Overweight Musicians Appreciation Thread

Stompbox

How are we forgetting this guy?

Sinfonia

Sweet wrote: »

How are we forgetting this guy?

boneitis wrote: »

Other great examples would be Frank Black...

We are forgetting this guy though:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcj0cK5O-fk

Song originally by Van Morrison for extra fat points

Jimmy Iovine

El Pr0n wrote: »

Jimmy Iovine wrote: »

They don't get much heavier or better than Big Pun. He was 780 pounds at his heaviest, just before he died from a heart attack.

****en yes. Some mates played this song at a session a while ago, I was completely blown away, the sickest two bars I've ever heard;

"Dead in the middle of Little Italy little did we know that we riddled to middle men who didn't do diddly"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiwvPmRTv6M

And people say that rap music is retards attempting poetry ha ha. His flow is sensational. Lobe the way he changes languages in his songs.

Rothko

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDVgfnyHP0c

TheMutations

Rigsby wrote: »

Now that you mention it.....yeah, what is the point of this thread ?

A poster in the bands & musicians forum put up a thread looking for a bass player, but didn't want any fat people applying for the position because they were afraid some record company wouldn't sign their band. Another poster took issue with this, and set up this thread to prove that fat people aren't losers.

Somehow the thread got moved here.

boneitis

TheMutations wrote: »

A poster in the bands & musicians forum put up a thread looking for a bass player, but didn't want any fat people applying for the position because they were afraid some record company wouldn't sign their band. Another poster took issue with this, and set up this thread to prove that fat people aren't losers.

Somehow the thread got moved here.

I'm not afraid of anything.

I am realistic about the difficult nature of the music business. So to minimise the chance of failure I am being very picky about who I choose. I gave the example of obese musicians. I could have given any number of examples.

At any rate someone decided to attack me personally, as they thought my realism was somehow a personal predjudice. And they assumed that the music industry somehow would see past looks and go for quality.

Because you know, you turn on the radio and it's full of musical masterpieces and you read the music press and it's full of pictures of fat ugly successful musicians.

I don't make the "rules" the industry plays by, but am clever enough to recognise reality.

TheMutations

boneitis wrote: »

I'm not afraid of anything.

I am realistic about the difficult nature of the music business. So to minimise the chance of failure I am being very picky about who I choose. I gave the example of obese musicians. I could have given any number of examples.

So fat equals failure?

boneitis wrote: »

At any rate someone decided to attack me personally, as they thought my realism was somehow a personal predjudice. And they assumed that the music industry somehow would see past looks and go for quality.

Simon Cowell did it with Susan Boyle. Adele is another example. Two of the biggest selling artists of the last five years. Simon Cowell doesn't strike me as being someone who is a dreamer

boneitis wrote: »

Because you know, you turn on the radio and it's full of musical masterpieces and you read the music press and it's full of pictures of fat ugly successful musicians.

I don't make the "rules" the industry plays by, but am clever enough to recognise reality.

Lots of examples in this thread of "fat ugly successful musicians". Most have had extensive coverage in the music press and in the mainstream press. And as for the "rules". Who exactly has been advising you?

Colibri

Forgetting the champion:

Sinfonia

boneitis wrote: »

I'm not afraid of anything.

I am realistic about the difficult nature of the music business. So to minimise the chance of failure I am being very picky about who I choose. I gave the example of obese musicians. I could have given any number of examples.

At any rate someone decided to attack me personally, as they thought my realism was somehow a personal predjudice. And they assumed that the music industry somehow would see past looks and go for quality.

Because you know, you turn on the radio and it's full of musical masterpieces and you read the music press and it's full of pictures of fat ugly successful musicians.

I don't make the "rules" the industry plays by, but am clever enough to recognise reality.

That's quite a skewed reality, or a very small sample you're examining.
Are you looking to start a boyband?
Because when I think of the most respected musicians throughout the history of popular music, most are conventionally unattractive except that they've got a guitar around their neck. Christ, it's one of the top reasons men start bands!

RC88

Leslie West(The Fattest Fingers in Rock N' Roll), one of the great guitarists of early heavy metal/rock music

boneitis

TheMutations wrote: »

So fat equals failure?



Simon Cowell did it with Susan Boyle. Adele is another example. Two of the biggest selling artists of the last five years. Simon Cowell doesn't strike me as being someone who is a dreamer



Lots of examples in this thread of "fat ugly successful musicians". Most have had extensive coverage in the music press and in the mainstream press. And as for the "rules". Who exactly has been advising you?

