I went to a talk yesterday on image of music and while it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, it did get me thinking.
As part of the discussion, they addressed the speed of which the industry moves now and how that can automatically make something that just happened out of date. An example of this is a band going for a photoshoot or magazine shoot and dying their hair the next day. Suddenly those images stop being a linear representation of that artist. A question that arose was whether you can change your image too much. Some artists thrive off be eccentric and changing their appearance each time they begin a show. However, often there will be one reoccuring element, such as their hairstyle or an over-the-top belt that they like to wear. It could be that they are androgynous and own that style each time.
If you go to gigs, you may have noticed that often the mega-fans dress like the band, whether that’s replicating an album cover or a specific band member. If you think about this for a minute, surely it’s in your favour then to have your brand image one that is easily achievable, not least because it’s expected that you wear it pretty consistently and get it right each time. Obviously, when we think about certain genres, we get a very clear image of how that band will look. Imagine a deathmetal band dressed as pink cheerleading barbies. An amusing thought, maybe now I’ll see it actually happen as a gimmick, but doesn’t exactly reflect the music. By the same token, it would be massively inappropriate for Disney pop stars to start performing in grubby undertakers coats or while wearing sinister masks.
When you think about it this way, you start to realise how much music and image go hand in hand. If you get it right, it can really help your career and speak to the world. However, you need to make sure that your image is helping you to put across your message, whatever that is. Now, let’s search for those deathmetal barbies.
A Musician Cooks 