Bands....dress nice...or dress like scrubs?

KeithReynolds · Post by **KeithReynolds** » Saturday Mar 24, 2012

Whats YOUR opinions?

Typically, if I see a band where they are rocking with chick jeans and chick haircuts, I cant take it seriously....but on the same token...if they look like scrubs or back alley bums, I also cant take it seriously.
Does image come into play with how you feel about a band?
Do you feel a band is more professional if they take the time to look nice for you?

Ironically, some of the international bands I like are all painted up like morons. Maybe its just style personal style prefs that come into play. I dont know.
I dont think fashion and music should be related, but I do think its good when a band doesnt look like cardboard box dwellers.

bassist_25 · Post by **bassist_25** » Saturday Mar 24, 2012

My philosophy has always been "you should look like you belong on stage." That can mean a lot of different things, but for the most part, I was never a fan of musicians looking like scrubs. Some bands can pull off the "our image is no image" thing well (e.g., Pearl Jam, Clutch), but that just doesn't work for most bands, IMHO.

I like bands with personality, and looking the part does come into play there. With that said, I've always hated gimmicks (and cliches, e.g., playing punk rock while wearing a suit...Green Day surprisingly brought that image back without it seeming hackneyed...they're the exception) and image should never overshadow the music nor should it be used in place the ability to have real stage presence. I was very happy when Mudvayne ditched the goofy facepaint, so their music could maybe be taken more seriously.

Oh, and I come from the school of thought that wearing your own band's shirt on stage is lame. This past fall, old sKool and I both showed up for the gig wearing our Lies, Inc. shirts. He put on one of our shirts from our merch box so we weren't wearing the same shirt. I gave him shit about it all night.

kayla · Post by **kayla** » Saturday Mar 24, 2012

personally, i think you should look like you belong on stage (we are bein paid). i don't dress up by any means, but i make sure i have decent clothes on. not something i picked off the floor and threw on 10 minutes before i walked out the door.

i always try and look presentable when i go out to meet other musicians as well.

good topic keith!

- kayla.

Mysterytrain · Post by **Mysterytrain** » Sunday Mar 25, 2012

I think if it fits your personality then go for it!

P MAC · Post by **P MAC** » Sunday Mar 25, 2012

Depends.........and if you are as old as some of us thats probably what you should waer. ( insert rim shot )
Sorry, couldn't resist

Hawk · Post by **Hawk** » Sunday Mar 25, 2012

P MAC wrote:Depends.........and if you are as old as some of us thats probably what you should waer. ( insert rim shot )
Sorry, couldn't resist

Post by **Jim Price** » Sunday Mar 25, 2012

I concur with what some here have already said. I think it depends on the individual band and situation, and each is different. Dressing like a slob probably detracts from the general audience member's perception of a band, especially if they're seeing it for the first time. But being too gimmicky with attire can also be a detriment, especially if the performance doesn't match up with the image.

"Look like you belong on stage" is good, and that definition varies from band to band. Dressing in a way that the audience can identify with can work as well, wearing a favorite sports jersey or T-shirt, or a concert or festival shirt that people can identify with can help break the ice with an audience. Or wearing something relating to an occasion or holiday, like putting on something green for a St. Patrick's weekend gig, etc. But again, it varies from situation to situation.

A few weeks ago, I went to see Shallow 9 at Glenn's Place in Claysburg. The two guys flanking singer Erika out front, Mitch and Kenton, both wear black dress shirts and red ties. One patron sitting next to me at the bar, who was seeing Shallow 9 for the first time that night, remarked to me that he liked that look and thought that it made the group look more professional (and of course, he dug the music and Erika's voice). So sinking a little thought into what you wear on stage can make a difference as far as making people notice and winning new fans.

