Band Websites That Stand Out

[brandondrury]

I was recently asked "What do YOU think would be cool to put on a band site? ".

This is a really good question.

In the end, a band is music, but it shoud also be an experience. If you have the means, the website should reflect that experience.

So I'm asking everyone, what do you think would be cool to put up on a band website?

I think it's extremely important to show personality. Just like a good book, the characters should be developed. I don't think the "we're awesome" approach works. I think being human eccentric ways works. Everyone knows that Flea is the bass player for the Red Hot Chili Peppers because he's charismatic. They even put him in Back To The Future 2 because he had personality.

I think this personality should stand out at any point in your career. I think Axl Rose bought cigarettes with attitude back in his not-so-famous days. Even if he didn't, I think he did.

Now every band has their own attitude....or I hate to say it....image. However, it's not about image. It's about experience...for the fans. Even the bands with anti-image have an image. It's the anti-image image.

I think the lyrics of a song and the website of the band that wrote that song have a lot in common. I've been wanting to make a sexist pig album that sounds a lot like Kiss or Whitesnake. One chorus says "If your not gonna put out......GET OUT!" This is obviously "cock rock" to the max. Maybe on this site, I would want a game where fans could backhand some chick with huge boobies.

(No, I don't agree with this. That's why i want to do it!).

Anyway, ideally a site would have the kind of stuff that would attract people to the site who aren't looking for a new band. Websites that say "Hello, we are a band. Chad is a guitar player" is about like reading the Encyclopedia for fun. It has it's merits, but you'd have to be pretty nerdy do to think of this as actually "fun".

I think a band's website should think backwards. If you are really trying to pound a new chick, the direct approach seldom works. Russel Crow in A Beautiful Mind tried this. He went up to a girl and said "Hey, we are both intelligent. We know why we are at this bar right now. Let's cut the act, get down to business, and fornicate" (entirely paraphrased). Of course, it failed miserably.

Ideally, a band website would suck people in because it's super fun and offers something that potential fans want to see or do. (Sex, skateboarding, and watching people get their heads cut off all seam to be very popular these days). Somewhere in the process of giving the potential fan something fun, the band may become worth checking out.

That's one of the ways I see it, anyway.

Brandon

[metrio]

First of all, I'd like to say that I have been a member on this forum for a couple of hours and I like it very much here! I feel that some real stuff is actually being discussed here... But anyway...

I don't like the idea of quoting an old sprite commerical but I tend to agree with the statement "Image is nothing...". No matter what image you have, if it seems put on, it's going to be perceived as fake and turn people off. In a world where market segments are getting smaller, and stronger and more intimate connections between musicians and fans are becoming more and more important, I don't think we can get away with being fake anymore.

I think that we should try to build genuine connections with our audiences through our music and our websites. I think that this means being open and personal on your website. At least, that's the route I'm taking currently... time will show if this is a good thing or not.

[brandondrury]

I don't like the idea of quoting an old sprite commerical but I tend to agree with the statement "Image is nothing...". No matter what image you have, if it seems put on, it's going to be perceived as fake and turn people off. In a world where market segments are getting smaller, and stronger and more intimate connections between musicians and fans are becoming more and more important, I don't think we can get away with being fake anymore.

I think you are mixing up your idealogy with reality.

There is nothing about image that has to be fake, necessarily. Even if there is some dress up involved, who cares! KISS with no makeup is not the same. It's not as fun. To remove theatrics from music would strip all the fun out of most music. The idea that the visual doesn't matter is nice, but it doesn't work.

The second any possible fan sees you live, they lump you into some category in their brain. You can put yourself in the "no image" category, but then everyone else will put you into the "no image" category too. This works for some music, but is terrible for others.

I think that we should try to build genuine connections with our audiences through our music and our websites.

Please explain this in clear, objective detail. What is a "genuine" connection?

[metrio]

Originally Posted by brandondrury

I think you are mixing up your idealogy with reality.

There is nothing about image that has to be fake, necessarily. Even if there is some dress up involved, who cares! KISS with no makeup is not the same. It's not as fun. To remove theatrics from music would strip all the fun out of most music. The idea that the visual doesn't matter is nice, but it doesn't work.

I did not mean to sugest that all visuals or theatrics should be removed from music. I was just saying that it probably shouldn't seem too put on, especially when you are playing a small bar and not a stadium (which is what most of us musicians are preoccupied with, I suppose).

Please explain this in clear, objective detail. What is a "genuine" connection?

A genuine connection is when both parties are being open and honest and they understand each other. When your lyrics, or your text on your website, or what you say to your audience verbally, is not honest (in other words, BS), a genuine connection is impossible. When you go according to some formula or follow someone's advice about what to say and how to present yourself, the connection you build is not genuine. As far as I understand, this is necessary to some extent in a situation when you are marketing to a hundred million people. But when you are marketing on a very small scale (you are not trying to get a hundred million people... you just trying to get the small percentage who would actually be interested in you), I think that being genuine is more important. The result - a deeper connection with fewer people, instead of a shallower connection with more people. Like I said, I think that this is becoming more important because the market is becoming saturated (more bands, more categories, each bands gets a smaller piece of the pie).

