Is my stage name stupid?

rache611

I've been thinking of switching from using my real name for gigs and stuff to just having a stage name... so I was thinking of "Violet Flame" or maybe just "Violet" but I'm not sure if the idea is completely stupid as well as the names... would love some opinions!

MilanPan!c

Is this one of those joke threads?

What kind of music is it? What do you do? What do you look like?

Hard to know really.

JBnaglfar

As Milan ^ said, its hard to know without knowing what you do etc., but my initial reaction would be a maybe for Violet. I wouldn't recommend Violet Flame, I can't base this on anything other than would I want to go see you based on that name and the answer is sorry, but no .
I don't see any reason why you shouldn't use a stage name so long as its suits both you and what you do. What sort of music do you perform?

Malice

rache611 wrote:

I've been thinking of switching from using my real name for gigs and stuff to just having a stage name... so I was thinking of "Violet Flame" or maybe just "Violet" but I'm not sure if the idea is completely stupid as well as the names... would love some opinions!

I wouldn't say it's stupid at all. A stage name like that would work quite well if your music is something like The Birthday Massacre for example.

r.duke

hey just to let you know im pretty sure there is a uk band called violet flame, i remember seeing the name somewhere 'cause it was a refrence to a quote in book on eastern meditation i once read(if i remember correctly) u might want to check on it first.

RC88

not stupid in the least, think bout it, it a poster with say just for exp(john brown) gonna catch many peoples eye like a catchy stage name

go for something that fits your genre, violet flame might fit a pop punk act while violet might fit folk and blues or country or something like violet fury for metal(just my opinion) but you get the idea

but then if your own name is not gonna sound too bland on stage already, as they say "if it ain't broke why fix it"

Fozzydog3

1978 is that you ?

Malice

r.duke wrote: »

hey just to let you know im pretty sure there is a uk band called violet flame, i remember seeing the name somewhere 'cause it was a refrence to a quote in book on eastern meditation i once read(if i remember correctly) u might want to check on it first.

Good point. This is them.

Rigsby

JBnaglfar wrote: »

As Milan ^ said, its hard to know without knowing what you do etc.,

I cant see the connection here. For instance, what does the name "Luka Bloom" tell us about Barry Moore or the music he does. Come to think of it, what does any stage name say about an artist, or the music he does ? If you had never heard of say, the "Rolling Stones", or "The Edge", would you know what music they played by this name ? To find that out, you have to go and see/hear the artist. If a person is letting names dictate what bands they go to see, then I think they may be losing out on some good music.

I dont wish to get embroiled in a "good stage name/bad stage name" debate here. There was a thread recently that covered the whole "are band/artist names important" debate nicely.

MilanPan!c

Rigsby wrote: »

I cant see the connection here. For instance, what does the name "Luka Bloom" tell us about Barry Moore or the music he does. Come to think of it, what does any stage name say about an artist, or the music he does ? If you had never heard of say, the "Rolling Stones", or "The Edge", would you know what music they played by this name ? To find that out, you have to go and see/hear the artist. If a person is letting names dictate what bands they go to see, then I think they may be losing out on some good music.

I dont wish to get embroiled in a "good stage name/bad stage name" debate here. There was a thread recently that covered the whole "are band/artist names important" debate nicely.

I think that's a pretty silly attitude.

What if Bob Dylan had called himself Spazz Rabies (a real stage name)? A lot fewer people would've given him a chance and the people that did, based on his name alone, prolly wouldn't have liked it.

Presentation IS important. Musicians have very little control of soooo much; what we can control, we should control conciously and delibertately.

IMO.

silverhare

As many have stated, so long as the name suits your style (musically and aesthetically) it can be a good thing. I've found stage names useful to help me get my mo-jo on. I associate my given name with one aspect of my life and my stage name with another. When referred to by my stage name(s o_O) I adopt the stage persona (almost) immediately.

Robert Zimmerman or Bob Dylan???

~note, this has had more relevance to performance art and side-show work than music, but I can't help drawing similarities.

Rigsby

MilanPan!c wrote: »

I think that's a pretty silly attitude.

What if Bob Dylan had called himself Spazz Rabies (a real stage name)? A lot fewer people would've given him a chance and the people that did, based on his name alone, prolly wouldn't have liked it.

Presentation IS important. Musicians have very little control of soooo much; what we can control, we should control conciously and delibertately.

IMO.

I think you and I had this out before in the other thread I refered to earlier. We'll have to agree or disagree on this. Obviously I'm in the minority here. I could not care less how silly a band's name is, once their music appeals to me. It is people's attitude to the names, rather than the names themselves that seems to be the problem.

By the way, you have not explained the connection between the stage name "The Edge" and the type of music he plays.

Here is the thread I refer to above :

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055975905

Blackhorse Slim

Stage names can be important. They can be part of a performers (or a band's) image and mystique. For example, I'm sure that Jeffry Hyman, John Cummings, Douglas Colvin and Thomas Erdelyi would have done very well, but would they have become the legends that we know as Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee and Tommy Ramone?

