Re: [Harp-L] Gig Attire

["Bob Maglinte" <bbqbob917@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dennis Alters, MD" <dennisaltersmd@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "'Hal Iwan'" <haliwan@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: "'harp-l harp-l'" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 12:15 PM
Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Gig Attire


> Make him wear a dress just kidding sorry couldn't resist. It depends on
> whether there is a band leader or a democratic process. Be careful on this
> issue could lead to other deeper problems in the band politics. Small 
> issues
> like this either uncover other problems or serve as the slow build up for
> major ones later. Develop the band's goals and policies. A mission
> statement. If the band is not democracy and you are the leader then just
> give him an ultimatum. Otherwise welcome to the wonderful world of band
> politics. Hope it works out.
>
> Regards,
>
> Dennis "Doc" Alters
>
> Dennis B. Alters, MD
> Diplomate, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
> Diplomate, American Board of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Neurology
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Hal Iwan [mailto:haliwan@xxxxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 8:24 AM
> To: Harp-L
> Subject: [Harp-L] Gig Attire
>
> Hello all
>
> Any suggestions for attire at blues gigs and "penalty" for non compliance?
> We played at a restaurant that is attached to a small bowling center on a
> repeat gig and while we all agreed to no jeans & baseball caps(at band
> startup); one guitar player refuses to dress as we agreed to(dress type
> pants and nice button down or pullover shirt) ??? [pay a fine; like 50% of
> his share, fire him] lol  The harmonica player complies & everyone else
> also.
>
> His song selection(his future songs ideas is another story)
>
> Thanks for any insight,
>
> Hal Iwan

Hi,
Some do that because they may not even own anything decent to wear and some 
people are plain content to look like a slob all their lives and the thing 
they often don't get is that the look is part of the presentation and even 
with the arguement that it's the skills that matters, those people usually 
don't or flat out refuse to understand that people also do judge a band by 
their appearance too. In the late 60's to mid 70's, it was cool for many 
rockers to look like that or like someone who just got kicked off their 
plumbing job, but these days, it really isn't too cool. If everyone else is 
looking decent on the bandstand, if this is my band, he has NO excuse for 
that at all. Bands that are democracies seldom work well for long and often 
don't get much done from too much himming and hawwing. Someone like that 
often doesn't get it until they hear it from a club owner telling them NO 
jeans or sloppy attire and can get docked out of their money for that. The 
more intellectual audiences may not care much about how a band dresses on 
the bandstand, but most of the audience isn't and how you look on the 
bandstand DOES create a bug impression, especially when one has to remember, 
99% of the audience is NOT going to be comprised of musicians, and you never 
know if a music critic is out there writing for an area newspaper and more 
than a few of them will rag on you about your appearance, like it or not, 
and that's the reality of it.

Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
MP3's: http://music.mp3lizard.com/barbequebob/