[brandondrury]

I did not mean to sugest that all visuals or theatrics should be removed from music. I was just saying that it probably shouldn't seem too put on, especially when you are playing a small bar and not a stadium (which is what most of us musicians are preoccupied with, I suppose).

I would rather see more local bands put on as theatrical as possible shows. Live music bores me. I sit in a studio all day listening to bands play their songs. The novelty is lost. So when I go see a band, there had better be a little something extra. I want to be entertained.

While some bands do the visual very poorly and maybe hurt their cause, I think the same is true for bands who decide to be boring. The substance within their recording is what it is. I don't think Radiohead would lose any clout if they played a show in KISS makeup. Neither would John Mayer or Amos Lee. Obviously, in all 3 cases it would be a novelty and not really a "direction" the band is going in.

A genuine connection is when both parties are being open and honest and they understand each other.

I'm not sure I understand you still. You have included a bunch of cliches that have no meaning for me. I'll try to go along with it in order to better understand where you are coming from. So how is a band dishonest? I'm positive you don't mean a band lying about their genre. I've never seen a country band get up and say "we said that we were a metal band on our website! aha h hhha ha! ha! ha!" So that's probably not what you are referring to. Can you give an example of a band / artist being dishonest?

In all seriousness, the only time I've seen a band lie is when they say "Oh, I'll bring payment next time".

Brandon

[WhosyourMax]

This is a very good topic. I think you both make good points. You cant have too much and you cant have to little. There IS an art to it. You have to bring you audience into the music. But it cant be too "fake". What I mean by that is it cant be overdone with whatever they wear, and if you wanted to hear a perfect show go and buy a CD. The whole point of live shows is to see the musicians in their raw form. Unless you have alot of backround sequencing crap.

[brandondrury]

But it cant be too "fake".

Where is the limit? KISS, Motley Crue, and Poison have all done very very well with being way over the top visually. I goes sarah mclachlan plays by a different set of rules. But what rules? Does she have to shape her image based on some Bath and Bodyworks kind of bullshit standard? (The answer to that is YES if she wants to actually sell records. No chicks would buy her music if sarah mclachlan had her tits hanging out like Courtney Love or something). Maybe this is the original point.

However, this concept seems like it could limit an artist from being themselves in the fear of alienating their target market (aka CASH!!) just as many times as it would allow an artist to be "true to their music".

I guess it depends on the philosophies of the band if those philosophies are actually a part of the music. Some music is "anti-philosophy" by nature. The entire point of Motley Crue is letting your hair down and pulling your top up. So I think the dress code is highly dependent on your lyrical approach.

However, the mere fact that we have mentioned limiting an artists warddrobe is a form of censorship.

Brandon

[WhosyourMax]

That is a very good point. It depends on what you play. I'm really into blues right now so I am kinda' like, put on a shirt, pants, shoes, and let your music do the talkin'. But if a band puts so much into a wardrobe that they take away from the music then why are they playing. Maybe i'm just being cinical but I really would feel like a fool if I was dressed up like Gwar or somthing. Yes KISS did an awesome job. Pulling off the wardrobe and the music perfectly. Anti-philosophy can be a type of philosophy though. Its all about what you love and I guess if your playing music its doesnt matter if you have the most crazy wardrobe on or a speedo if your doing what you love there is no problem with it.

[brandondrury]

I agree. It goes back to the mood of the artist. I would love to play a blues show dressed in a Gwar outfit. That's me though. I would face both the positive and negative repurcussions of being an idiot.

However, in the end, show can't be boring. Whether exciting music or exciting theatrics is how you get the job done, I don't really care. Entertain me!

Brandon

[lumpy]

This image thing is a new concept to me. I guess I come from the old school punk attitude of show up and play.

The last show my band did I actually put a little thought into my wardrobe. I got the look down I was wanting; Elvis Costello's fatter, younger, and better looking brother. I was self conscience the whole time on stage so I guess it takes time to get used to it. My bandmates were pretty freaked out by the whole thing though.

I am starting to put some effort into stage presence (whatever that is). I have been thinking along the lines that my band is going to have to at least make a minimul effort to provide the audience with some visual stimulation in order to annilate the competition and make some cash. Very difficult to do for a bunch of fat, old guys.

I'm just going to go with what I do best and that is being goofy. Most folks need a laugh these days anyhow.

I think a little audience participation goes a long way too. I'm not talking about the "put your hands together and clap along" spiel either. I wanna throw food to the people, something to go along with our music like cheese sticks. I like the idea of props too, especially hats. It's all stupid, but like I said, folks need more laughter in their lives.

Would you go see a garage rock band whose drummer is the front man, that throws cheese sticks in Buddy Holly glasses while wearing a bright orange novelty foam cowboy hat?

Lump