I was flipping through some music reviews in a magazine recently and was paying special attention to the different photos of each band. "I wonder if that guy's dog got run over by a car right before this photo shoot," I thought to myself as I looked at one gaunt, depressed-looking band member. Thing is, everybody was sporting the same dreary look.
This bugs me. I mean, what motivates every band (I'm painting with a brush here) to sport the life-is-crappy-for-me-all-the-time look every time they get their picture taken? Here are a few possible factors:
1. The cool factor. Nothing says cool like looking depressed or pissed off. Nothing.
2. The artist factor. We're talking about artists here. That explains at least part of it.
3. The Coldplay did it and so should we factor. It seems nobody has a better idea than lining four guys up in front of a camera and saying, "pretend like you're a heroin addict" right before the picture is taken.
4. The self-absorbed factor. It's apparent to me that some of these people might be taking themselves a wee bit too seriously.
5. The keepin' it real factor. I can just imagine these people cracking jokes and laughing before the photo shoot, then wiping the smiles off their faces in an effort to be "authentic."
How about this for a change, band guys? Try smiling. Pull each others' finger and then take the picture. Remember who you are and where you came from. Watch The Office or go to the zoo before you get your pictures taken. And by all means, put your creativity to good use and come up with something different.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
But how about a band that is having fun? That would be refreshing. The Presidents used to seem like they were kind of having fun. Woohoo! Adam Clayton from U2 smiles while he plays his bass. He's having some good times I think. Country singers have fun (guessing here), but maybe that's because they drink several cans of Milwaukee's Best before they take the stage. I don't know.
Good point on the authenticity thing. It can seem a bit unreal. And you raise an interesting question: Are bands simply an expression of an unhappy, dissatisfied culture? Hmmmm...
Post a Comment