I thought i'd ask you lot something thats been going around in my head for a short while now.

We cannot help but know what many of the worlds celebrity musicians look like, due to the fact they are obviously well-known (no shit Belly) and thus their mugs are pasted all over the TV, magazines and internet. In some ways the same is true for many obscurer and underground bands and artists even if they don't get nowhere near as much coverage. However do you actually know what many of your favorite bands look like, as people?

The more I thought about I realized I wouldn't recognize some of my favorite bands, I don't even know their names. Sure i'd recognize David Tibet or Rodney Smith if I saw them walking down the road, but then there plenty of images of them around. I surprised myself when I realized I don't really know what the duo from Crystal Castles actually look like, I can only imagine them via that fairly famous photo of them with their heads bowed and hunched over. This is motre surprising still when I later realized they were on the cover of NME the once.

I suppose what i'm asking is this. Would you recognize your favorite musicians if you walked past them in town? And would you know them by name?

If it's underground metal, i probably wouldn't recognise many. I've met Witchcraft (Prestwick airport, waiting to go to stockholm) and i know their names; I'd recognise Varg if i saw him; I'd recognise the boys from Reverend Bizarre; I'd recognise most of Electric Wizard; I'd recognise Fenriz. that's probably about it. but in extreme metal all of them are well known and their pictures have been widely published.

Clearly there's a gap in the market for an Eye Spy Book Of Extreme Metal...

I'm pretty sure I'd recognise Mithras, and I'm sure that by now they've learned to leg it as soon as they recognise me.

Tony Iommi/Fenriz/Devin Townsend/Tom Warrior/Gaahl are pretty recogniseable.

However, I fucking love GWAR but for the life of me I can't remember what Dave Brockie looks like without his costume on.
But then again, if he had it on then it'd be impossible to not recognise.

I think I would recognise most people in bands I like lots! I spotted Watain wondering round Nottingham once and accosted them later in Rock City haha I reckon it helps if you actually buy CDs and read the inlays like wot I do!

i like bands so underground that they don't leave their bat caves, ever!

You can tell an extreme metal bands a mile off, they've all got long hair, apart from one, who's got none.

All music genres have the same style looking people and promo shoots.

Electro - bright colours poorly photoshopped.
DnB - Vector or a 'i'm thinking' pose.
Metal - I'm not happy so shall scowl as metal isn't alowed to be happy music.
Hip-hop - Involves TVs and enlarge shots of there dunks.
Ambient - Dark landscape that you can barely make anything out on.

To put another spin on the thread, I quite like being in a band where no-one knows what I look like. It can be very illuminating to speak to people at gigs when they have no idea that it was you on stage a few minutes ago...

I went to speak to V.I.T.R.I.O.L. from Anaal Nathrakh 'cos I recognised him from a magazine but that was to ask if I could take photos. I don't think I'd hassle people in the street.