To get back to the original question, "Violet Flame" sounds a little kitsch to me, which can be good, depending on how you want to present yourself. "Violet" sounds a lot classier, but again it depends on how you want to be perceived.

Your name is not as important as who you are and what you do, but it can add something to the total package.

Rigsby

Blackhorse Slim wrote: »

Your name is not as important as who you are and what you do, but it can add something to the total package.

My sentiments entirely.

MilanPan!c

Rigsby wrote: »

I think you and I had this out before in the other thread I refered to earlier. We'll have to agree or disagree on this. Obviously I'm in the minority here. I could not care less how silly a band's name is, once their music appeals to me. It is people's attitude to the names, rather than the names themselves that seems to be the problem.

By the way, you have not explained the connection between the stage name "The Edge" and the type of music he plays.

Here is the thread I refer to above :

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055975905

This thing is, I'm NOT talking about a perfect world, I'm talking about the world you're aware of and acknowledge when you say this:

It is people's attitude to the names, rather than the names themselves that seems to be the problem.

People DO have issues with stupid names, as you've stated, so taking that into consideration is really just being a realist. I'm not judging people for wanting to have silly names, accept that silly names CAN hurt bands.

Remember my own personal rules though:

Names shouldn't be inside jokes - if I need the name explained it's a bad name

Name's should really be jokes at all - What I find funny, many people find offensive; why would I start out in a position that some will be offended by, UNNECESSARILY?

Names shouldn't be shocking or offensive, for the same reason.

Don't get me wrong, if you're a black metal band then call yourself ChristF*cker, if you want, but if you're a jazz guitarist, I would advise you to try something a bet less offensive, like ChristSnuggler.

This is all IMO of course.

Oh and...

Re: the edge. It sounds pretty cool (cutting edge, edgy, etc.), it's inoffensive, it made sense in the genre and and it's not a stupid joke.

Rigsby

Milan :

I accept that all you say is true, it's just that I dont understand the logic of judging bands by their name, (possibly even before hearing their music), and I have no interest in trying to. As far as I'm concerned, that's their loss.


As for your explaination of "The Edge"... "cutting edge" could apply to a lot of genres.

JBnaglfar

Rigsby wrote: »

it's just that I dont understand the logic of judging bands by their name, (possibly even before hearing their music), and I have no interest in trying to. As far as I'm concerned, that's their loss.

I wasn't going to reply to this debate as it seems to be going off-topic, but I think it may have stemmed from my comment earlier so just want to clarify my position. The ideal first exposure to a band will be hearing their music, then I can make an informed judgement. However, often the first point of exposure will be reading or hearing a band name, whether on a cd cover, review, a thread online or whatever. In this situation, the name can have an impact as it may, or probably will, be an indication of what genre the band lies in. Perfect or not, this will have an influence as I cannot listen to every band that I come across.

However, a bad name can be overcome. I hated the name Between the Buried and Me, and still do :pac:. I didn't listen to them for ages, but once I gave them a chance I realised that they were pretty decent.

To drag this post back towards the OP, your name will probably be the first thing that a potential listener discovers about you, e.g. on a gig flyer. The stagename that you choose might suggest a particular type of music, but then again it might not say anything about it other than suggest what it is not e.g. Violet Flame does not sound like, say, reggae or black metal to me. If it suits your style of music, and sounds good, go for it. Best of luck.

MilanPan!c

Rigsby wrote: »

Milan :

I accept that all you say is true, it's just that I dont understand the logic of judging bands by their name, (possibly even before hearing their music), and I have no interest in trying to. As far as I'm concerned, that's their loss.


As for your explaination of "The Edge"... "cutting edge" could apply to a lot of genres.

That's all cool, man.

Listen, we agree it's stupid to pre-judge. But we also agree it's reality.

Re: The Edge. I never said it has to be specific to yer genre, though that helps. The point is it shouln't, because of reality, put off people that are fans of bands/artists in yer genre.

So, while some things are perfect matches and add, other things are just acceptable and don't detract. The unwanted thing is the thing that takes away from yer potential.

Hope that's clear.

Like the google slogan, "first, do no harm".

guitarzero

Depends, those with stage names in music tend to either have massive balls or amazing talent, otherwise you could be a lamb to the slaughter house. Violet is a fairly femine name, soft, alternative, esoteric etc, the music kinda has to sell the name. I say get at least a foot hold in your sound and rep and then consider, otherwise its a sink or swim.

drumdrum

guitarzero wrote: »

Depends, those with stage names in music tend to either have massive balls or amazing talent, otherwise you could be a lamb to the slaughter house. Violet is a fairly femine name, soft, alternative, esoteric etc, the music kinda has to sell the name. I say get at least a foot hold in your sound and rep and then consider, otherwise its a sink or swim.

+1!!

Personally, I think all stage names are unnecessary and I think spawn a little from insecurity. A "name-to-hide-behind" so to speak. I'm a Avenged Sevenfold fan, and while I like the music, I think that their stage names are ridiculous and not necessary.

IMO, stage names are a big too "Spinal Tap"-ey. Good for a laugh but hard to take seriously. Unless your real name is something unfortunate like "Mike Rotch" then you should be fine.