At the beginning of this series, I emphasized that once you’re on stage, you are no longer just a musician – you are a performer. An entertainer, there to give listeners an exciting experience. As such, you should look the part.
A huge part of stage presence is looking like you’re somebody special, and like you belong on stage. The audience will have more respect for you if you look like a serious performer. Once you get to a semi-pro and pro level, you’d better look the part, especially if people paid money to see you. (If you’re in a symphony orchestra, there will be a dress code.)
Here’s rule number one.
This is rule number one, the one thing to keep in mind above all else.
Not to put too fine a point on it, this is RULE NUMBER ONE:
Don’t look like a member of the audience.
You should stand out from the people watching you. You should not look like you just walked up to the stage from the crowd. You should set yourself apart as a musician who has talent and skill and takes themselves and their responsibility to entertain the audience seriously.
Looking sharp will also make you feel like you’re doing something special, and add to your confidence and self-respect.
The very excellent super-fun Japanese power pop rock band Shonen Knife looking ultra-cool as always. Courtesy of the artist.
If you've got it, flaunt it: Duran Duran setting style trends in the early 1980s. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Brian Aris/Capitol Records promo photo.
Let’s get this out of the way: there are countless online threads about “dad bands,” and the fact that you should not look like one. (The term “dad band” is sort of self-explanatory, but don’t confuse it with “dad rock.”) It’s at the point where tan pants and cargo shorts have become stereotypical attire to make fun of in music forums, along with wearing fedoras, oversized Hawaiian shirts, and the most egregious sartorial sin of them all: white socks and sandals. I know, I know, most of us have been guilty of going on stage wearing one or all of the above, but it’s not a stage look that should be aspired to. And yeah, don’t wear white socks and sandals to a serious audition. Odds are you won’t be picked.
Think about what kind of band you’re in, and what kind of image you need to project.
The kind of music and the venues you’ll be playing are major factors in determining how you should look on stage. If I go into a bar and see guys and gals with cowboy hats, Western shirts, boots, and bolos, I know they’re going to play country music before I hear a note. If you’re in a metal band, you can pull off leather and chains and studded accessories, and can’t go wrong with wearing black. In fact, if you’re in any kind of band, you can’t go wrong with basic black. It always looks appropriate, whether you’re James Hetfield or Chris Stapleton. Just wearing black jeans instead of blue can take your onstage appearance to the next level. Americana and folk groups can dress in denim, flannel and corduroy shirts and such and appear “authentic” (though, like any image, this could be a carefully calculated marketing approach). The way the band looks is part of who they are.
Not only do these guys look like a band, they look like Blue Öyster Cult. At the Suffolk Theater, 2020. Courtesy of the author.
If the lead singer is the featured artist, or the focal point of the band, he or she may want to, or should, dress to stand out from the other band members. You don’t want to be upstaging Dionne Warwick or Beyoncé.
That said, dress appropriately for the venue. If you walk into a local bar like The Laurel or The Village Lanterne wearing sequins or pompadours or looking like Elton John, you are going to get some very strange looks from the patrons. On the other hand, if you’re the New York Bee Gees playing New Year’s Eve at the Paramount, it’s all-out showmanship time, satin outfits and all.
You probably wouldn't want to walk into your local dive bar looking like this. Devo, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Raph_PH.
I think women have a tougher job in pulling off a coordinated onstage look, but on the other hand, they have more freedom to look outrageous. Unless you’re David Bowie or Lil Wayne, most guys are not going to be able to look credible in an outlandish outfit. Women, on the other hand, can be funky or glamorous, diva or down-to-earth, and look like they belong behind a mic. I’m no Tan France, but my advice would be to set yourself apart. A little flash – or a completely over the top getup – lets everyone know you own the stage.
Kelli Baker of the Kelli Baker Band delivering some heavy rock, blues and soul grooves. Courtesy of the artist/Deke Rivers.
Go for clothes that fit your personality. If you’re an old guy like me, don’t dress in young-guy clothes that’ll only make you look ridiculous. If you’re a woman and don’t feel comfortable in glittery dresses or hot pants, then don’t wear them…or vice versa. I used to feel self-conscious about being skinny, but looking like an underfed rock musician is…well, a classic look. (Having gotten older, I don’t have that issue anymore.) If you have a larger frame, don’t try to squeeze into tight shirts and tops. The common sense rules of how to dress to flatter your body type apply.
If you’re a younger person, you can get away with a lot more on stage than if you’re of a certain age. Even casual clothing like hoodies and sneakers and jeans somehow look “cool” when a younger person is wearing them. If you’re not really the flamboyant type, don’t wear something that’s going to make you feel awkward. If you want to go wild, well, this is rock and roll after all.
Tania Purpora of Original Gossip means business as they play their original rock. Courtesy of the artist.
Juno Award winner Sass Jordan looks like she belongs on stage – and sure does. Courtesy of Mariah Noelle/Deko Entertainment.
If you’re in a tribute band, you’ll need to emulate the look of the band you’re playing tribute to. In some cases, your wardrobe will venture into costume territory, as in the case of the extraordinary Genesis cover band The Musical Box. They take great pains to duplicate the music, equipment, stage props, visuals, and clothing of the group, and are in fact licensed by Genesis to do so. Seeing them is a remarkable trip back in time. On the other hand, if you’re in a Grateful Dead tribute band like Reckoning (an excellent outfit I saw recently at Beau’s Bar in Greenlawn, New York, which, as my pal Jay Lawrence says is “Long Island Dead Central,”) you won’t need glitter and makeup.
