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Dressing for gigs?

  • 29-04-2012 3:59pm
    #1
    rcaz
    Registered Users Posts: 4,034 ✭✭✭


    Inspired by a recent band discussion I had...

    When you're playing a gig, do you dress up? Does your band have a uniform or a kind of style you try to keep common to all the members? Or is it you don't think about at all?

    I'm all for gigs being 'all about the music', but if you're going to stand up in front of a room full of people and you want them to take you seriously, I think you should make the effort to look your best. And I always felt like a big part of going to see a band play is about watching people who you think are cool bastards doing some cool **** for an hour or two. Always helps if they're looking cool themselves.

    One of my favourite examples of performer's clothes really bringing the performance up a notch;

    wayne-coyne.jpg

    Wouldn't have the same effect if he was just kicking it in a tshirt and jeans.

    I play in a kinda alternativey electronic rock band, we usually do the skinny jeans and sneakers thing, not any kind of costume or uniform, I just tend to save my nicest tshirts and jeans for gig day :pac: Our singer's a shirt guy, the rest of us in tshirts. I kinda think of it like the frontman has to look great, all the focus will be on him, and the rest of us are looking neat and doing our job behind him. I think the clothes kind of help emphasise the frontman-and-his-band dynamic.

    What do yous all think then? How do your bands approach this? Or do you think of it as something that has to be approached at all?


Comments

  • #2
    slavetothegrind
    Registered Users Posts: 2,789 ✭✭✭slavetothegrind


    it's an interesting one, seems to be genre dependant for some

    Take metal, you could almost guess by a bands photo what style or subgenre they are ( ok not that accurately)

    indie seems to be a free for all

    i think it can look good to be dressed up, a friends band do the suit thing playing high energy rock foofighters style and i think it works for them

    Anything that makes you more appealing to an audience straight off the bat is good.

    Sadly you can't buy stage presence but you can, like in your example, give yourself a slight edge.

    me i am too old and fat for cool so i do the standing in the background with long shirt, tee and jeans thing in our covers band. Occasionally worrying the others in case i need to be hoisted out of an impromptu ill advised trujillo moment.:)

    one of the best comments we've gotten is that we look like we've played together for years and really enjoy it.
    we are together two months and rehearse once a week!!

    Personally if the performers are obviously into it and enjoying it my own sense of enjoyment is greatly heightened!

    Nothing worse than 4 serious looking people on stage staring at their instruments rooted to the spot giving off the i can't wait for this to be over vibe:(


  • #3
    rcaz
    Registered Users Posts: 4,034 ✭✭✭rcaz


    slavetothegrind wrote: »
    Nothing worse than 4 serious looking people on stage staring at their instruments rooted to the spot giving off the i can't wait for this to be over vibe:(

    Unless those people are My Bloody Valentine? :pac:


  • #4
    Phizzler
    Registered Users Posts: 10 ✭Phizzler


    Gig clothes can help improve your own show I think. Separating the live show from your day to day appearance can be useful. Helps the crowd remember you too. (Ive worn tiger print tops, and snakeskin boots, you get remembered)


  • #5
    smokedeels
    Registered Users Posts: 2,883 ✭✭✭smokedeels


    Is anyone familiar with the American band "The Music Machine"? The frontman wore one black glove, I always thought that was sh1t cool, somebody needs to bring it back.
    slavetothegrind wrote: »

    Take metal, you could almost guess by a bands photo what style or subgenre they are ( ok not that accurately)

    At lot of them tend to wear their influences on their shirts, in which case it's pretty easy to guess.


  • #6
    Chazz Michael Michaels
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,822 ✭✭✭Chazz Michael Michaels


    Not really for me.


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  • #7
    slavetothegrind
    Registered Users Posts: 2,789 ✭✭✭slavetothegrind


    smokedeels wrote: »
    The frontman wore one black glove

    Was his name lennie?


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