Music genre and image

Haych

I went to see a gig last night and the support act, whilst very good (although far too loud), were sonically and visually both a cliché and a parody of every band they seemed to reference as an influence.  It was as if Lynyrd Skynyrd, Aerosmith and Guns n Roses had a threesome and puked up a lovechild who was born in the 80s and refused to grow up.

I've always been fascinated as to why certain genres of music seem to require a certain visual image.  As if to play hard rock you have to have hats, tats, long hair, leather waistcoats and cheap bling hanging off you wrists - don't even get me started on the metal spectrum, that's another image/content thing I don't get.

Then you have rap & hip-hop and there's a definite visual image that seems to go hand in hand with that genre too.

Of course, I'm stereo-typing and I'm sure not all bands in a particular genre are all the same but I'd love to see a band that breaks the mold and swims against the current of the visual image that their chosen musical style seems to require.  Hard rock with clean shaven blokes in suits and smiles, anyone?

Winny_Pooh

Most musicians are so conservative that you'd probably not get into a band with the wrong look, not to mention the wrong age.

Image does sell unfortunately. (And to an extent is logical. Why confuse your audience?)

Take Metallica, a no fucks given band right? 
Their manager used to constantly give Cliff Burton shit about his bellbottoms. Taking this further could you imagine Dave Mustain or Ozzy wearing shorts and flip flops? 

ICBM

It goes back to the ‘rebel’ thing with rock’n’roll, I think - maybe even further, there was a ‘jazz look’ as well if I remember right. Certainly by the early 70s, if you were in any kind of rock band and didn’t have long hair, you weren’t part of the tribe.

I always thought Graham Bonnet did it right in Rainbow... he looked much cooler than anyone else in the hard rock scene, but Blackmore sacked him because of it!

pintspiller

Stereo-types are sometimes true. You can't get away from it.

EricTheWeary

ICBM said:

It goes back to the ‘rebel’ thing with rock’n’roll, I think - maybe even further, there was a ‘jazz look’ as well if I remember right. Certainly by the early 70s, if you were in any kind of rock band and didn’t have long hair, you weren’t part of the tribe.

I always thought Graham Bonnet did it right in Rainbow... he looked much cooler than anyone else in the hard rock scene, but Blackmore sacked him because of it!

Graham was the example that came to mind,obviously very few well known exceptions. 

Philly_Q

ICBM said:

I always thought Graham Bonnet did it right in Rainbow... he looked much cooler than anyone else in the hard rock scene, but Blackmore sacked him because of it!

Hmmm, I don't know.  He certainly would've looked cooler to people who didn't like rock/metal, looking in from the outside.  But I thought he looked a bit ridiculous with his quiff, sunglasses, Hawaiian shirts etc... and my opinion hasn't really changed 40 years later.

I do take the point about the stereotypical images associated with various types of music, it is pretty ludicrous but most of us get into music at an impressionable age.  And if you're drawn to the music you're probably also drawn to the image.  I can't imagine too many people in 1978 wanting to listen to Iron Maiden but dress like the Lambrettas or Secret Affair.

Having said that, I remember a kid in school who was into 2Tone then suddenly decided he preferred metal.  He carried on wearing his Harrington jacket, white polo shirts and Sta-Prest trousers, but replaced all his little black & white badges with Priest, Maiden and AC/DC ones.

Philly_Q

Winny_Pooh said:

Taking this further could you imagine Dave Mustain or Ozzy wearing shorts and flip flops? 

Ozzy did once shave his head, presumably when he was very pissed.

The weird thing was, while it was growing back he completely changed the way he dressed.

EricTheWeary

Philly_Q said:

Winny_Pooh said:

Taking this further could you imagine Dave Mustain or Ozzy wearing shorts and flip flops? 

Ozzy did once shave his head, presumably when he was very pissed.

The weird thing was, while it was growing back he completely changed the way he dressed.

IIRC he was a skinhead before joining Sabbath so maybe he had the polos and check shirts in a drawer somewhere. 

Angry Anderson was the other baldy in rock who came to mind. And John McCoy made a lot of interesting stylistic choices:

https://i.imgur.com/1kByWIw.jpg

ICBM

Philly_Q said:

Hmmm, I don't know.  He certainly would've looked cooler to people who didn't like rock/metal, looking in from the outside.  But I thought he looked a bit ridiculous with his quiff, sunglasses, Hawaiian shirts etc... and my opinion hasn't really changed 40 years later.

He looked far less ridiculous in 1980 than the rest of the band did with their long hair, satin flares and Cuban heels that hadn't changed since about 1973.

Philly_Q

ICBM said:

Philly_Q said:

Hmmm, I don't know.  He certainly would've looked cooler to people who didn't like rock/metal, looking in from the outside.  But I thought he looked a bit ridiculous with his quiff, sunglasses, Hawaiian shirts etc... and my opinion hasn't really changed 40 years later.

He looked far less ridiculous in 1980 than the rest of the band did with their long hair, satin flares and Cuban heels that hadn't changed since about 1973.

I can't deny that Blackmore clung on to the flares and platform shoes a bit longer than he should've...

But at least he still had his own hair then.... or maybe not, perhaps it was just about the time it mysteriously regained its former glory.

BloodEagle

I always thought Graham Bonnet did it right in Rainbow...

Characteristically Fretboardish bang-up-to-date reference there

Maynehead

Because you’d look a right twat playing a metal gig in a 3 piece suit...

Haych

ICBM said:

It goes back to the ‘rebel’ thing with rock’n’roll, I think - maybe even further, there was a ‘jazz look’ as well if I remember right. Certainly by the early 70s, if you were in any kind of rock band and didn’t have long hair, you weren’t part of the tribe.

