OT charm school for musicians

[Eric Iverson]

I read somewhere that, in the early days of Motown, they sent the young girls in the singing groups to "charm school" in order to learn the "social niceties" etc.

Maybe what we guitarists need is to go to charm school - what do you guys think?? LOL

I suppose I could give one, but I think most people who know would agree that I'm not the IDEAL teacher, maybe.....

Seriously, some musicians maybe should go, since their speech and behavior isn't exactly CHARMING.....

Of course, it's being a jerk that gets you on the news, not behaving in a civilized manner. And there is a saying, "there's no such thing as bad publicity."

[d halfnote]

I think such a school could offer instruction from Mick Jagger, who, while only a middling guitarist & having started as one of the "rank outsiders" of staid Brit society, is, along w/ that other Sir (Paulie Macca-roni), one of the slyest charmers in the game.

[Larryz]

I would love to volunteer for those ladies to use their techniques on me (if I wasn't married LOL!) I love it when the ladies turn on the charm. I guess I'm too introverted to learn how to be charming. I do appreciate those musicians that are not full of themselves and treat you like a real human being. I do the same for them and treat the big guns like the normal people that they are when I'm lucky to run into them. I have never asked for an autograph from a star and I think they are charmed by just being treating like the real normal people that they are!

[desertbluesman]

When I was a bricklayer, one of the mason jokes was "that foreman needs a few semesters in charm school". And my answer was always I flunked out of charm school.

http://www.kolobok.us/smiles/standart/dance2.gifhttp://www.kolobok.us/smiles/standart/dance3.gif

But watching the Motown guys and gals on the Ed Sullivan reruns on Decades network, I was thinking how they always presented themselves in a studied way to come across as likable.

 

Quite a bit different than Myley and Madonna e/h?

[whitefang]

Indeed, both the guys AND gals of Motown went through some mandatory charm and etiquette instruction. Gordy insisted on it.

 

But charm school for musicians? I'd say some would benefit from it, and more than a few REALLY need it. Nothing fancy mind you, just good old fashioned MANNERS. And a little humility wouldn't hurt either.

Whitefang

[Winston Psmith]

Don't give up on our fellow Guitarists, quite yet. I take my example from Adrian Belew, who is a gentleman, as well as a master Musician.

 

In an interview some time back, Belew talked about how he got ready for a concert, by having fresh clothes to perform in, and new strings on his Guitar, among other things. The main point was, he wanted everything fresh and ready for each night's performance. It shows respect for your audience, your Music, and yourself. I even got to see this approach in action, as it were . . .

 

While waiting to see the Adrian Belew Power Trio at a small local club, a number of us were astounded, and amused, to see Belew walking into the venue through the front door early in the evening, carrying his dry cleaning over his shoulder, no helpers, no handlers, no attitude, just a guy going to work. He seemed surprised at the light round of applause that greeted his arrival. Some folks didn't even notice it was him, until the applause started. He waved and smiled, and went to get ready for the show.

[whitefang]

Yeah, OK. Adrian Belew is a nice guy.

 

But then, there's TED NUGENT.

 

Whitefang

[skipclone 1]

I think the major jerks would never agree to that.

It`s not `rock and roll`.

At the opposite end, charm school of some type is standard

for big label stars here-the reason being, that once they are signed they are basically employees of the label. The same would apply to any kind of exclusive contract. If they get in trouble, the label has to either cover for them, if they are enough of a cash machine, or drop them. It`s totally different from the U.S., where a manicured version of controversy is in the fine print.

[desertbluesman]

But then, there's TED NUGENT.

 

The National Rifle Association clown show....I am a life member of the NRA and I absolutely vote for anyone other than the old Teddy Boy.

[Eric Iverson]

I never took Ted Nugent seriously, so his pompous rants are merely amusing to me - though I can see why he's offensive to a lot of people. I wonder if it's not all shtick on his part, though he may actually take HIMSELF seriously. Not my problem in any event, LOL.

 

To quote Skipclone: "manufactured version of controversy" - yes, that's a great way to put it. People seem fascinated by petty squabbles among famous people, even years after the event(s) in question. It doesn't logical to me.... what interests me about the artist(s) in question is their ART, not all the petty stuff.

 

For example, were I ever to meet Paul McCartney, I'd be much more likely to ask him if he ever did anything with the mandolin after "Dance Tonight" than about his marital disputes or other private matters.

OK, I MIGHT ask him how he managed to keep his kids out of the limelight so they could have more or less normal childhoods.....

But that's off topic I guess.

 

[d halfnote]

There is, I think, a certain amount of jive in Nugent's persona, although I think he's deadly serious abt his political thing.

If you know abt his tactics to avoid the army during the 1960s, you'll see why I think the former but also why I think the latter is a diff type of jive.

[whitefang]

"Jive" is the operative word here.

 

His politics don't bother me or most people I know though. It's his disregard of "people skills" that gets folks rankled. Even IF he's puttin' it all on it's not really a "good look" for him or anybody.

Whitefang

[skipclone 1]

As a reply to a friend`s post, I said that opinions are indeed like a**hles.

Some people have opinions. Some people are their opinions.

If someone is going to shove their politics in my face-I don`t care who it is-they deserve exactly the reactions they get. Same with religion-there`s a reason why those topics are verboten on this forum and many others.

[Larryz]

I like the two forum rules on religion and politics. The forum is a nice place to get away from two things that tend to divide us. I already know where I stand and I try to avoid these topics in my daily life as well as on the forum. You have more friends that way IMHO. They can be fun topics for debates and conversations with the right people in private settings though...

[Sharkman]

I have not seen Ted Nugent since he moved down to Texas. But the last time I did see him up here in Michigan, he was at the Outdoorama show (a big hunting, fishing, and outdoor sports event). I saw Ted walking down the aisle headed towards my booth, so I said "Hi Ted, how are you doing?" He walked over to me, shook my hand and said hi, we exchanged a few pleasantries, and then he had to go talk with some Texas hunting outfitter down the aisle from me. Ted is a super nice friendly guy in person, but I think he loves putting on the act. And that act has made him a very successful man.

[skipclone 1]

Well you know-Trump, Kanye West, Kim Jong-un-they don`t appear to have much in common. But actually they do. They know how to play the media.

[Scott Fraser]

It may be partly an act, but anyone who consciously chooses to act the role of a complete a**hole is the sort of actual a**hole I want nothing to do with.

[whitefang]

Oh, yeah...

 

Some of those guys can be sweet as pie if they figure you might be on the same ideological page as them, like Ted meeting Shark at Outdoorama and probably figuring( I don't know for sure) that Shark is an avid hunter, just like him. But tell Ted you DON'T hunt and have no interest in it, and there might be a different story. He sure gave Jimi Hendrix grief when Jimi told him he was uncomfortable with Ted having a gun in his belt when they met once.

Whitefang