Members pinup57 Posted August 20, 2005 Members Share Posted August 20, 2005 I was looking at the pics in the "post pics of yourself on stage" thread and I am quite surprised to see 95% of the people just wear their everyday clothes (not to speak of some serious cable spaghetti here and there). Don't you care about your looks? I mean, there are huge threads on how to improve sound, PA's, how to sell yourself, how to get booked on a major label, people spend 1000's on some gadget to improve slightly some detail.... So I thought it was interesting to start a thread about the pros and cons, tips and tricks, whatever about stage looks.... Anyone? Dirk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted August 20, 2005 Members Share Posted August 20, 2005 Absolutely! As a general rule, you should dress just a bit better than your audience, but not excessively so (a rhinestone-encrusted suit at a biker bar might be a bit much!) and dress in the style of the musical genre you play (if you play gentle folksongs on an Applachian dulcimer, a black T-shirt with a Death's Head on it and Harley boots might confused your audience, unless you're trying to start a new genre - App-Metal ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tedster Posted August 20, 2005 Members Share Posted August 20, 2005 I think most bands tend to dress in their style... I play oldies and acousticky stuff, so some flashy shirt or whatever would be out of place. If you've got a band member that seems to be an embarrassment on stage (death metal guy showing up dressed like Tim McGraw or vice versa) then you have to mention the deal. You don't have to single them out...just say "Hey guys, gig Friday, here's what we'll wear". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members KeysBear Posted August 20, 2005 Members Share Posted August 20, 2005 It really depends on the genre you play and the venues where you work. The days of the "hair bands" are over and I'm glad they are gone. I've never once cared how any of my favorite artists dress or look onstage. I would still like Eric Clapton's guitar work even if he was four feet tall and had gills. Mick Jagger might have gills for all I know and of course that glamour boy Keith he plays with is my idea of stage looks perfection. If you play weddings and conventions it's a different show style and wearing those matching shirts that look like a bowling team may be proper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Roy Brooks Posted August 20, 2005 Members Share Posted August 20, 2005 I gig alot. And most of the time I wear comfortable pants and usually a black t-shirt of some kind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ZED Posted August 20, 2005 Members Share Posted August 20, 2005 When I go to see/hear a band what they are wearing makes absolutely no difference to me. When I gig, I want to be comfortable and blend in so as few people as possible will notice me when we're not playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JBJ Posted August 21, 2005 Members Share Posted August 21, 2005 the thing is. it doesn't make a differenc eunless the band look bad ie everyoen wearing different kinda stuff. one guy in a suit, one guy dressed like a skater, one guy in a boiler suit. but when the band actually put the effort in providing it's not over the top you take notice and think yeah they look good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tucktronix Posted August 21, 2005 Members Share Posted August 21, 2005 Originally posted by KeysBear It really depends on the genre you play and the venues where you work. The days of the "hair bands" are over and I'm glad they are gone. I've never once cared how any of my favorite artists dress or look onstage. I would still like Eric Clapton's guitar work even if he was four feet tall and had gills. Mick Jagger might have gills for all I know and of course that glamour boy Keith he plays with is my idea of stage looks perfection. If you play weddings and conventions it's a different show style and wearing those matching shirts that look like a bowling team may be proper. +1 Depends largely on the style of music. On a lot of the high-energy rock music, it's not practical to wear dressier clothing. At gigs with the Mind Sky or the blues band, casual or comfortable clothing(depending on the venue or type of gig) would work best. With the R&B band, I dress up a little more, unless we're in an outdoor festival or event(other than a wedding). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GZsound Posted August 21, 2005 Members Share Posted August 21, 2005 We all wear the same outfit. Since we are trying to attract the higher end paying gigs, corporate, weddings, big festivals, concerts, casino's, etc. we decided a "look" would be a good idea. We have four outfits to choose from and decide a couple days ahead of the gig what we are going to wear. It is obvious to the patrons that we are the band. However, when playing clubs in the past, our main rule was to look nice. No ripped up jeans, no tank tops, etc. Just clean clothes, a shirt with a collar and real shoes..no flip flops (although our drummer forgot his shoes at our last concert and played bare foot for 5,000 folks two weeks ago..much to my chagrin).. In other words at least look as good or better than your audience. And speaking of Mick Jagger, he wears a "band outfit" when he performs that is almost always different than any audience member would be wearing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brian Krashpad Posted August 22, 2005 Members Share Posted August 22, 2005 As others have said, it depends on the style of music. I would never ask nor tell anyone in my punk band what to wear. Would be kinda antithetical. In my roots rock side band I just wear jeans and a shirt and usually some engineer boots. The only real consideration is appropriateness, not dressiness or looking different from your audience. At most punk rock shows the people onstage look just like the people in the audience, which is the whole point. BK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sleepin' Deeper Posted August 22, 2005 Members Share Posted August 22, 2005 If I ever get on stage with a band or whatever, I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members defense Posted August 22, 2005 Members Share Posted August 22, 2005 I say dress like yourself/your audience. Generally if your a blues musician then you should dress bluesy if your a punk musician you should dress punk rock. But never overdo it or buy clothes just for a certain gig (except maybe corporate bands.) The crowd can see right through you when you're trying too hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members conquerorworm Posted August 22, 2005 Members Share Posted August 22, 2005 i'm gonna go with the appropriateness idea. if you're playing a bar, t-shirt/jeans/whatever you normally wear is fine. if you're playing a "venue," then you should do a little more. i.e. when you walk in, people should know that you're the band. except for punk rock guys, like BK said, cuz EVERYONE looks like they're with the band... