Lonesome Harpman
191 posts
Feb 24, 2016
7:37 AM
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I just got off the phone with someone who was at our show and he told me a couple of the band members looked like a couple of homeless men. I told him most homeless people dress better than these two guys. My question to y'all is how can you suggest in a non threating way to your band mates that they class it up a little? When playing a fundraiser or a church gig you ought to be at least business casual,a bar gig, maybe not so? How can you send positive vibes when you are seemingly putting them down. These two are older dudes 60+ and probably don't own a suit. We obviously don't agree on what's appropriate.
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JInx
1178 posts
Feb 24, 2016
7:54 AM
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"Hey fellas, this is our dress code. It's my way or the highway." This is what it takes to lead a band. If they don't like it, just rip 'em a new asshole and send em packin. It's a cold hard fact that most harmonica players can't dress for shit. Most of them would prefer to lay around like a bunch of drunkin bumblebees.
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Last Edited by JInx on Feb 24, 2016 8:19 AM
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2chops
491 posts
Feb 24, 2016
8:42 AM
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If they haven’t picked up on any clues on their own, then you have to make it plain. But you can be decent about it.
In my band, I actually tend to be the best dressed. I’m afraid of one of you guys showin’ up and them posting about my gutter rat like appearance. So I make sure I clean up for the gig. But of all the guys in our band, it’s our lead man who is almost always in shorts and a t-shirt. So I’ll put it like,
“Hey guys, I was thinking that since our next gig is at…, we ought to make sure we look good. Clean jeans, nice shirts & good looking kicks. What do you think?”
I like to end it with a question so that I get at least some kind of response from each of them. Holds them accountable. I’ve gotten good results with this approach.
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I'm workin on it. I'm workin on it.
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Goldbrick
1331 posts
Feb 24, 2016
10:17 AM
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just tell them.
We usually just say no shorts , no T shirts and no stupid white sneakers.
I live in Miami- yes its warm but a light button up shirt and lightweight LONG pants make you look a bit more serious. Otherwise you look like u wandered off the beach to sit in
I questioned some of the lady musicians I work with and all said they look at a mans shoes and adult men on stage look silly in shorts unless you are a chippendale or one of the Village people
Last Edited by Goldbrick on Feb 24, 2016 10:17 AM
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barbequebob
3169 posts
Feb 24, 2016
10:50 AM
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Jinx's approach is more like the way many of the old black bluesmen I've met over the years would have no problems doing at all. Take him aside, tell him that this ain't like you're playing in an open jam where nobody gives a crap, but when you're doing a REAL gig, each one represents the band and the band's image as well. If it's someone who tends to be really hard headed, you CAN'T be subtle about it one bit and you're gonna have to get in their face about it. When it's someone who's hard headed, subtle hints never work and sometimes the only way to get the point across is to make them feel uncomfortable about it.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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nacoran
8958 posts
Feb 24, 2016
11:35 AM
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I'd be diplomatic. Say, 'hey look guys, I've been thinking... different shows require different looks. If we are playing a college campus maybe tee shirts and shorts are the way to fit in, but I think for church shoes and charity events we probably ought to dress up a bit. Maybe we can figure out what is appropriate before each show and make sure we get the right look. Looking professional may score us some bigger gigs.' Then show them that famous picture of the Beatles with the toilet seats on their heads to show them how not to do it.
I'm actually a big believer that you have to dress to the show. There may be times when jeans and tees are actually the appropriate attire, but church shows are definitely not that time. But you have to be careful the other direction too. Unless you have a lot of schtick going on you don't show up at a hippy festival like you are planning on playing Mozart in front of a conductor either, but it sounds like you know that.
I wouldn't' resort to being pushy about it until I was sure they weren't just clueless about it. Some people just don't think about attire much.
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Nate
Facebook
Thread Organizer (A list of all sorts of useful threads)
First Post- May 8, 2009
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DannyRanch
66 posts
Feb 24, 2016
1:22 PM
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LOL
Reading the title was really funny.
I'm either the must dressed guy in the band or the must gutter looking one.
As a member of punk bands and fan of crust punk I always be like one for crappy jams or some house show, but when it is a good venue I like to dress up fine and pretty much better than the rest of the crew.
But normally people ask me why the hell is there a gutter punk guy playing harmonica on a ska band?
lol
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didjcripey
1019 posts
Feb 24, 2016
1:37 PM
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@jinx:
That's how you speak to your band is it Jinx?
What is your band?
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Lucky Lester
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harmonicanick
2383 posts
Feb 24, 2016
3:19 PM
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Shorts? pleeease...
If you are the leader then lead and tell 'em
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bluemoose
1116 posts
Feb 24, 2016
3:21 PM
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take everyone to Value Village and get outfitted.
That's were I shop :)
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MBH Webbrain - a GUI guide to Adam's Youtube vids
FerretCat Webbrain - Jason Ricci's vids (by hair colour!)
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hvyj
2978 posts
Feb 24, 2016
4:30 PM
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I'd put it in terms of poor showmanship and appearing unprofessional which reflects poorly on the whole band.