This is another one of those reactionary posts that completely misses the point, a point this thread makes quite well... the MAJORITY, and that's the VAST VAST VAST majority of professional popular musicians are not overweight, especially when they get their break.

This is undeniable.

And it's logical.

Most people working in the industry are not hugely motivated or passionate. They are doing a job. The harder you make their job (i.e. the more they have to re-create their model to sell you) the less likely you are to get a chance. Pure business.

There are almost always exceptions to every rule, and that's the point. The RULE is make the business side easy and you increase your chances.

Put it another way, two bands with the same material appear in a labels office:

Band A is attractive
Band B is fat and old (those aren't MY standards, those are society's standards)

Which has a better chance?



The best plan is to be:

Visually together
Have strong material
Be nice
Be professional

If you don't tick all of those boxes a band/artist that does will get your chance.

This isn't actually controversial, it's just unpleasant. If you want to succeed, be realistic; that's my advice to anyone that's serious about this.

boneitis

Sinfonia wrote: »

That's quite a skewed reality, or a very small sample you're examining.
Are you looking to start a boyband?
Because when I think of the most respected musicians throughout the history of popular music, most are conventionally unattractive except that they've got a guitar around their neck. Christ, it's one of the top reasons men start bands!

That's factually untrue.

MOST musicians these days are NOT fat. Most are NOT unattractive.

Many are bland, but that's not a net negative.

Malice

Rigsby wrote: »

Now that you mention it.....yeah, what is the point of this thread ?

You'd probably have to ask the thread starter but it'll be a bit difficult now because they've closed their account. Basically I told posters over in the Bands & Musicians forum to start a thread if they wanted to celebrate overweight musicians or whatever since the thread that they were posting on was moving far away from its intended purpose.

TheMutations wrote: »

A poster in the bands & musicians forum put up a thread looking for a bass player, but didn't want any fat people applying for the position because they were afraid some record company wouldn't sign their band. Another poster took issue with this, and set up this thread to prove that fat people aren't losers.

Somehow the thread got moved here.

That's not what was expressed, nor was boneitis afraid of anything and I would assume the starter of this thread certainly didn't want to prove fat people aren't losers since nobody actually said that on the previous thread. As for the thread being somehow moved, it's not rocket surgery, I moved the thread because it was created in the wrong forum and was better off in this one.

TheMutations wrote: »

So fat equals failure?

That's not what boneitis said. Four incorrect points in two posts, nice job.

TheMutations

boneitis wrote: »

I'm not afraid of anything.

I am realistic about the difficult nature of the music business. So to minimise the chance of failure I am being very picky about who I choose. I gave the example of obese musicians. I could have given any number of examples.

At any rate someone decided to attack me personally, as they thought my realism was somehow a personal predjudice. And they assumed that the music industry somehow would see past looks and go for quality.

Because you know, you turn on the radio and it's full of musical masterpieces and you read the music press and it's full of pictures of fat ugly successful musicians.

I don't make the "rules" the industry plays by, but am clever enough to recognise reality.

boneitis wrote: »

This is another one of those reactionary posts that completely misses the point, a point this thread makes quite well... the MAJORITY, and that's the VAST VAST VAST majority of professional popular musicians are not overweight, especially when they get their break.

This is undeniable.

And it's logical.

Most people working in the industry are not hugely motivated or passionate. They are doing a job. The harder you make their job (i.e. the more they have to re-create their model to sell you) the less likely you are to get a chance. Pure business.

There are almost always exceptions to every rule, and that's the point. The RULE is make the business side easy and you increase your chances.

Put it another way, two bands with the same material appear in a labels office:

Band A is attractive
Band B is fat and old (those aren't MY standards, those are society's standards)

Which has a better chance?



The best plan is to be:

Visually together
Have strong material
Be nice
Be professional

If you don't tick all of those boxes a band/artist that does will get your chance.

This isn't actually controversial, it's just unpleasant. If you want to succeed, be realistic; that's my advice to anyone that's serious about this.

For most industry people, the bottom line is the quality of the music. None of your arguments are convincing me. Having an overweight bass player in a line up would not be an issue to competent professionals, as long as the music is up to scratch. They can work wonders. As a matter of fact, the best professionals will relish the challenge of going against the grain.

If the quality of your support team is that of people who don't enjoy their work, then having an over-weight bass player is the least of your worries.

wandatowell

Sadly our very own Rory Gallagher

boneitis

TheMutations wrote: »

For most industry people, the bottom line is the quality of the music. None of your arguments are convincing me. Having an overweight bass player in a line up would not be an issue to competent professionals, as long as the music is up to scratch. They can work wonders. As a matter of fact, the best professionals will relish the challenge of going against the grain.