MeYatch · Post by **MeYatch** » Sunday Mar 25, 2012

I've always said that a bar patron should be able to tell who's in the band when they aren't on stage. Which I guess is pretty much the same as "look like you belong on stage"

Gallowglass · Post by **Gallowglass** » Sunday Mar 25, 2012

I personally have to be mentally comfortable when I'm onstage, and I generally hate to be the focus of people's attention. I've never been a very fashionable guy, and pull it off poorly to boot, so wearing things that are designed to stand out sets me off my game. I've always thought less of bands that put too much effort into looking cool...it just seems lame to me.

For me this translates into pretty much just wearing the same things that I wear everyday. I generally wear a shirt that has some personal meaning to me or just something I like; one of my heroes or a band I like, or maybe just a Dawn of the Dead shirt or something. I don't know, I guess I'd rather spend the extra time practicing a difficult passage or thinking about the music rather than worrying about what I'm going to wear. That's just me. Although I have to admit...if I could find one of those old shirts like Duane Allman used to wear or Tonny Iommi is wearing on the inside cover of Vol.4, I'd be all over it

!

onegunguitar · Post by **onegunguitar** » Sunday Mar 25, 2012

Jeans and black sleeve less t-shirts work for me

rockstar · Post by **rockstar** » Sunday Mar 25, 2012

i have often said that i believe that kisses image didn't fit their music i just couldn't see them in paint singing Beth if you know what i mean.

robinhood · Post by **robinhood** » Sunday Mar 25, 2012

Well, I dress comfortably. When I was in my first band, playing bass I wore jeans and a tshirt, but when I started frontin the band I actually wore a skirt or two, but this is why I like being a bass player sitting sorta in the corner so that I can be comfortable and look good at the same time

RamRod 1 · Post by **RamRod 1** » Sunday Mar 25, 2012

Does image come into play with how you feel about a band?

I'm sure it does. Too bad but the visual thing does mean so much. It's kind'a like a "1st impression".

For my 1st bar gigs in 1968 we'd wear dress pants and a nice shirt like you'd wear to Church.

Earily "70's". Jeans and flannel shirt like Neil Young. Mod shirt for weddings.

Mid "70's". Dress cloths like Tux's and John Trovotla disco clothes.

(No Photos)

Earily "80's". New Wave stuff like black suits and skinny ties.

Now I'm so fat that I either wear Hawaiian shirts and never tuck them in.

ToonaRockGuy · Post by **ToonaRockGuy** » Monday Mar 26, 2012

Since no drummers (outside of Hawk's smiley) have responded, I don't care about image. I dress to be comfortable while playing. I'm not going to wear a ripped-up shirt and stuff, but neither will I go play a gig in a suit and tie. I sweat WAY too much for that. I do try to take at least one fresh t-shirt per set, so I can duck into the bathroom and change shirts to not drip on people, LOL.

When you are behind the kit with the lights beating down on ya, image is the last thing you worry about.

jetcitywoman · Post by **jetcitywoman** » Monday Mar 26, 2012

Yea dress in doctor scrubs that be awesome! drape a stethoscope over yor neck....sport a blood pressure cuff on yer arm...

jk

actually that would be cool

seriously, rockers should look like rockers. isn't attire genre dependent?

Banned · Post by **Banned** » Monday Mar 26, 2012

jetcitywoman wrote:Yea dress in doctor scrubs that be awesome! drape a stethoscope over yor neck....sport a blood pressure cuff on yer arm...

jk

actually that would be cool

In the late 70's, there was a band of younger guys in the Scranton area called the Interns and they would wear hospital scrubs.

KeithReynolds · Post by **KeithReynolds** » Monday Mar 26, 2012

Type O wore scrubs for the 'Life is Killing Me' tours.

witchhunt · Post by **witchhunt** » Monday Mar 26, 2012

Gallowglass wrote: I've always thought less of bands that put too much effort into looking cool...it just seems lame to me.

