jazzmaster...

DGNR8 · Post by **DGNR8** » Sun May 18, 2008 12:28 am

Given the color of the guitar and the big chrome trem, it actually works for me. Have some fun with the fucker.

James · Post by **James** » Sun May 18, 2008 2:27 am

Classy as fuck. Good jorb.

mewithoutus · Post by **mewithoutus** » Sun May 18, 2008 2:40 am

Mike wrote:If the Beatles wore white suits with spangly silver lapels you might have a point.

the beatles manager had their brand new ac30's retolexed to black (they came from vox in fawn white) so that their live show would look more uniform and professional.

love you, mike.

i think it looks cool. im not really into mirror guards. i would be down with like a matte silver one. but still it looks rad.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Sun May 18, 2008 3:06 am

I don't see the harm in it. It's not like it's not a reversible mod and it does match the trem plate and all. It looks pretty classy.

Matching can be fun, but I honestly wouldn't say it's the difference between being entertaining and being just "a band". If you're all just standing there in matching clothes and guitars and just playing your songs you still probably aren't making much impact on the crowd. There's something to be said for amazing the crowd now and then with actual good musicianship or solos, not just asking them if they're having a good time or ad-libbing obscenities into your lyrics. In general the best performers and entertainers rarely care that other musicians might label them as pretentious or self indulgent. They do everything in their power to rock out and keep the energy up. I'll file matching guitars and costumes under gimmick, whether you're the Beatles or Kiss. It can be a good aid now and then, but it's not entertainment in itself.

Mages · Post by **Mages** » Sun May 18, 2008 4:49 am

yea, looks cool man. band themes can definitely be cool. I certainly don't see what the hell is so "scene" about having matching stuff in your band. it's actually almost anti-scene or creating your own scene. like the specials with the checkered stuff. they didn't use checkers to fit into any scene, they made up that look and everyone followed them.

luke · Post by **luke** » Sun May 18, 2008 8:51 pm

I agree with Nick. I suppose it can hardly be classed as entertainment itself (unless it turns out to be nipple tassels and high heels or something) but for some bands, themes can really help you get yourself remembered, and it's great fun to go out on stage with your band when you're all in the same get up. As I said, our Science gimmick saw us go out on stage in labcoats. There was big hair, lots of smoke machine effects and eye makeup and glitter just as a contrast. Geek chic meets glam rock. Fun as hell, and we got plenty of compliments.

Post by **Mike** » Sun May 18, 2008 9:53 pm

I do think it was really well executed, the pickguard looks like it was cut really professionally.

luke · Post by **luke** » Sun May 18, 2008 10:27 pm

Mike wrote:I do think it was really well executed, the pickguard looks like it was cut really professionally.

I'm glad you said this, I thought how much it'd suck if you actually changed your opinion. It wouldn't suit you, haha.

I did notice this myself. How'd you do it, because that's really nice. I still have fears about cutting my first pickguard.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Sun May 18, 2008 10:29 pm

Malik wrote:I agree with Nick. I suppose it can hardly be classed as entertainment itself (unless it turns out to be nipple tassels and high heels or something) but for some bands, themes can really help you get yourself remembered, and it's great fun to go out on stage with your band when you're all in the same get up. As I said, our Science gimmick saw us go out on stage in labcoats. There was big hair, lots of smoke machine effects and eye makeup and glitter just as a contrast. Geek chic meets glam rock. Fun as hell, and we got plenty of compliments.

There wouldn't need to be glitter on my volume pedal when I get it back.

luke · Post by **luke** » Sun May 18, 2008 10:41 pm

BacchusPaul wrote:
Malik wrote:I agree with Nick. I suppose it can hardly be classed as entertainment itself (unless it turns out to be nipple tassels and high heels or something) but for some bands, themes can really help you get yourself remembered, and it's great fun to go out on stage with your band when you're all in the same get up. As I said, our Science gimmick saw us go out on stage in labcoats. There was big hair, lots of smoke machine effects and eye makeup and glitter just as a contrast. Geek chic meets glam rock. Fun as hell, and we got plenty of compliments.
There wouldn't need to be glitter on my volume pedal when I get it back.

Haha I'll check it, there's a strong possibility there is, I was wearing my silver glitter covered converse.

aphasiac · Post by **aphasiac** » Sun May 18, 2008 10:59 pm

personally i think you should be able to walk into a gig and immidiately tell which people are in a band.

if the band just look like regular members of the audience, theyve failed. doesn't have to mean matching costumes, but put some effort in; people have come to watch you (not just listen to you) so do some crazy-ass hair and clothes and make a statement.

any band that say "we just want the music to do the talking" are probably too muso and therefore totally boring.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Sun May 18, 2008 11:59 pm

aphasiac wrote:personally i think you should be able to walk into a gig and immidiately tell which people are in a band.

if the band just look like regular members of the audience, theyve failed. doesn't have to mean matching costumes, but put some effort in; people have come to watch you (not just listen to you) so do some crazy-ass hair and clothes and make a statement.

any band that say "we just want the music to do the talking" are probably too muso and therefore totally boring.

