Bands In Matching Outfits - Classic Or Dud?

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OK, not just the obvious Beatle suits, and, in the immortal words of Blotto:

"We are the Nowtones
We play Top 40
We wear matching outfits
We look real sporty"

...but also bands like the Ramones, who, even though they didn't have a uniform, wore matching outfits.

What do you think?

― The Minimal Criminal (kate), Thursday, 25 May 2006 12:33 (nineteen years ago)

Classic. It's all about making an effort, innit?

― I Hate You Little Girls (noodle vague), Thursday, 25 May 2006 12:40 (nineteen years ago)

Like this, you mean?
http://www.dr.dk/musik/rock/artikel/billeder/libertines.jpg

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 25 May 2006 12:41 (nineteen years ago)

Ha ha, that's one example. And yeah, perfect evidence of "if I wanted to wear a uniform, I'd have joined the army" etc.

― The Minimal Criminal (kate), Thursday, 25 May 2006 12:43 (nineteen years ago)

wearing matching (or similar) outfits is a great way to draw attention to your band (would White Stripes of the Hives had exploded as big if they had dressed like, say, Phoenix?)...see also: Devo

most bands drop this novelty after the first couple of records...gets kinda pathetic to keep it up long after that...(Kraftwerk being somewhat of an exception)...

(must admit though that both Alice Cooper and the Rolling Stones looked awfully good in their matching-sailor-suit phases)...

― hank (hank s), Thursday, 25 May 2006 12:44 (nineteen years ago)

Devo/AOC/compulsion have all done this at some point in their time.

therefore : classic.

― mark e (mark e), Thursday, 25 May 2006 12:45 (nineteen years ago)

Clinic dropped the face mask and surgeons cloaks for a bit, then went back to them.

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 25 May 2006 12:47 (nineteen years ago)

C/D really depends on the outfit, who's in it, and what they're doing, doesn't it?

http://www.sohoblues.com/DEVO/previewpages/preview1.jpg

http://www.bbc.co.uk/totp2/features/wallpaper/images/640/donny_and_marie.jpg

― Edward III (edward iii), Thursday, 25 May 2006 12:56 (nineteen years ago)

Classic. It's all about making an effort, innit?

You can make an effort without necessarily wearing a uniform.

I don't know. Been thinking about this a lot lately, because my own band seem to be moving in this direction, and I'm kind of uncomfortable with it.

There's kind of two takes on the philosophy/aesthetics of it:

1) individuals subsuming their own personality in that of the band, harmony in look as well as music

2) the boyband/Spice Girls perspective, where individuals heighten aspects their own personality by not dressing alike, but in variations on a theme

I think I tend towards the latter.

― The Minimal Criminal (kate), Thursday, 25 May 2006 13:37 (nineteen years ago)

Rocket from the Crypt were genii at this. A lot of horrible people that wanted to be them were not.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 25 May 2006 13:41 (nineteen years ago)

Used to be classic, but now boring, except for the interesting variation where ONE member wears something else:

http://www.bseliger.de/Residents-Wormwood_Promo_Col.JPG

http://static.flickr.com/55/144820933_2f1e372109.jpg

http://www.bbc.co.uk/totp2/features/wallpaper/images/640/pasadenas.jpg

http://uk.geocities.com/sball404/blur-blondie.jpg

― StanM (StanM), Thursday, 25 May 2006 13:43 (nineteen years ago)

I think it's as simple as: it's classic if the band is good.

― Doctor Casino (Doctor Casino), Thursday, 25 May 2006 13:47 (nineteen years ago)

http://velvetcds.com.br/zine/trivia/clones/kraftwerkman.jpg

http://www.dementlieu.com/~obik/bigblack/discog/images/whore2.jpg

― Edward III (edward iii), Thursday, 25 May 2006 13:49 (nineteen years ago)

(would White Stripes of the Hives had exploded as big if they had dressed like, say, Phoenix

Well, this goes in circles. In the early 60s, when everyone was dressing in matching outfits and uniforms, the Rolling Stones made a huge splash/explosion by going onstage in what were, ostensibly, their street clothes.

Surrounded by suits and gowns, a pair of jeans is as much a statement as a uniform.

― The Minimal Criminal (kate), Thursday, 25 May 2006 13:49 (nineteen years ago)

Steve Albini in lookin' hott shockah!

― Edward III (edward iii), Thursday, 25 May 2006 13:50 (nineteen years ago)

I like the cultesque aspect of it too. Of course there are other ways of making an effort, I'm just a sucker in general for anything showbizzy. It's still bucking the dominant scruffy trend, I think.

― I Hate You Little Girls (noodle vague), Thursday, 25 May 2006 14:02 (nineteen years ago)

cultish: OTM, I was just going to mention

http://www.rockpalast.de/konzerte/2005/haldern/bilder/the_polyphonic_spree.jpg

― StanM (StanM), Thursday, 25 May 2006 14:05 (nineteen years ago)

BENJAMIN AREN'T YOU GLAD YOU ESCAPED BEFORE THE ROBES AND THE KOOL AID?!??!?!?

― The Minimal Criminal (kate), Thursday, 25 May 2006 14:07 (nineteen years ago)

You should all get matching tattoos.

― I Hate You Little Girls (noodle vague), Thursday, 25 May 2006 14:14 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.itickets.com/parts/aimages/833.jpg

Classic!