If the quality of your support team is that of people who don't enjoy their work, then having an over-weight bass player is the least of your worries.

This is absolutely the wrong attitude and inaccurate.

Ever been on a major label? I have. I have sat in meetings where musicians were thrust on me based on looks. I have also heard many a band being dismissed, out of hand because they didn't look right.

People are shallow, most bands are never even listened to.

If you wanna make it past the slush pile you have to be the whole package.

For every opportunity, theres multiple people ready, who do look right, who do have the material and the right attitude. If you're not ready you don't get the chance.

Btw., I'm not trying to convince you, I've lived it and know the score. You can believe me or not.

TheMutations

Can we hear your music?

boneitis

TheMutations wrote: »

Can we hear your music?

Normally I'd say yes, but this boards persona is being used to anonymously scout for a bassist and part of that anonymity is not posting tunes.

Sorry about that.

Once the bassist wanted thing is over, if I can I'll post some stuff up.

TheMutations

Looking forward to hearing it. It will certainly clarify a few things.


You know, there is an awful lot of overweight people out there more than ever before; and even more people who think they are overweight but aren't. Especially people in your target market. Getting an overweight bassist would be an advantage.

Some people like to escape into a fantasy world, but most would like to know that there are others out there that feel the same as they do. That they are not alone. Music plays a huge part in this type of process.

boneitis

TheMutations wrote: »

Looking forward to hearing it. It will certainly clarify a few things.


You know, there is an awful lot of overweight people out there more than ever before; and even more people who think they are overweight but aren't. Especially people in your target market. Getting an overweight bassist would be an advantage.

Some people like to escape into a fantasy world, but most would like to know that there are others out there that feel the same as they do. That they are not alone. Music plays a huge part in this type of process.

You have no argument with me. You however would have a hard time with 99.9% of the people that hold the purse strings in the entertainment industry.

TheMutations

No only 90%. And usually another 20 to 30% fall in to line eventually. Which is fine by me as I get to avoid most of the idiots. The really good thing is that 10% represents several thousand people, which means a lot of options.

boneitis

TheMutations wrote: »

No only 90%. And usually another 20 to 30% fall in to line eventually. Which is fine by me as I get to avoid most of the idiots. The really good thing is that 10% represents several thousand people, which means a lot of options.

Good luck! It's a hard business.

smokedeels

Remember that rapper who was so fat they had to shoot him?

Kold

I don't listen to fat musicians as a matter of principle. Also, Baths.

smokedeels

Kold wrote: »

I don't listen to fat musicians as a matter of principle. Also, Baths.

The man was not at all what I imagined him to look like.

weeder

i dunno, id rather be in it for the music and have an unattractive person in my band than be in it for the money and have someone who is just there because its what the label wants them to be

boneitis

weeder wrote: »

i dunno, id rather be in it for the music and have an unattractive person in my band than be in it for the money and have someone who is just there because its what the label wants them to be

Two things:

1 This industry makes you make these decisions all the time. The higher you climb up the foodchain the more compromises you're asked to make, at least initially. It's hard.

2 Part of the reason behind our search is too maintain control. If we don't find one, we run the risk of having one thrust on us. We'd rather retain as much control as possible, so we can be as happy as possible and sustain this as long as possible.


One of the main delusions people have about this business is that you can somehow be in it and yet not of it. You can't. Well, you can, but it will eat you alive. We refuse to be lazy or wilfully blinded to the nature of our industry. We will make mistakes, but will also do our best to not lose control due to laziness or fear or cowardice.

weeder

who cares about "the industry" if your as good as you say you are then its more than possible to succeed without a record deal or any of that jazz, unless you want to be like the majority of mainstream music out there, and honestly most of it isnt very good.

boneitis

weeder wrote: »

who cares about "the industry" if your as good as you say you are then its more than possible to succeed without a record deal or any of that jazz, unless you want to be like the majority of mainstream music out there, and honestly most of it isnt very good.

Sadly, that's not true.

All the routes to a sustainable income for pop artists and indie artists still start with radio. And radio is an expensive beast to tame properly. As none of us are independently wealthy we still need a sustained source of income. Publishing is the answer to that and the best publishing deals still come connected to label contracts.

There's obv other sources of income, but until you have a name properly established those are pretty unsustainable.

InTheTrees

RC88 wrote: »

Leslie West(The Fattest Fingers in Rock N' Roll), one of the great guitarists of early heavy metal/rock music

He almost died from obesity. But he disappeared for a few years and reappeared a lot thinner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZEcNpcTwUM