I suppose I might have appeared to made it seem as though one's dressing is more important than the music. Let me clear the confusion: it is definately, definately not.
As musicians, music is our top and utmost priority. Without our music, we are nothing. A good musician is defined by his musical talent and ability and a bad musician by his lack thereof.
But what I am referring to is musicians as PERFORMERS. When you are performing on stage, there are several things in addition to your music that is being observed and it is all seen as part of your performance in addition to the music that you play.
- the image and persona you build.
- the way you carry yourself- getting on stage, playing on stage, getting off stage.
- the messages you send, the "patter" between the songs
- how you deal with any technical difficulty
- the way you work and interact within the band and with your crew.
- the way you work and interact with the audience.
- many, many other minute details and factors
- how aware you are of all these factors
- how you use all these factors to improve your performance
If you do all these well (and dressing the part is part of it), your performance will definitely be enriched.
And (think about it) when it comes down to it, while people appreciate good musical ability, they thoroughly enjoy a good performance more. The music is definitely damn bloody important, but as in the instance of shows like Rockstar INXS, crowds are drawn more to musical talent which is supplemented with good performance.
As a result, less technically talented bands who can evoke more emotion in the crowd draw larger crowds and ultimately become bigger, more famous bands. And isn't that what we all want, whether it's to be heard by a larger audience, to spread a noble cause or simply for the lust of money, glitz and glamour?
I hope I finally got my views across more clearly. =)