How important is image?

VOLVO))) · February 07, 2014, 12:40:50 PM

Another reason you should have been in glam/cock rock bands, Mark!

RAGER · February 07, 2014, 04:22:34 PM

I used to like to look the part when I was much younger. Not so much nowadays. I prefer to hide in front of Les Pauls and loud tube amps.

RacerX · February 07, 2014, 04:30:04 PM

Yours truly, cock-rockin' back in the day:

Still rocking the cock. What can I say?:

liquidsmoke · February 07, 2014, 04:33:15 PM

I dig that axe!

RacerX · February 07, 2014, 04:38:23 PM

Seeing photos of my long-~~lost~~pawned Mockingbird always makes me sad.

RAGER · February 07, 2014, 04:47:06 PM

Pawned for tofu

liquidsmoke · February 07, 2014, 04:53:46 PM

At the end of the day what's the difference between hair farming and beard farming? Really?

RacerX · February 07, 2014, 06:33:25 PM

Location, location, & location.

Lumpy · February 07, 2014, 07:54:26 PM

Like everything else, the answer is "it depends" and there are always exceptions.

Quote from: The Riffer on February 07, 2014, 11:28:27 AMVisual is half of the performance. Bands that have a great visual image along with great music seem to go farther.

True. If you want to "make it in music" then it's more important. It's easier to get peoples' attention if they want to fuck you. It's not the kiss of death if they don't, but it's a potential advantage you won't have, which young, cute, skinny boys with long hair will have. Not convinced? Compare the careers of The Sword with Crowbar, and get back to me. "People want to be you, or be with you" is how people have phrased it. If you just want to make music and be in a local or regional band, no problem with your below average looks. If you entertain delusions of "making it big" then looking good (and looking the part) makes a difference. There are exceptions of course, and the style of music makes a difference. And amazing talent can trump a lot of negatives. Authenticity also matters... I could teach my 60 year old neighbor how to play the bass, and he could become good enough to play in a black metal band. Could he be on the cover of Decibel some day? Probably not. Could he play in a band and do some local shows, maybe get some local attention? Sure.

Mr. Foxen · February 07, 2014, 08:40:13 PM

I'm putting together a surf green jazz bass with chrome lipstick pickups, maple board. Will it have the right image for doom?

dogfood · February 07, 2014, 09:54:05 PM

Theater. I had this girlfriend when I was 19 (I'm 46ish now) who was a singer/dancer/actress and a darn good one. At the time I was digging Zep, Metallica and moving toward The Cult, and guitar driven post punk. So, my DJ buddy spins me some Iggy and some Dead Boys. And it hits me like a ton of bricks, music, especially on stage, is theater. After the whole Iggy thing sunk in I was trying desperately to explain to my girlfriend how the concept of theater and/or performance could catapult a crap band like Kiss, Twisted Sister, or Wasp into the atmosphere and how live music or any music for that matter was an exchange of ideas/opinions/thought and how blah blah. She looks at me with the most boring expression and says "yeah". One word. No enthusiasm, like I was an idiot. She was a child of theater and performance and understood this shit from her Annie/nutcracker days. Gwar OWNS it, Bucket Head, who is a virtuoso, is booooooooring. Every band that hits the stage has their own comfort level of theater. One of the things that was so appealing to """grunge""" was the thankful demise of Cinderella, Bon Jovi, Lover Boy, and their hair stylist. Cobain couldn't play guitar to save his life but that cross dressing junkie could bring the hate.

Mr. Foxen · February 07, 2014, 10:12:17 PM

Quote from: dogfood on February 07, 2014, 09:54:05 PM
Bucket Head, who is a virtuoso, is booooooooring.

Not sure I'd have come up with Buckethead as my first example of not being theatrical, but mostly checked out live footage with Claypool, with the murder during the drum solo.

Glitchyghost · February 07, 2014, 11:04:28 PM

Just ask KADAVAR. I'm fairly certain that the 4th member of their band is a photographer. If you want an example of a band with more focus on style than music, it's them.

dogfood · February 07, 2014, 11:37:41 PM

Quote from: Mr. Foxen on February 07, 2014, 10:12:17 PM
Quote from: dogfood on February 07, 2014, 09:54:05 PM
Bucket Head, who is a virtuoso, is booooooooring.

