Read this before you play music in public

Bob-Dubery

singemonkey wrote
Chocklit_Thunda wrote In slops nogal! ?
So young. So foolish ?

Norio wrote Anyone who breaks those rules is my hero. Rules are for conformists... not musicians!
You might notice that these are rules about things that musicians do routinely. Most guitar players play strats. Masses of people do these things. The conformism actually runs the other way. Needs a bit of a shake-up, IMO.

The thing about The Band when they put out their first disc was the stove pipe jeans, the hair cuts, the pictures of their parents ? on the sleeve. They weren't the counter-culture, they were the counter-counter-culture.

NorioDS

singemonkey wrote You might notice that these are rules about things that musicians do routinely. Most guitar players play strats. Masses of people do these things. The conformism actually runs the other way. Needs a bit of a shake-up, IMO.

I live from a point of perspective that the only thing a person NEEDS to do is that which they want to do.

So play a strat if you wanna. Play in shorts. Play nekkid if you really wanna.

As long as it's legal in your environment and you're not harming yourself or another - rules are a huge waste of energy. If people don't like seeing you nekkid, they can leave ?

Bob-Dubery

singemonkey wrote These are the rules that they're too polite to tell you:

http://somethingyousaid.com/2013/04/25/read-this-before-you-play-music-in-public/

Executive summary: Be Prince.

Or maybe Robbie Robertson - as long as you stick to a Tele.

singemonkey

Chabenda wrote
Oooooooh!.....I can't wait until the masses discover the Les Paul ?

Hey. Me too. I've heard a lot of people talk about them, but I've only seen about 1 other one on stage in the last two years. One could be forgiven for thinking they were a myth.

Norio wrote
I live from a point of perspective that the only thing a person NEEDS to do is that which they want to do.

So play a strat if you wanna. Play in shorts. Play nekkid if you really wanna.

As long as it's legal in your environment and you're not harming yourself or another - rules are a huge waste of energy. If people don't like seeing you nekkid, they can leave ?

The musician who doesn't care about his or her image is a musician that no one cares to see.

X-rated Bob wrote Executive summary: Be Prince.

Or at least be your own version of Prince. But that is setting the bar really high.

NorioDS

singemonkey wrote The musician who doesn't care about his or her image is a musician that no one cares to see.

You've misunderstood me. It's not that he doesn't care but that he doesn't care to conform. He has his own style and people who agree with that style DO care to see. That's the beauty of art.

singemonkey

Norio wrote
singemonkey wrote The musician who doesn't care about his or her image is a musician that no one cares to see.
You've misunderstood me. It's not that he doesn't care but that he doesn't care to conform. He has his own style and people who agree with that style DO care to see. That's the beauty of art.

I feel like you've fundamentally misinterpreted this article...

NorioDS

singemonkey wrote I feel like you've fundamentally misinterpreted this article...

I've interpreted it as a set of pet-peeves that the author has about people who play in public. An opinion piece.

The problem comes in when he calls them "rules".

I understand that he does that to grab attention and even "poke the bear" a bit but I don't respect it. I don't respect anyone who calls their opinion an absolute truth.

I'm sure he doesn't care. If he did, he wouldn't have labelled his article that way. But just as he's entitled to air his opinion, I'm entitled to say, "That guy is a doos. He can take his rules and stick 'em."

(The very same article labelled truthfully as one man's opinion would have me nodding in agreement for at least a few of the points. But that's how he sells the article - by being controversial. I get that. I just don't like it.)

ezietsman

Norio wrote
singemonkey wrote The musician who doesn't care about his or her image is a musician that no one cares to see.
You've misunderstood me. It's not that he doesn't care but that he doesn't care to conform. He has his own style and people who agree with that style DO care to see. That's the beauty of art.

The correct question to ask yourself is: For the strat-toting, shorts-wearing, I'm-cool-in-my-slops bands you have seen, how many people were in the audience and how much fun was that gig for the band and the audience?

Bob-Dubery

singemonkey wrote
Norio wrote
I live from a point of perspective that the only thing a person NEEDS to do is that which they want to do.

So play a strat if you wanna. Play in shorts. Play nekkid if you really wanna.

As long as it's legal in your environment and you're not harming yourself or another - rules are a huge waste of energy. If people don't like seeing you nekkid, they can leave ?
The musician who doesn't care about his or her image is a musician that no one cares to see.

I'm not sure about that one. I've seen pictures of guys I really like (and some I don't like) performing at big festivals basically in their running gear (I'm not referring to Angus Young who even a turkey like me can see is up to some theatrical schtick).

I must say I don't LIKE that look (especially in the 80s with those very short satin look running shorts), but I'm not sure it would lead me to not pay attention.

One of the best shows I ever saw the guy who was playing (Bruce Molsky) looked like he'd come to the gig straight from a 9-5 office job. I thought he looked old, square and boring as all heck, but the music was spectacular.

