Oh, I didn't mean to imply that one should be "acting" by putting thought into stuff like that. Those are just some things I think about and the way I do things, so for me, they are being myself.
I mean, I know it's cool to brush off the non-musical aspects of playing a show, but the fact is there are other elements to it. It's not as simple as "people standing around listening to your music", it's "people standing around watching you play your music". So there is always an element of showmanship,
whether you want there to be or not. From the perspective of the audience, even having a total lack of showmanship is perceived as showmanship. Even if I don't put thought into what jacket I want to wear, the audience is likely to assume that I did. That's just how audiences work. Some friends of mine recently played a show inside a giant inflatable semi-transparent bag. These are guys who
really don't care about making anything less than incredibly good, loud, bizarre music. So whether it's deciding to play in a plastic bag, or bouncing around in a bubble like Wayne Coyne, or playing with your back to the audience while sitting down, it's all in some way part of the show.
Tommy, I think if they make the indie rock Spinal Tap the first people they need to call are Arcade Fire, Wayne Coyne, the Decemberists, and Polyphonic Spree, if you want to make a big deal about wardrobe choice. Compared to how those people dress up for their shows, me picking the red leather jacket over the black leather jacket is probably not a big deal.