Not sure I'd have come up with Buckethead as my first example of not being theatrical, but mostly checked out live footage with Claypool, with the murder during the drum solo.

Yeah, he is got the theater and is still a dreadful failure. Quite the point.

And, if I ever get my hands on that French jhazz molester I'm gonna rip his goddamn eyes and arms from his frog body...not that I'm jealous.

AgentofOblivion · February 08, 2014, 10:25:39 AM

Quote from: koi on February 07, 2014, 11:04:28 PM
Just ask KADAVAR. I'm fairly certain that the 4th member of their band is a photographer. If you want an example of a band with more focus on style than music, it's them.

Hahaha spot on.

The Riffer · February 08, 2014, 12:13:35 PM

Quote from: RacerX on February 07, 2014, 12:38:50 PM
Where do you hang on the "serious dong" issue?

There's no business like show business.

Quote from: SunnO))) on February 07, 2014, 12:40:50 PM
Another reason you should have been in glam/cock rock bands, Mark!

Yeah, that one passed me by. I was too ugly to be pretty, and if it were called acorn rock I coulda been a contender.

agent of change · February 08, 2014, 01:29:40 PM

It's too easy to wear dark clothes and call your band BLACK POISON WITCH. The original point I think was to provoke people with frightening or mindblowing concepts. So we just changed our (relatively new, 3 shows in) band name to RADIANT BEINGS OF LIGHT and are going to dress all in formal whites, with spray-on sparkles. This town is like a mini-Sedonah, with so many "healers" offering Angel Readings and Astrological Shamanism workshops, so we will offer Anal Chakra cleansing. Several of the local metal scene People already hate the name. This makes me happy.

I think one of the questions underlying the op is if you want to provoke or comfort the audience.

liquidsmoke · February 08, 2014, 02:21:15 PM

Quote from: agent of change on February 08, 2014, 01:29:40 PM
It's too easy to wear dark clothes and call your band BLACK POISON WITCH. The original point I think was to provoke people with frightening or mindblowing concepts. So we just changed our (relatively new, 3 shows in) band name to RADIANT BEINGS OF LIGHT and are going to dress all in formal whites, with spray-on sparkles. This town is like a mini-Sedonah, with so many "healers" offering Angel Readings and Astrological Shamanism workshops, so we will offer Anal Chakra cleansing. Several of the local metal scene People already hate the name. This makes me happy.

I think one of the questions underlying the op is if you want to provoke or comfort the audience.

This is awesome. I'm serious.

lordfinesse · February 08, 2014, 04:04:41 PM

Quote from: agent of change on February 08, 2014, 01:29:40 PM
I think one of the questions underlying the op is if you want to provoke or comfort the audience.

If they're listening to my band, I want the audience to feel awesome. I want them to carry in their minds the image of a wolf on a motorcycle racing a hawk flying right beside him, Top Gun style, with mountains in the distance and no finish line.

spookstrickland · February 08, 2014, 06:04:49 PM

Just be yourself, but times 10...wear what ever you like don't be afraid of what people will think.

Instant Dan · February 08, 2014, 07:15:00 PM

I dress California Casual

RacerX · February 08, 2014, 07:53:40 PM

Madras blazer? That is casual.

mutantcolors · February 09, 2014, 03:40:07 AM

Radiant Beings of Light quickly garnering hate from metalheads. That's how you know it's good.

Pissy · February 09, 2014, 09:05:23 AM

Quote from: mutantcolors on February 09, 2014, 03:40:07 AM
Radiant Beings of Light quickly garnering hate from metalheads. That's how you know it's good.

Going with image of anti-image. That's a great image to undertake.

Lumpy · February 09, 2014, 10:35:36 AM

Have you heard Three Day Stubble? They had an intense nerd thing going on. But it's comedic. (Punk rock band)

Also, Life Sex & Death was like a glammy rock band with a homeless-looking guy on vocals (I saw them once in the 90s, they were a great live band, especially the vocalist "Stanley" was an amazing performer, walking across tables etc). Somebody told me that Stanley actually reeked, when they met him back then.