Absolute balls.

aphasiac · Post by **aphasiac** » Mon May 19, 2008 12:14 am

aphasiac wrote:personally i think you should be able to walk into a gig and immidiately tell which people are in a band.

if the band just look like regular members of the audience, theyve failed. doesn't have to mean matching costumes, but put some effort in; people have come to watch you (not just listen to you) so do some crazy-ass hair and clothes and make a statement.

any band that say "we just want the music to do the talking" are probably too muso and therefore totally boring.

If you disagree feel free to explain why.

dodgedartdave · Post by **dodgedartdave** » Mon May 19, 2008 12:15 am

Sean, if Mike approved of what you're doing, I'd worry.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Mon May 19, 2008 12:23 am

Fair enough.

I think it kind of odd that a band would dress up in a certain way, and pretend to be something their not. For me, music is about honesty, rather than pretending you're something you're not.

Having said that, one of my favourite local bands is a band called Red Organ Serpent Sound (check them out on Youtube. They're one of those bands that have been flirting with success for the last four or five years, but every time you hear that they are about to break, something happens, and they don't). They have a definite image about them, and their lead singer dresses up in a red mask, with sunglasses, and a massive red boxing glove, amongst other things. Throughout the course of the gig, he takes off his costume, and the music gets less showy, and more stripped down and intimate, then it builds back up.

I think that it's balls to say that "if the band just look like regular members of the audience, they've failed."

If anyone comes to "watch me" (something I find a little strange), and they end off disappointed, they can fuck off, I'm not in the business of looking entertaining. I'm in the business of making music, something I put an awful lot of effort into. This effort isn't doomed to failure because I won't "do some crazy-ass hair and clothes and make a statement."

I'm a musician, and I want to let the music do the talking. I'm fairly sure that doesn't make me totally boring.

On a side note, hehehe: I nearly typed "crazy ass-hair."

aphasiac · Post by **aphasiac** » Mon May 19, 2008 12:46 am

sorry if i insulted you - yes i see your point.

but at the same time almost every famous band have a strong image and style. it is possible to make it on music alone (e.g. Radiohead, Coldplay, Artic Monkeys) but the music has to be exceptionally strong. now you may argue you dont want to be famous so that irrelevant, but it does show that a string image can massively increase your appeal to general music fans. hell i used to regularly go to shows where i didnt even like the band that much (Rachael Stamp!) just cos we all got to dress up and they had a cool 'scene' build around them.

as for "let the music do the talking" thing, yes thats completely understandable. however living in london and going to gigs for the past 11 years ive seen literally thousands of bands, a majority of which have been excellent musically. there are no shortage of good bands out there, but putting on a bit of a show can make the difference between "good" and "great". between looking up a band on myspace when you get home, and totally forgetting about them.

anyway im not arguing this very eliquently as im v tired. what kind of music do you make btw, and do you have a myspace?

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Mon May 19, 2008 1:01 am

At the minute, I play gigs in a bluesy/jazzy/song-based guitar and piano duo. We started off playing Tom Waits songs, but have since started doing originals, althoug Tom Waits numbers still make up the bulk of our set.

I also compose a fair bit of what might be considered "Classical Music" (although I hate that term, and it probably shouldn't be applied to what I do).

I do not wish to be famous.

I definitely don't have a myspace.

aphasiac · Post by **aphasiac** » Mon May 19, 2008 1:06 am

blues and jazz is a total different kettle of fish to rock/indie. ignore all i said above.

you should make a myspace, it would be nice so spread your music around.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Mon May 19, 2008 1:11 am

aphasiac wrote:you should make a myspace, it would be nice so spread your music around.

hmmmm, no.

Mages · Post by **Mages** » Mon May 19, 2008 2:39 am

aphasiac wrote:personally i think you should be able to walk into a gig and immidiately tell which people are in a band.

if the band just look like regular members of the audience, theyve failed. doesn't have to mean matching costumes, but put some effort in; people have come to watch you (not just listen to you) so do some crazy-ass hair and clothes and make a statement.

any band that say "we just want the music to do the talking" are probably too muso and therefore totally boring.

I totally agree with everything you said right here. it's human nature to judge things by how they look. so much of how people connect with a band has nothing to do with the music and everything to do with the image they project. this has nothing to do with "being fake." just put some thought into how you look.