Think about what the other band members will be wearing. This is worth having a band discussion about. You need a unified or at least somewhat coherent look. Unless you’re the Village People, if one guy is decked in leather and the other looks like an old cowhand and the other looks like they just came from the golf course, it’s disconcerting, and sends a loud and clear message: we’re a bunch of amateurs who haven’t put any thought into our image. I think the Ramones were the greatest band ever when it came to this aspect. And Devo.
Tony DeStefano and Laura Perdicaro of Blackstrap Yarnspinners. If you guessed that they play sea shanties, you guessed correctly. Courtesy of the artist.
Wear good shoes! Like going to a job interview, shoes will make or break an outfit. Don’t go on stage, even if it’s a casual bar gig, wearing worn-out footwear like ratty sneakers unless you’re in a Nirvana cover band. As in real life, nothing shows you care – or don’t – like wearing nice shoes. That said, make sure they’re comfortable. You don’t want your feet to be in screaming agony by the end of the set. Don’t wear that new pair of boots for the first time at a gig, before they’re broken in. From a practical standpoint, if you’re a guitarist or musician with a pedalboard, you need to be able to don footwear that will allow you to accurately hit the on/off switches on your pedals without missing them or stumbling. (Don’t find this out the hard way.) High heels look great, but could be a balancing act.
If you’re in an era-centric tribute or cover band, particularly the 1960s through 1980s, it really adds to the presentation if you look the part. Whether you feel happy or ridiculous wearing a long-haired wig is up to you. But coming out in hippie attire and fringed jackets and peace signs, or mullets and neon-colored clothing and shoulder pads will totally make you look the part and put the audience in the frame of mind to expect the music from the era.
Speaking of comfort, you need to consider whether your stage clothing might hinder your movement in any way – including your ability to play properly. Try things on beforehand, while playing your instrument. Jackets and coats might feel bulky. Ties might literally affect your breathing if they’re too tight. I once wore a really great-looking shirt – and the buttons of my right sleeve got caught in the strings. Tight pants can look great, but especially if you’re a guy, they can be…uncomfortable. (In 1968, I saw bassist Lee Dorman of Iron Butterfly split his pants on stage. Drummer Ron Bushy went into an extra-long drum solo during “In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida” while Dorman went backstage and changed his pants. I am not making this up.) Tight skirts can look 1980s Go-Go’s and B-52’s cool, but put a damper on your dance moves.
Where do you get hip on-stage clothes? Well, you can spend around $300 for jeans and other attire from John Varvatos and other designer brands, or go to specialty websites like Wornstar, Love Khaos, Pelican Stagewear, Delicious Boutique, Rockstar Original, Light in the Box, Hard N Heavy and others. (Just do a Google search and you’ll fall into the rabbit hole like I did.) But here’s a pro tip: look in thrift stores and consignment shops. Not the price-gouging places like the ones in major cities that pass themselves off as “vintage boutiques,” but genuine thrift shops like Savers and the Salvation Army. There you’ll find gently used or even new-with-tags clothes with some offbeat styles that look great on stage. I’ve paid less than $10 for most of my stage clothes, often less than $5. You won’t find this stuff at Macy’s. (And while you’re at it, you may find some vintage stereo gear and used records and CDs.)
Wearing sunglasses can be a mixed bag. Advantage: they look cool, and they can block the glare of bright stage lights. Disadvantage: they can make it hard to see what you’re doing.
You think you really know them? Gary Wilson and the Blind Dates play experimental outsider music, and, as you might gather, sound like no one else. Courtesy of the artist.
If you play guitar, remember, the guitar can be a fashion accessory. I never like to wear a shirt that clashes with my green Don Grosh ElectraJet, which limits my color choices. Metal bands like black guitars. Playing a well-worn Martin D-28 acoustic says, “I’m a long-time musician who has seen and heard a lot.” Guitars definitely do go in and out of style; these days a lot of alternative and Americana bands like to play Fender Jazzmasters and Jaguars (“offsets,” as they’re known, for their asymmetrical body shapes), and oddball off-brand guitars. (Personally, I think this is starting to border on cliché.) Nothing says, “I’m a country player” like a Fender Telecaster. Playing a Paul Reed Smith guitar…I’m not saying anyone in the audience will give it a second thought, but there are so many forum threads about PRS being the guitars of choice of rich dentists and lawyers that you might be in for some friendly ribbing from a fellow musician if you wield one. (Or maybe you are a rich dentist or lawyer, so the heck with people think, and they are certainly superb and gorgeous instruments.)
Alex Pepiak of Lost Art with his Gibson Flying V, a guitar that says "I'm here to rock!" like no other guitar on the planet. Courtesy of the artist/Kevin Monko.
Before playing a gig, think about how hot or cold it’s going to be. Crowded clubs and bars can get hot. So can summer gigs outdoors. (I’ll have more to say about this in an upcoming installment about the challenges of playing outdoor gigs.) Conversely, it can get quite cold outside during the fall and winter, or in badly-heated clubs. That leather jacket may look really hip, but may get stifling in the heat of a punk rock show. On the other hand, if you’re playing a gig in 45-degree weather in a T-shirt, you will wish you had worn it. Sometimes the difference between looking terrific and feeling comfortable can be a question of balance. I often bring a few shirts and jackets to a gig in case the temperature changes from the time of load-in to the first downbeat.
Last but not least, don’t be afraid to break the rules. This is rock and roll after all, and it’s supposed to be rebellious and unconventional and innovative and outrageous. So many rock and pop acts these days look like they’re dressed by marketing committees, and undoubtedly are. That ain’t rock and roll. Did Madonna or Devo or Grace Jones ever give a toss about shocking people with their style, or ever second-guess themselves? My guess is, probably not. You wanna go for it? Go for it.
But if you ever make it to the Grammys, please don’t wear sandals with white socks.
Header image: Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, courtesy of Andre Tadim/Deko Entertainment.
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