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PropMan
83 posts
Feb 24, 2016
5:03 PM
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Our former bass player in the band I was in for the last 3 years (until last month when the boss up and moved to Canada) showed up at a gig in cut off jeans, a worn out T-shirt and flip flops. The boss made him play the whole gig sitting down on a folding chair at the back of the stage behind his amp. He never did THAT again. This was in the bar at a really nice bar/restaurant on the water and was a nice payday--a once a month gig that we all loved playing.
He was a goofy kid and a helluva bass player but eventually the boss replaced him with someone not as good but who was 100% reliable.
Last Edited by PropMan on Feb 24, 2016 5:04 PM
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snowman
155 posts
Feb 24, 2016
5:16 PM
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use the line from the movie "Cabin Boy"
"I was just wondering, what drifters corpse, you stole those clothes from"
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Barley Nectar
1147 posts
Feb 24, 2016
6:19 PM
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I agree with Barbeque Bob and Jinx for a change. Tell the slobs to get with it or get out. They are in a service industry whether they know it or not! ..BN
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STME58
1597 posts
Feb 24, 2016
8:32 PM
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You could chose a uniform for the band. According to the thread on taxes Barbecue Bob started, if they are flashy enough to not be wearable for day to day use they would be tax deductible. :-)
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shakeylee
513 posts
Feb 24, 2016
9:05 PM
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I wear a vest and necktie even when playing outdoors in Austin in August in the afternoon .i usually wear a sport coat when possible .
I am a blues musician and I take that very seriously .
The musicians I play with know this and dress accordingly .
Believe me, I tell them ahead of time . For example I'll say "this gig pays $xxx . Please wear a dress shirt and pants with dress shoes. You don't have to wear a tye ,but it would be nice . "
If they don't,I just don't hire them again.
I find that most women I play with don't have to be told this .
Costuming is very important ,especially as you age.
My least favorite "blues look" is a fedora and sneakers.
Of course,if someone is actually poor,or going through hard times it is a different story.
There are jazz bandleaders in philly that will dock you if your shoes aren't shined,so ,people get the idea!
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www.shakeylee.com
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www.shakeylee.com
Last Edited by shakeylee on Feb 24, 2016 9:09 PM
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indigo
226 posts
Feb 24, 2016
9:49 PM
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You could just be a bit sneaky and bring up the subject by saying you had a ring from a Club owner commenting negatively on the way the Band presents itself.
That way they won't take it as a personal insult from you.
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Mirco
389 posts
Feb 25, 2016
12:06 AM
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This is another reason that bands need to really discuss their look. I think that all members of any band should dress the same, like the Beatles mop-top or Kiss's makeup. Nowadays, when band members don't have a distinctive style, I often have difficulty even determining who is a member of the band.
Is that guy dancing part of the band, or did he just come up on stage from the audience? Is that guitar player in the same band or is it some kind of guitar battle?
Band members should all have the same look.
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Marc Graci
YouTube Channel
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STME58
1600 posts
Feb 25, 2016
12:26 AM
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Micro, is this what you are talking about? There is no question here who the band members are! :-)
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Tiggertoo1962
23 posts
Feb 25, 2016
5:21 AM
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I agree that, if a band is being paid to play for an audience who isn't their own fan base, they have an obligation to turn themselves out accordingly. Having said that, I can't help but feel that some comments are a bit on the extreme side.
I mean, Mirco: OK The Beatles had their look (or several, depending on what stage of their career they were at) but you're not honestly trying to tell me the likes of the Allmans Brothers' Band should all have turned up in identical jeans and T-shirts.
If I want to dress the same as everybody else, I'll join the army, not a band.
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barbequebob
3173 posts
Feb 25, 2016
11:24 AM
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As a bandleader, it's YOUR JOB to be totally upfront tell them RIGHT AWAY before they've joined your band that you don't want someone dressing like a slob on the bandstand well before they've played their first note as an official member of your band so that they know exactly where they stand and it takes away any room for argument because you're being 100% upfront with them.
If you were doing GB gigs (for those who don't know what that means, it's general business gigs, meaning that you're gonna be doing lots of weddings, bar mitzfahs, corporate functions, private parties for some political heavy weights), those are gigs you absolutely HAVE to be well dressed on, even owning a tuxedo, as these are contracted requirements for those gigs (and they tend to pay FAR better than 80% of the club gigs ever will).
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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Mirco
390 posts
Feb 25, 2016
6:05 PM
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I was being facetious. It shouldn't be as strict as an army or even the KISS Army, but I really do think that band members should agree on some kind of general thematic elements. There should be a discussion.
To wit: Are we a blue jeans and t-shirt band? Do we wear dress shirts and jackets? Do we cross dress?
It IS a performance, after all. Dress for it.
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Marc Graci
YouTube Channel
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Tiggertoo1962
26 posts
Feb 25, 2016
10:31 PM
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Ah, just starting to get a handle on your humour now, Mirco. Isn't the internet a strange, faceless animal, chock full of opportunities for misunderstanding...
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garry
632 posts
Feb 27, 2016
7:39 AM
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Interesting coincidence. I was playing a gig last night, with a bunch of guys who play at the same jam, usually in jeans and T shirts. And I noticed at one point that every one of us was dressed well. Nothing extravagant, slacks or black jeans and black dress shirts. Nobody ever said anything about dress. But the the guy who runs the band is a pro, and everyone just picked up his vibe of being a professional at gigs. Pretty cool.
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