At most of the gigs I ever played, a good percentage of the crowd was made up of friends and aqquaintences. My bands have always tried to not make it look like "Hey, we're the band. Not you." We're all equal. We just happen to be making the music. So cutoff T's, jeans or shorts, and Reeboks always worked for me.

songsmith · Post by **songsmith** » Monday Mar 26, 2012

Gallowglass wrote:I personally have to be mentally comfortable when I'm onstage, and I generally hate to be the focus of people's attention. I've never been a very fashionable guy, and pull it off poorly to boot, so wearing things that are designed to stand out sets me off my game. I've always thought less of bands that put too much effort into looking cool...it just seems lame to me.

+1
I do try and have something decent to wear, pressed and clean, but I don't put a huge amount of thought into it. I like T-shirts that are ironic or homey, depending on my mood, and I have a favorite "PA Musician" tee that my wife bought me. Usually the basic goal is not to look too sweaty and disheveled after the first 10 minutes, and I seldom achieve that goal.
This is actually probably a bigger factor for Mama Corn than many local bands... we play mostly for college-age-to-forty party types, but sometimes our audience at traditional bluegrass festivals is quite dress-conservative. Some expect to see blazers and matching white Stetsons, and we just don't do that. We lost a regular festival booking simply because when it's 95 degrees, we dress for it, and our guitarist has long hair. We still played as traditional as anyone at that show, but they just couldn't allow it. Well, okay, we also got a better reaction than the highly-paid headliner, and there may have been a bit of jealousy, but they SAID it was how we dressed.
We have been at least going with collar shirts and big-boy pants for the out-of-town shows, though. Baby-steps, people.

Banned · Post by **Banned** » Monday Mar 26, 2012

undercoverjoe wrote:
jetcitywoman wrote:Yea dress in doctor scrubs that be awesome! drape a stethoscope over yor neck....sport a blood pressure cuff on yer arm...

jk

actually that would be cool

In the late 70's, there was a band of younger guys in the Scranton area called the Interns and they would wear hospital scrubs.

I now wonder if any of those musicians are now in The Giants of Science, also from Scranton, who wear mad scientist white lab coats.

bassist_25 · Post by **bassist_25** » Monday Mar 26, 2012

songsmith wrote: +1
I do try and have something decent to wear, pressed and clean, but I don't put a huge amount of thought into it. I like T-shirts that are ironic or homey, depending on my mood, and I have a favorite "PA Musician" tee that my wife bought me. Usually the basic goal is not to look too sweaty and disheveled after the first 10 minutes, and I seldom achieve that goal.
This is actually probably a bigger factor for Mama Corn than many local bands... we play mostly for college-age-to-forty party types, but sometimes our audience at traditional bluegrass festivals is quite dress-conservative. Some expect to see blazers and matching white Stetsons, and we just don't do that. We lost a regular festival booking simply because when it's 95 degrees, we dress for it, and our guitarist has long hair. We still played as traditional as anyone at that show, but they just couldn't allow it. Well, okay, we also got a better reaction than the highly-paid headliner, and there may have been a bit of jealousy, but they SAID it was how we dressed.

Incredibly lame on part of the promoter.

Andy, I love it when you post those old school pics.

nakedtwister · Post by **nakedtwister** » Monday Mar 26, 2012

I'm actually thinking about wearing a depends, with the British Flag screen printed on it. Shirtless!!!

jetcitywoman · Post by **jetcitywoman** » Monday Mar 26, 2012

KeithReynolds wrote:

Type O wore scrubs for the 'Life is Killing Me' tours.

peter steele look good in ANYTHING..

i miss him, and the genius he brought to rock

Banned · Post by **Banned** » Monday Mar 26, 2012

nakedtwister wrote:I'm actually thinking about wearing a depends, with the British Flag screen printed on it. Shirtless!!!

You wear one now, right? Screen print it with green flames like your shirt.

RamRod 1 · Post by **RamRod 1** » Monday Mar 26, 2012

Andy, I love it when you post those old school pics.

Thanks Paul, we need more! Where's Adam D?