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 25 May 2006 15:54 (nineteen years ago)

http://images.43things.com/profile/00/01/2f/77775pw400.jpg

― 2 lazy 2 login, Thursday, 25 May 2006 15:57 (nineteen years ago)

I think The Smugglers fall well into the classic side of this.
http://www.chartattack.com/pics/2002/02/15-smugglers.jpg

― Rufus 3000 (Mr Noodles), Thursday, 25 May 2006 16:15 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.personal.psu.edu/staff/c/x/cxl46/jazz/Image/MarchBand.gif

Pretty classic. My band does this sometimes, w/matching t-shirts and work pants or something.

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 25 May 2006 16:18 (nineteen years ago)

Classic, even when it's Gary Puckett and the Union Gap dressed as Civil War re-enactors. I wish more bands would do this, so little showmanship these days in indieland.

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Thursday, 25 May 2006 17:26 (nineteen years ago)

aforementioned classics

http://alicecooper.neuf.fr/alice%20cooper/Alice-Cooper-Muscle-Of-Love-236397.jpg

http://it.geocities.com/italians_licks/images/cd_stones/cd8/its_only_rock_n_roll_by_the_balls.jpg

― hank (hank s), Thursday, 25 May 2006 17:42 (nineteen years ago)

aforemtioned classics

http://alicecooper.neuf.fr/alice%20cooper/Alice-Cooper-Muscle-Of-Love-236397.jpg

http://it.geocities.com/italians_licks/images/cd_stones/cd8/its_only_rock_n_roll_by_the_balls.jpg

― hank (hank s), Thursday, 25 May 2006 17:42 (nineteen years ago)

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000003GZK.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― Chairman Doinel (Charles McCain), Thursday, 25 May 2006 17:44 (nineteen years ago)

eh, sorry for the redundancy...

― hank (hank s), Thursday, 25 May 2006 17:44 (nineteen years ago)

http://g-images.amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/2e/35/0163024128a07dec858e4010.L.jpg

(slightly bigger version: http://www.asthmatickitty.com/images/sufjanstevens/sufjan_pressnoisemakers.jpg )

― StanM (StanM), Thursday, 25 May 2006 18:06 (nineteen years ago)

That reminds me of these minor legends from Houston, Junior Varsity

http://www.peekaboorecords.com/images/PAB/artists/prim_jv.jpg

― Chairman Doinel (Charles McCain), Thursday, 25 May 2006 18:12 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.peekaboorecords.com/images/PAB/artists/prim_jv.jpg

― Chairman Doinel (Charles McCain), Thursday, 25 May 2006 18:13 (nineteen years ago)

I never liked the way Franz Ferdinand looked until this happened:

http://www.stereogum.com/img/doyouwantto_video.jpg

― nabisco (nabisco), Thursday, 25 May 2006 18:18 (nineteen years ago)

Angus Young, your future is calling...

http://tralfaz-archives.com/coverart/K/kinks_schoolb.jpg

― hank (hank s), Thursday, 25 May 2006 18:22 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.rocket.fm/img/tmp/hives.jpg

THAT was a disgusting image search experience

― The Giant Mechanical Ant (The Giant Mechanical Ant), Thursday, 25 May 2006 19:02 (nineteen years ago)

Whose are those dudes with the polka dot shirts and the zany gear? If they're a good band then color me their next number one fan.

― Doctor Casino (Doctor Casino), Friday, 26 May 2006 02:57 (nineteen years ago)

members of GWAR match each other, kinda.

http://www.totalproductionus.com/images/gwar_001.gif

― Kim (Kim), Friday, 26 May 2006 03:45 (nineteen years ago)

so so so so classic.

i wish i had photographic evidence, but when i was in high school i was in a shitty rockabilly band that wore "matching outfits" (black t-shirst tucked into blue jeans). when we got good and morphed into a larger, not-so-shitty, more rocket from the crypt influenced band, we shucked the matching outfits and each wore our own outrageous gig outfit. then it was like "wow, not only are they good now, they're wearing different outfits!"

― grady (grady), Friday, 26 May 2006 04:07 (nineteen years ago)

Classic AND Dud. It's pretty much pointless for bands these days to be wearing matching suits, back then bands were kinda required to do it, so for a band to be doing it these days (I'm looking at YOU the Hives!)seems kind of pointless and too much of a schtick to me. However if a band comes up with their own original outfit it kind of seems more original and artistic to me and can be pretty classic. I just don't get the whole suit thing, it kind of makes you look goofy if you were to wear anything else. Anyway, my two cents.

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Friday, 26 May 2006 04:10 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.karsten-jahnke.de/data/artist/rocketft.jpg

although that's the least impressive of the ones i can remember, its the best i can find in an image search. RFTC has some great ones.

― grady (grady), Friday, 26 May 2006 04:14 (nineteen years ago)

had some great ones.

*weeps*

― grady (grady), Friday, 26 May 2006 04:15 (nineteen years ago)

ihttp://www.theempire.com.au/images/2006-01-27/My%20Chemical%20Romance%20Action%20Figures%20(Ltd%20Stock).jpg

― TAO (daggerlee), Friday, 26 May 2006 12:41 (nineteen years ago)

http://img.buzznet.com/assets/users9/gutterjim/default/large-msg-1128104704-2.jpg

― TAO (daggerlee), Friday, 26 May 2006 12:42 (nineteen years ago)

They have dolls now?

My god, they really are just an emo boyband, aren't they?

― The Minimal Criminal (kate), Friday, 26 May 2006 12:45 (nineteen years ago)

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