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Edward Posted August 22, 2005 Members Share Posted August 22, 2005 ...as an overall thing, though, no matter what the gig or the style of dress that is appropriate / natural, you should look GOOD. Sure, the look is secondary to the sounds (well.... for the musos in the crowd, for those who already love what you do, that's the case, otherwise.... first impressions and all that...), BUT as an audience member I always appreciate it more when the band has made the effort to look good..... which can be as simple as a cool t shirt and a decent pair of jeans..... no different than the way most folks would make an effort if they were going out on the pull. Which, in a way, isn't all that different: you want people to enjoy, to be entertained, and to remember you. For an awful lot of folks, particularly those who aren't musicians (which will likely be most of your audience), what they remember will be visual first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarmook Posted August 22, 2005 Members Share Posted August 22, 2005 Originally posted by ZED When I go to see/hear a band what they are wearing makes absolutely no difference to me.When I gig, I want to be comfortable and blend in so as few people as possible will notice me when we're not playing. and I am exactly the opposite... Seeing a band perform live is about more than just listening to their music... it's about their performance, and what they wear can enhance or detract from that performance... When I'm out playing, I try to dress nicer than most of the crowd - part of it is that some nice threads help me get 'in the mood' to really deliver a performance, and part of it is designed to attract attention and impress... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ratthedd Posted August 22, 2005 Members Share Posted August 22, 2005 Originally posted by Sleepin' Deeper If I ever get on stage with a band or whatever, I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ratthedd Posted August 22, 2005 Members Share Posted August 22, 2005 Originally posted by conquerorworm if you're playing a "venue," then you should do a little more. i.e. when you walk in, people should know that you're the band. except for punk rock guys, like BK said, cuz EVERYONE looks like they're with the band... You could say the same about metal bands and biker bands, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sordid1 Posted August 22, 2005 Members Share Posted August 22, 2005 I guess it depends on what you want out of it but I have always thought you should dress for the job you want not the one you have. In other words if you want to get signed dress like you already are. I agree that you don't need to go overboard but the band should look like they are in the same band at least. I always equate it to a bunch of girls going out for the night. You don't want to all dress the same but close enough to the point where nobody stands out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fastplant Posted August 22, 2005 Members Share Posted August 22, 2005 Originally posted by ratthedd There's a band that played one of the local venues that all dressed up like that--'70s jump suits, platform shoes, afro hair, etc., but they were specializing in covering the whole disco era of music. They even advertised that anyone coming to the show in the same kind of stuff gets in for free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members IommiPage Posted August 22, 2005 Members Share Posted August 22, 2005 I'm tired of seeing bands wearing trendy GAP T-shirts and jeans onstage. To me it shows a total lack of amibition. How many pro bands would wear that? Image is VERY important in rock music from Elvis, to Led Zeppelin...people like to have an image they can attatch to a band. The amount of faceless bands I see these days is beyond me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Body Bomb Posted August 22, 2005 Members Share Posted August 22, 2005 Usually some nice jeans, and an okay t-shirt. I try not to look terrible, but we're punk rock kids, what do you want? I wouldn't call us "faceless," as our stage presence is pretty aggressive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MDLMUSIC Posted August 24, 2005 Members Share Posted August 24, 2005 Originally posted by IommiPage Image is VERY important in rock music from Elvis, to Led Zeppelin... What he said... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ZED Posted August 24, 2005 Members Share Posted August 24, 2005 Originally posted by guitarmook and I am exactly the opposite... Seeing a band perform live is about more than just listening to their music... it's about their performance, and what they wear can enhance or detract from that performance... When I'm out playing, I try to dress nicer than most of the crowd - part of it is that some nice threads help me get 'in the mood' to really deliver a performance, and part of it is designed to attract attention and impress... I don't want to attract attention necessarily to myself and don't feel the need to impress. I want listeners to enjoy the music of course, but I don't need to impress anyone. I know what I can and can't do and play accordingly. If it's appreciated, great, if not, so what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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