General Music Chat

Yeah, man, remember that "Easy Lover" video (Phillip Bailey/Phil Collins) When ol' Phil pulls out the Earth, Wind and Fire costumes? Yeah? Maybe? Uh, no,no, I don't remember that either...nevermind.

Yeah, man, remember that "Easy Lover" video (Phillip Bailey/Phil Collins) When ol' Phil pulls out the Earth, Wind and Fire costumes? Yeah? Maybe? Uh, no,no, I don't remember that either...nevermind.

It's a repressed memory.

I'll admit, I don't like the idea of uniforms, either...that was back in the Motown/disco age

However, do ya think that Pink Floyd would have been as popular without thier amazing shows? Madonna? Michael Jackson? Even Tom Waittes did a little stand up thing with a lamp post. (lol...I'm not saying you should emulate any of these acts - come up with your very own!)

Floor shows used to be expected, in a lot of high end clubs. If ya didn't do one ya didn't work there.

I think that may be one of the reasons our pay scales have gone down so much. We just don't put forth the same effort to entertain that the musicians used to back in the day. Audiences have lost interest. We aren't being entertaining enough.

I remember ppl talking about this or that band's entire act, not just the music. No sense denying it, like in any other job, if you don't stand out, you don't get remembered.

Most bands just don't stand out, esp the cover bands. It's like Jo said, "they look like mannikins."

If you put forth the effort, ppl will notice & talk about you & buy your stuff & follow you to see what you'll do next.

Imo, it's all part & parcel of being a "professional" entertainer. Otherwise you might as well just stay in the studio.

Here's a question for ya along the lines of entertainment.
Ya know KISS has gotten a lot of bad press from the music community.
All about the show: Sloppy musicians: To simple of songs: I know ya'll know what I,m talkin about. I thought it was brilliant. It dont have to be composer complicated to be entertaining does it?
So heres the Q:
What has happened to all the cool stuff? Lasers, lights, mountains of fog etc. Has all this been regulated to extinction in the small to medium venue. or is it the bands dont want the hassel of dealing with this "show" stuff.

Well, one thing's for sure...no one will be using the pyro-tech stuff after the Great White debacle a couple of years ago.

And SMOKE machines? You can't smoke in bars anymnore.

Bubble machines, maybe? (Visions of polka run through my headbone...damn you Lawrence Welk!)

Lasers? They were outlawed ny my local pub after some idjit was flashing them in ppl's eyes.

Gee...where did the fun go?

Thats kinda what I figured, I am just thrilled that they are protecting me from myself, might just inhale one of those bubbles.

KISS is a perfect example. Why did they create that show? Because every other band was showing up on stage in their blue jeans and t-shirts, doing the same covers, coming off like a bunch of guys out to make a buck. The guys in KISS wanted to be entertained-and by that route, became ENTERTAINERS. Flash forward to the present day: Who is going to step up and put the "perform" back in "performers"? I firmly believe that having a legitimate stage show will elevate a band to the next level. Besides, as many of us here are working on original material, we are starting with a bit of a handicap-since our music does not have any immediate recognition by the audience, in the way that playing covers does. Having the show is one way to hold the listener's attention when normally, he or she might have already tuned you out-when they realize that they don't know the songs.

Philbymon you make a good point, and I think it is rooted in the general deterioration of the art of performance, over the past 20 or so years. There appears to be a prevailing attitude with many performers today that says "gee my music is so overwhelmingly powerful that I don't need to add any reason for people to see me perform it live". In most cases that is a most provocative and presumptive load of horseshit.

I look forward to the rediscovery of the ART of performance.

Putting in some kind of floor show takes time and is often hard work, something that few people these days are capable of doing. Putting on a good show SHOULD be hard work. It's what separates the professionals from the amateurs. If your music is tight and you can spice up your perfomance with a floor show that MAKES SENSE with your music, then the HARD WORK should pay off. People will want to come hear your music AND see your show. The more people who return to hear you play the more you're going to get re-hired. This band business is all about the music AND making some money. A unique floor show and/or uniforms will give you an identity and make you MORE SALEABLE. It's too bad that few people today have the work ethic needed to make this happen. Later...

I've gotta copy this discussion and mail it to my "former" bandmates. You guys are echoing the very things that I tried to instill upon them, only to be told that it's too much work. The emphasis HAD to be on FUN. I'm glad to see there are others who share my point of view.

Isn't there a bad joke about great white and grilled shark?

I was looking for it, but I can't find it.

u n i f o r m s . . .

*rolls eyes*

Aw, c'mon, Brad...you know you'd look great in that glittery spandex jumpsuit...LMAO!!

Can anyone tell me who the guy in the red is?

Isn't that Tito Jackson? lol

Isn't that Tito Jackson? lol

Nope.

Here's a hint: Gangsta