LOL...that's funny.

Did anyone call you a @$%# or is that your own personal review after watching the video.

Maybe you look cool when you play.

My advice is (and I would not follow it since I'm a loser) is if you are keeping your back relatively straight and you feel comfortable...who cares how you look!

These videos where the drummer is flailing away is not setting a good example for real world playing and technique.  Don't buy into that.  A little flash in a rockin' tune is cool in my book but don't sweat it.  I'd rather hear a great fill from a @$%# than someguy in a wig and makeup that chokes a cymbal from 6 feet in the air.

I saw Bill Bruford in clinic a few years ago. He came out and did a 2-1/2 minute butt-kicking solo, sitting straight-up and looking somewhat placid. When he finished, he said, "I know it doesn't look like I'm interested in what I'm playing, but that's not true -- it's just that I'm British."

I try to keep my back straight, and I even have my kit set up so that I get the best angle of attack when sitting with good posture. You see these guys hunched over their drumsets, they look like they're about to break in half. I'll lean into particular sections, but I try to keep good posture for the most part.

I always thought economy of movement was a sought after trait for a drummer.  Some of the greatest live performances I've heard were from drummers who looked like they could have been paralized being the kit, except for Duffy Jackson.

Ratamatatt

It's cool...I was in a REALLY bad mood this morning- even for me.  It was kind of scary.  FYI, we frequently refer to ourselves as losers and weiners around here.  It's more for a laugh than a label.  I'm also having band problems which always sucks so I'm going to be looking for a decent gig, or egad, anything to get me playing with people again.  I'm going to have to line up some crazy auditions...so that should be worth a laugh for everyone here.

You are right though, a + self image helps...there is enough negativity in the world.

I was never told I look like a dick head, but I feel a little embarrassed.

My music teacher and band members told me I look very relaxed and all my limbs flow...so I guess that is a good thing.

I just cant get the speed up with my fills and it is hard to watch the drum when your head is looking up then down, then sideways then all around..LOL

ah well, they can get stuffed..I will play how I want..LOL

If you have to move around alot then the set isn't positioned for you right.  Your fine, be yourself, keep time, and practice alot to be the best you can be.  Don't worry about what other people think. Your the one doing the playing not them.

I used to like to not move around just to show the folks that everything is in my control and grasp!  Besides moving around too much may allow for a mistakes in keeping good time.  Save the moving around energy for the solos!

Stay Cool!

Jazzman

Like it or not, how you look when you play IS important, if you play in front of an audience (or in videos).

I'd suggest that you study videos of yourself playing, identifying visual aspects of your performance that you like, and those that you dislike. Work on eliminating the bad, and emphasizing the good.

Also, watch other drummers, and see what you like, and what you don't. It's a subjective thing, so go with your gut. For example, Steve Gadd looks entirely different than Max Weinberg. Steve looks ultra-loose, while Max looks rigid. BUT - Max plays great, he has back problems that he's fighting, which accounts for his very controlled posture, and he seems to look good enough for Mr. Springsteen!

Be aware that when you watch videos on MTV, those guys are not usually actually playing - they're doing the drum equivalent of lip-synching, so they tend to really pour on the showbiz for the couple seconds of airtime that they're getting. Watch guys actually play in concert, and you'll get a better idea of what standards of showmanship and physicality are really  being maintained by the pros. If you're playing metal, you're right, you DO need to look as cool as your competition. But that doesn't mean you have to look just like them. Work on looking like YOU.

So examine your own likes and dislikes, and start polishing the visual side of your performance. If you dig the way Bozzio moves, make some of his moves your own. If you like Charlie Watt's seemingly aloof vibe, cop some of it. There's a lot out there to pick from.

But NEVER let your concern for your look impede the importance of your actual PLAYING. Good luck!