here's what Forever Surf looked like at Ollie's Diner, Bakersfield CA:

...dig the blindingly-white levis!

...Haole Kats!!! really doesn't qualify as a real surf band, so we wear matching Hawaiian shirts. The hard core surf band crowd don't really dig it, but the bulk of our audience is the 'tiki' crowd, and well... yeah, it's Hawaiian shirts.

We have a just about a set's worth of surf material, but we do a lot of Hawaiian, exotica, lounge and variety of other stuff. That's why I would definitely not call us a "surf band" proper. However, we LOVE to play surf, and whenever we do, we get hammered with the same question at every gig: "which one of these CD's is the one with the surf on it!?" We finally got tired of having to tell everyone that none of them are, and went in and recorded a surf CD. Still have to mix, master and duplicate it though.

I'm guessing that we're probably the oldest guys on this board too, except for our guitarist. I'm 46 and our drummer is 52. The guitarist is 29. Yep, two-thirds of us are certified old-farts, so the Hawaiian shirts work for what we're doing, annnnd... we're keeping it official! We're still working on developing the beer bellys, though.

We also are a swing band (as Wholly Cats!!!), and have a sax and trumpet player on call, so we do a lot of that music, too. In those cases, we're matching black/white panel shirts, or some other solid color shirts.

We're thinking of maybe just going with just grass skirts, kukui nuts around our necks and nothing else. Yeah, everybody wants to see THAT...

Aloha,
Kanekila

Haha nice Bill!

Here's one from a recent show.
image

and when the girls walk in we get all serious...

"as he stepped into the stealthy night air... little did he know the fire escape was not there"

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I'm much more into the sound than the look. I see guys show up for the shows in Huntington Beach wearing tank tops, shorts & flaps. The get all sweated up setting up their gear then they put on long pants, matching bowling shirts or whatever. Then they play & sweat to death. Christ, it's summer & you are at the beach! I say take into consideration your environment & if possible, be comfortable.

I was talking to the Maderia guys several hours before there Baja Cantina show. They were going to change into their outfits that they wear for their shows. It took me about 2 seconds to convince them it was way too hot for that. They played in T-shirts & shorts & I'm sure they were glad they did. Anyone that was there even remember what they wore? We just remember their music kicked ass!

Hawaiian shirts can be very classy depending on the brand. They don’t all have to look like Magnum PI or a total tourist. Tommy Bahama, Kahala & Ryen Spooner have some very nice stuff. Nothing wrong with retro bowling shirts either. A v neck under t-shir keeps you from habing that dark sweaty pit look. Bottom lines is no matter how cool you look, if you don’t play with energy, enthusiasm & sound good, people will not come back to see you a second time.

Klas

HBkahuna
Bottom lines is no matter how cool you look, if you don’t play with energy, enthusiasm & sound good, people will not come back to see you a second time.

Bands that looks cool also often play with energy, enthusiasm and sound good. Bands that doesn't look cool often lack one quite important characteristic, the "sound good" one.

I agree with you Klas. I know the times we don't dress up I think we may play a little more lazy. But that's just a personal experince. I think everyone being in "uniform" (good bands don't have costumes, they have uniforms :lol:) can sometimes help the concentration level. But then again I think the times I concentrated the most on music was in a studio situation where I was not wearing a uniform. Might have to dress up for the next record.

"as he stepped into the stealthy night air... little did he know the fire escape was not there"

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I think Hawaiian shirts scream NEWBIE!!!!

I wish bands from out of town would dress the part, showing up in jeans and t-shirts or shorts with sandels say "we don't really care" in my book.

It also kinda hurts the local band pumping up the guest band to the club when they show up to the gig dressed for yard work.

THe NEpTuNeS

So when we wear Surgical Masks and full OR dress are we newbie or just plain nuts.

I know all these famous bands wear them... But you have to admit every time a new band hits the scene they are wearing matching print shirts. Don't get your renn spooners in a bunch I am just a lame ass from Fresno. We used to wear fezzes and lava lavas...been playing surf for 10 years now. Someday we will catch up to you big city surfbands....

THe NEpTuNeS

C'mon people is it really that big a deal???!! I appreciate a cool looking band uniform, probably more than the average surf fan, but that doesn't mean I judge other bands by how many oversized flowers are printed on their shirts. I'm just glad there are still bands out there playing this music so I'm not the only one.

It's the vibe of the individual band that dictates what to wear, moreso than the overall vibe of the surf genre. If the band is mellow - and 'well seasoned' - than why not wear something comfortable, but at the same time bright and colorful.

Do I want to wear one in my current band? No. Will I want to when I'm 60? I bet I might, I know I'll care a lot less about impressing the audience by then. Hell, I'll be lucky if I have any of my teeth and hair left to brush.

Danny Snyder

"With great reverb comes great responsibility" - Uncle Leo

Playing keys and guitar with Combo Tezeta

Formerly a guitarist in The TomorrowMen and Meshugga Beach Party

Latest surf project - Now That's What I Call SURF

BillAqua
Ohhhh riiight I forgot! Chicks dig portly aged men in Hawaiian shirts.

okay bill, now we know what you answered on the "why play surf usic poll" - it's all about chicks!

seriously, first of all it's not a big deal, second of all, not all hawaiian shirts are equal, thirdly, what works for one band doesn't work for every band (can't imagine dick dale in a straw skirt, yet it works wonderfully for the tiki tiki bamboos, e.g.)

all these points have been made by others.

personally, as much as I find hawaiian shirts tongue in cheeck, I'd rather go on stage (and rather watch a band) in GOOD QUALITY hawaiian shirts then in cardigans, which I personally find as lame looking, and too hot. That is nothing more than personal easthetic taste, really nothing more. I have cd's by bands who wear hawaiian shirts, who wear cardigans, and who have what what's been called the "laid back current day californian look" (jeans and T!) - I dig 'em all mucho grande and would pay good money to go see them play live, naked or dressed in whatever.

but to get back to the chick factor. you have to appreciate that what works depends on a whole lot more than "what attracts chicks", and believe it or not, bill, "what the chicks dig" is not a criterium for everyone. nor is being concidered "cool" by a relativly young audience. it's about what image you want to project, and what audience you're targeting as well. What if someone WANTS to project a tongue in cheeck image - or what if someone is targetting an audience younger, older or differently structured than "the surf crowd"?

I'm not saying I would want it one way or the other for me. I dig suits, always wore them in former bands.
But more importantly, for watching, I like the fact that there is variety more then I like one particular style.

live and let live, let the flowers bloom.

WR

Rules to live by #314:
"When in Italy, if the menu says something's grilled, don't assume it is."

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