ive ever had preffered to play in a certain type of shoe (ie: not boots or some other kinds of shoes. ) I also know they have all stated that they play better if they can wear clothes that keeps them cool. Now this is all dependent...i've been in a hardcore metal/punk/ and thrash band respectively so the drummer usually had more "work" to do if you know what i mean. Still, i think there should be some middle ground here. I know my drummer in my last band usually wore jeans and would change into "warm up shorts" before playing, and back after. edit:: Acoustic rock huh? Nothing wrong with that. In my humble opinion, a decent pair of jeans (loose fitting for drumming) and a black t-shirt is such a universal look there is absolutely no way to go wrong with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Outkaster Posted November 15, 2008 Members Share Posted November 15, 2008 Steve Gadd was doing percussion seminars with a buddy of mine. He is a monster player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wades_keys Posted November 16, 2008 Members Share Posted November 16, 2008 ...plus, it's extremely lame and sad that you care/feel this strongly. If you were a big name in pop music I would agree with you entirely. Doing a corp. blues show or wedding and I'm with you again. But, if you play rock music in bars for drunk people....you need to lost the fancy get-up and additude. You are taking yourself way more serious than anyone else is. :poke: FYI: Lee's band was signed to a major in the 80's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crazy88Fingers Posted November 17, 2008 Members Share Posted November 17, 2008 The obvious solution here is to buy more and more cymbals/toms/racks until you can't see him anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members c4racer Posted November 17, 2008 Members Share Posted November 17, 2008 Good point, BUT, remember that he may choose clothes that allow him to drum better. I know every drummer ive ever had preffered to play in a certain type of shoe (ie: not boots or some other kinds of shoes. ) I also know they have all stated that they play better if they can wear clothes that keeps them cool. Now this is all dependent...i've been in a hardcore metal/punk/ and thrash band respectively so the drummer usually had more "work" to do if you know what i mean. Still, i think there should be some middle ground here. I know my drummer in my last band usually wore jeans and would change into "warm up shorts" before playing, and back after. edit:: Acoustic rock huh? Nothing wrong with that. In my humble opinion, a decent pair of jeans (loose fitting for drumming) and a black t-shirt is such a universal look there is absolutely no way to go wrong with it. socks - I only play in socks. I don't get the same pedal feel in shoes, although if I had to wear them it would be really thin soled Converse. So I normally just wear something I can easily slip out of once behind the kit for shoes. Nobody knows you aren't wearing shoes because you really can't see the drummers feet in 99% of set-ups.Funny - I was watching a buddy's hard rock / metal cover band on Friday night and they had a new drummer. Really solid player. Anyway - I noticed after the sound check he was slipping his shoes back on. I think it is pretty common for drummers to play in socks - especially if you are doing any double bass work.But the best thing about this guy was the people he brought in. A whole table of totally hot chicks, and a couple dozen of his motorcycle gang showed up. Can't beat that. I'm sure the bar owner was happy, because they were selling more drinks than normal. Which is the gauge of a good band as far as they are concerned!! And the extra table of talent was good eye candy for everyone involved. If your drummer brings in some of that kind of action - let him slide and don't risk losing him!! haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.