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how to look on stage


SpaceChick
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[quote name='allihts' timestamp='1343562071' post='1752050']
We are very image concious as a band and we make an effort to put on an exciting show for the audience and for us aswell. I can't imagine going to see four guys standing still and the crowd going nuts.
[/quote]

I just had a listen to your band. Very impressive, really good songs and performance, great mix too. I CAN imagine the crowd going f***ing nuts at your gigs. Nice work mate.

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While other musicians might not care about the non-musical aspects of your performance, in order to have a hope of playing for anything other than your personal enjoyment you will have to appeal to a more general audience who most definitely will want something worth looking at as well as listening to.

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[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1343585969' post='1752402']
While other musicians might not care about the non-musical aspects of your performance, in order to have a hope of playing for anything other than your personal enjoyment you will have to appeal to a more general audience who most definitely will want something worth looking at as well as listening to.
[/quote]

I have your CD and can't wait to catch one of your performances :)

My band are not as flambouyant as yours but we still make an effort to look the part and to move around!

I agree with all your comments above B)

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[quote name='scalpy' timestamp='1343593890' post='1752550']
Live music is a performance. Performance isn't just playing music. It's a multi-sensory experience, for the performer as well as the audience. Hoppus is right- give it some.
[/quote]

Again, as said previously, it depends on the type of live music performance. Your average weekly pub gig would come under this category, yet performers dont dress up or put on any particular "show" in this case. Does not seem to bother the punters.

Besides, I am convinced that there are lots of people who go to a concert/gig/live performance purely for the music (granted, in the hope that is played well), and dont care much for the other "multi-sensory experiences".

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[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1343647928' post='1753017']
Again, as said previously, it depends on the type of live music performance. Your average weekly pub gig would come under this category, yet performers dont dress up or put on any particular "show" in this case. Does not seem to bother the punters.

Besides, I am convinced that there are lots of people who go to a concert/gig/live performance purely for the music (granted, in the hope that is played well), and dont care much for the other "multi-sensory experiences".
[/quote]

What sort of band are you in? What sort of places do you play?

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[quote name='Mr Fretbuzz' timestamp='1343408600' post='1750396']I have bought a rattle snake hat band with a rattle on it :-)

...just need to be able to play bass[/quote]

In the meantime you could just shake your head around a lot? :)


FWIW - I'm in the image counts a lot too camp, I mean ........... my interest in playing started as being a 1970s Slade fan FFS!

Edited by Big_Stu
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[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1343647928' post='1753017']
...

Besides, I am convinced that there are lots of people who go to a concert/gig/live performance purely for the music (granted, in the hope that is played well), and dont care much for the other "multi-sensory experiences".
[/quote]

I think they would be the first to complain if they turned up and the stage was in darkness and the artist just played his songs with a 5 sec silence between each one and a blank expression on his face.

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[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1343657176' post='1753196']
I think they would be the first to complain if they turned up and the stage was in darkness and the artist just played his songs with a 5 sec silence between each one and a blank expression on his face.
[/quote]

C'mon, lets get real here !! No artist worth his/her salt is going to let this happen. If they did, there would be no audience, let alone a disappointed one. Even in the most grotty gig venues, the stage is never in darkness, at least not in my experience.

What I assumed we were talking about here, was artists dressing up to the nines and putting on a glitzy show. There is a difference between this, and an artist performing his music and interacting with his audience, either through the music itself, or through a bit of banter etc.

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[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1343661105' post='1753275']
What I assumed we were talking about here, was artists dressing up to the nines and putting on a glitzy show. There is a difference between this, and an artist performing his music and interacting with his audience, either through the music itself, or through a bit of banter etc.
[/quote]

But where do you draw the line regarding the visuals?

Here's a couple of live shots of my band:

[IMG]http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n249/BigRedX/7382392322_866849006e_h.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n249/BigRedX/149326_446849118664167_137154026300346_1967801_568116674_n.jpg[/IMG]

Compared with a lot of other bands we are dressed up to the nines (apart from Mr Venom who's normally undressed to the nines), but for us this is just a slightly amped up version of what we wear normally during the day.