NorioDS

That question doesn't feel relevant to me, ez. I'm not there for their look. I'm there for their sound & live energy.

Get Metallica to break every one of those rules and I'm there in a flash. It will still be awesome, even though they don't conform to "what's cool" or "appropriate" or "professional".

NorioDS

X-rated Bob wrote
singemonkey wrote
Norio wrote
I live from a point of perspective that the only thing a person NEEDS to do is that which they want to do.

So play a strat if you wanna. Play in shorts. Play nekkid if you really wanna.

As long as it's legal in your environment and you're not harming yourself or another - rules are a huge waste of energy. If people don't like seeing you nekkid, they can leave ?
The musician who doesn't care about his or her image is a musician that no one cares to see.
I'm not sure about that one. I've seen pictures of guys I really like (and some I don't like) performing at big festivals basically in their running gear (I'm not referring to Angus Young who even a turkey like me can see is up to some theatrical schtick).

I must say I don't LIKE that look (especially in the 80s with those very short satin look running shorts), but I'm not sure it would lead me to not pay attention.

One of the best shows I ever saw the guy who was playing (Bruce Molsky) looked like he'd come to the gig straight from a 9-5 office job. I thought he looked old, square and boring as all heck, but the music was spectacular.

This. +1 ?

BluJu

#1 , 2 ,3 10 All broken.No wonder I was asked to leave the band. :'(

singemonkey

Fact is that most of the famous "no look" bands are actually sporting a look. It's something congruent with their music and the kind of expectation they want to create. The Dead are all like, "We don't care about consumerism and stuff man." (And Dave Mathews is saying: "My music is deliberately boring." ? )

There's a difference between spoiling your ballot and not bothering to vote, if you follow me.

I think a lot of bands are just not getting out of bed, rather than making an anti-image statement.

Arno-West

......forgot to mention that I was wondering whether the author of this has ever played in public himself? Probably not cos if he's worried about the sort of shit he mentions, he won't have the balls to do it.

ezietsman

Arno West wrote ......forgot to mention that I was wondering whether the author of this has ever played in public himself? Probably not cos if he's worried about the sort of shit he mentions, he won't have the balls to do it.

This is probably even more important if (s)he is not a musician themselves. One has to cater for a specific audience, afterall...

Bob-Dubery

singemonkey wrote Fact is that most of the famous "no look" bands are actually sporting a look. It's something congruent with their music and the kind of expectation they want to create. The Dead are all like, "We don't care about consumerism and stuff man." (And Dave Mathews is saying: "My music is deliberately boring." ? )

There's a difference between spoiling your ballot and not bothering to vote, if you follow me.

I think a lot of bands are just not getting out of bed, rather than making an anti-image statement.

OK... I concede the point. I'd be nonplussed (to say the least) if I saw Richard Thompson in leopard skin and makeup, AC/DC in track suits and trainers or The Boss in baggies.

evolucian

I have been offendered.... :'(

Psean

singemonkey wrote
Chabenda wrote
Oooooooh!.....I can't wait until the masses discover the Les Paul ?
Hey. Me too. I've heard a lot of people talk about them, but I've only seen about 1 other one on stage in the last two years. One could be forgiven for thinking they were a myth.

Really? Maybe it's a genre thing, or a regional thing, but I can think of quite a few that Les Pauls (yes, not nearly as many as Strats, but definitely more than two) at the shows I go to in JHB. Quite a few SG's as well.

Just quickly:

Chocklit_Thunda

Psean wrote
singemonkey wrote
Chabenda wrote
Oooooooh!.....I can't wait until the masses discover the Les Paul ?
Hey. Me too. I've heard a lot of people talk about them, but I've only seen about 1 other one on stage in the last two years. One could be forgiven for thinking they were a myth.

Really? Maybe it's a genre thing, or a regional thing, but I can think of quite a few that Les Pauls (yes, not nearly as many as Strats, but definitely more than two) at the shows I go to in JHB. Quite a few SG's as well.

Just quickly:

Yes, but you forget, here in Jozi, we do things the right way. ?

Psean

Chocklit_Thunda wrote
Psean wrote
singemonkey wrote
Chabenda wrote
Oooooooh!.....I can't wait until the masses discover the Les Paul ?
Hey. Me too. I've heard a lot of people talk about them, but I've only seen about 1 other one on stage in the last two years. One could be forgiven for thinking they were a myth.

Really? Maybe it's a genre thing, or a regional thing, but I can think of quite a few that Les Pauls (yes, not nearly as many as Strats, but definitely more than two) at the shows I go to in JHB. Quite a few SG's as well.

Just quickly:

Yes, but you forget, here in Jozi, we do things the right way. ?

Haha ?

There are still a hell of a lot of Strats though. But yeah, a number of Lesters and other non-Strats.

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