I always thought Graham Bonnet did it right in Rainbow... he looked much cooler than anyone else in the hard rock scene, but Blackmore sacked him because of it!

Yes but this isn't 1969 any more.  What exactly are they rebelling against?  Hard rock and even some genres of metal are so mainstream that "the man" couldn't care less what you looked like and he quite happily bops along when Enter Sandman or Paradise City comes on the radio.

And, if everyone (and by that I mean personnel in any number of bands) has the same image then it kinda detracts from the image that they're trying to portray and they just become a parody of themselves.

There are some bands who have obviously worked on their image and got it down to a fine art.  Steel Panther come to mind, music about whores played by whores who dress like whores - for the tongue in cheek genre of throwback metal it works well and sets them apart from most others.

Then there's Vintage Trouble, who have managed to strike a great image IMHO.  Despite playing music that isn't new they've got a great look and attitude and can deliver the goods with a smile and positive attitude while everyone around them is wearing the same old jeans, cowboy boots and hats and still scowling at "the man".

Maynehead said:

Because you’d look a right twat playing a metal gig in a 3 piece suit...

Why?  Only because several decades of stereotyping has told you that you must look like this if you want to play that.  

We live in a world where we ever increasingly refuse to be put into boxes, whether it be body image, dress sense, sexuality, spirituality, gender or whatever but nobody is willing to challenge a decades old and irrelevant visual image that goes hand in hand with a certain genre of music?

That's almost as laughable as the haulage company who only sends lorries out for short runs on a Friday because by the end of the week the horse is tired! (true story).

Maynehead

I think people just wear what they want to wear, and it happens that people who like certain genres like to dress in certain ways.

Obviously this does not apply to cover/tribute/parody bands who choose to wear stereotypical clothes to give the audience an “authentic” visual experience.

Philly_Q

There seems to be a suggestion here that people secretly want to dress differently, but simply don't dare due to the conventions of their particular music genre.

I'm not sure that's the case, I think most are comfortable within the conventions, even though it is a stereotype.

I don't play in a band but I'm a rock/metal fan.  I don't have long hair any more (although I still have hair!), but I was a jeans and T-shirts guy at 15 and I'm still a jeans and T-shirts guy.  I have no secret wish to wear chinos, deck shoes with no socks or any variety of cardigan.  I have to wear a suit for work and I have no wish to wear one outside of work.  If I did play in a band I would not go out of my way to wear clothes I dislike just to be "different".

Haych

Maynehead said:

I think people just wear what they want to wear, and it happens that people who like certain genres like to dress in certain ways.

This is possibly true but I still reckon there's a good deal of subconscious conditioning going on that people dress that way because people who do that also dress that way.  It's a proven fact that people are followers and they do what's popular because it's popular and I think this is a case in point.  Just my two pence worth

Haych

Philly_Q said:

There seems to be a suggestion here that people secretly want to dress differently, but simply don't dare due to the conventions of their particular music genre.

I'm not sure that's the case, I think most are comfortable within the conventions, even though it is a stereotype.

I don't play in a band but I'm a rock/metal fan.  I don't have long hair any more (although I still have hair!), but I was a jeans and T-shirts guy at 15 and I'm still a jeans and T-shirts guy.  I have no secret wish to wear chinos, deck shoes with no socks or any variety of cardigan.  I have to wear a suit for work and I have no wish to wear one outside of work.  If I did play in a band I would not go out of my way to wear clothes I dislike just to be "different".

No, I'm not suggesting that at all.  I'm simply questioning why the rocker mage is a certain way and why there seems to be a reticence to be anything different, why have we become comfortable with this particular style and why more people don't challenge it.

The music isn't new, it's not bad but it's been done a billion times before.  The image isn't new either, So why not do something a bit different to stand out from the crowd a bit?  You could well be right, it's just what people want to do. I'm not suggesting it's wrong, I'm just poking the internet to see what comes out. 

axisus

I have to admit that I prefer bands to look 'right' for the music.  I loved Rival Sons early on, but when jay Buchanan had his head shaved on the sides and floppy on the top I went right off the band! 

thecolourbox

As a huge White Stripes fan (still!) I'd say the image definitely helps a lot to be distinctive as a bit different, but that's at a high level. For bands playing weddings and the Dog and Duck type pubs, I think a non descript dress code would be better than dressing up, but as with most walks of life your can tell if the people are dressed in what they are comfortable in our are wearing effectively fancy dress. People are much better in the former!






Says the indie hipster who still dresses like I want to be in the Strokes 15 years ago

Philly_Q

Haych said:
Then there's Vintage Trouble, who have managed to strike a great image IMHO.  Despite playing music that isn't new they've got a great look and attitude and can deliver the goods with a smile and positive attitude while everyone around them is wearing the same old jeans, cowboy boots and hats and still scowling at "the man".

I can't help observing that at least two members of Vintage Trouble wear hats virtually all the time.  I've seen the singer in a hat too, so sometimes it's three out of four.

I know that wasn't your point, but just saying.

Haych

Philly_Q said:

Haych said:
Then there's Vintage Trouble, who have managed to strike a great image IMHO.  Despite playing music that isn't new they've got a great look and attitude and can deliver the goods with a smile and positive attitude while everyone around them is wearing the same old jeans, cowboy boots and hats and still scowling at "the man".

I can't help observing that at least two members of Vintage Trouble wear hats virtually all the time.  I've seen the singer in a hat too, so sometimes it's three out of four.

I know that wasn't your point, but just saying.

Haha, touche man.  Yeah that wasn't necessarily what I was getting at but obviously you understood that, but well played, that man.