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[quote name='redstriper' timestamp='1343661729' post='1753290']
We just wear our regular clothes and don't make much effort to entertain, other than playing our songs as well as we can - fashion tips welcome:
[/quote]

.......and the stage appears to be lit, in that clip. ;)

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[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1343661819' post='1753291']
But where do you draw the line regarding the visuals?

Here's a couple of live shots of my band:





Compared with a lot of other bands we are dressed up to the nines (apart from Mr Venom who's normally undressed to the nines), but for us this is just a slightly amped up version of what we wear normally during the day.
[/quote]




If this is what floats your boat, good luck to you. My point is that it should not be a prerequisite as to whether a band's MUSIC is worth going to a gig/concert to experience, or not.

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I've always been of the view that if all people want to do is hear music they can go home and listen to a CD. I usually do my best to 'get into it' and move around like a nutter when there's a decent crowd, and I tend to find sporting a cheesy grin seems to massively improve chances with the groupies too haha! Obvs it depends a massive amount on the crowd, you wouldn't for example start doing Flea-style handstands between songs at say a wedding...

Here's a fan video of my band's second encore after a particularly energetic three-setter with an enthusiastic crowd in Manchester. My playing is pretty [s]shocking[/s] loose and our voices were all shot through by this point but you get the idea! [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qohUXjWlaF4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qohUXjWlaF4[/url]

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[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1343662372' post='1753302']
If this is what floats your boat, good luck to you. My point is that it should not be a prerequisite as to whether a band's MUSIC is worth going to a gig/concert to experience, or not.
[/quote]

IMO the visual experience and music at a gig are intrinsically linked. Our image is what gets us a foot in the door when we're looking for gig bookings. Promoters look at our website and Facebook page and see the gig photos and the video. And then when we play the gig we're able deliver musically as well as visually. As I've said before the visuals aren't there to compensate for the music they are there to add to the performance. That AFAIAC is extra value for the venue/promoter and the audience. It gives us the edge over bands who haven't made that additional effort.

Edit: And Dave Vader has made my point exactly! Thanks!

Edited by BigRedX
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I often find visual stimili distracting when I'm enjoying a piece of music, in fact if I'm really enjoying listening to something I often shut my eyes!

As long as the band look like they're enjoying themselves and the music is good, I dont see the point in anything more. The idea of a band having a "look" just feels gimmicky to me.

I've never really given much of a sh*t about being successful or popular as a musician either. If people like our music, great, if they don't, that's fine too. I'm not making it for them ;)

Edited by Wil
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[quote name='Wil' timestamp='1343664608' post='1753355']
I often find visual stimili distracting when I'm enjoying a piece of music, in fact if I'm really enjoying listening to something I often shut my eyes!

As long as the band look like they're enjoying themselves and the music is good, I dont see the point in anything more. The idea of a band having a "look" just feels gimmicky to me.
[/quote]

+1 . Also, it begs the question, is the music not able to stand on it's own merit, without needing a visula stimulant ?

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[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1343667252' post='1753417']
+1 . Also, it begs the question, is the music not able to stand on it's own merit, without needing a visula stimulant ?
[/quote]

Hilarious.

I think this is where many musicians don't give their bands a chance, they have an over-inflated sense of the worth and uniqueness of their own music, and a lack of understanding of what audiences usually want in their genre.

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TBH - I don't see the point of an originals band NOT having a visual image of some kind. Whether they mean to be discovered or "make it" or not, it's another way of creating a unique identity. It's also very easy - human senses working as they do - to associate a particular song/track that a new listener may wish to remember, by being able to associate it with a particular image they saw at the time they liked what they heard.


The other benefit is that if you go so far as to wear make-up or masks, and your band is really bad then you don't get punters telling you "You were sh*t mate!". I bet no members of Lordi get bothered by critics while pottering around Ikea (yeah I know, but it's still Scandic); conversely, Gene Simmons has been revealed to be a knob many times since he was seen sans make-up.

Edited by Big_Stu
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