Entertainment expert Mike, from LA, explained to Bored Panda that the music industry these days is highly competitive, so musicians and bands need a combination of factors to help them stand out from their competitors. "While the quality of the music is the most important factor, a musician's image, branding, and marketing strategies are also crucial in capturing and maintaining the attention of their audience," he said.

Of course, a musician's main focus should "always be to create high-quality music that resonates with the target audience." The expert noted that it's vital to create music that's unique, authentic, and memorable because people have access to millions of songs at their fingertips in this day and age. However, it's not just the music that will help the band stand out.

Consistent branding is essential, too. "This includes everything from the artist's logo, album art, and social media presence to their style and stage persona," Mike told Bored Panda.

Meanwhile, stars-to-be shouldn't forget to engage with their fans in a meaningful way, either. "A strong relationship with fans can help a musician or band gain exposure and build a loyal following," the entertainment expert said. "This can be achieved through regular interaction on social media, engaging with fans at shows, and offering unique merchandise and experiences."

What's more, adaptability and creativity can help, too, such as in the case of using innovative marketing strategies to be in the spotlight. The expert said that filming viral videos, doing social media campaigns, and crafting interactive fan experiences are all approaches that can benefit bands in the Digital Age.

Bored Panda wanted to get Mike's thoughts on what musicians and bands could do if they suddenly become successful overnight. He explained that focusing on creativity and having a strong team to help everyone stay grounded are what truly matter.

"When a band or musician becomes suddenly famous, it can be easy to lose sight of who they are and what makes them unique. Staying true to oneself requires a clear understanding of one's values, goals, and artistic vision," the entertainment expert told us.

"It's important for musicians to surround themselves with a supportive team who shares their vision and will help them stay grounded throughout the journey. Additionally, it's important to continue to prioritize creativity and growth, to avoid becoming complacent or stagnant."

You can’t deny that human beings are incredibly visual creatures. Like it or not, we all make instant judgments about other people based on how they look. The halo effect is a cognitive bias where someone assumes that just because an individual is good-looking that they’re actually a good person in real life, too.

So if someone looks incredibly professional in their band photo, your instant reaction might be to think that their music is great, too. Meanwhile, someone who looks a tad out of place in their pics might force people to doubt the quality of their work, even if it’s on the same level as the previous person’s.

The ‘Awkward band and musician photos’ Facebook page styles itself as a place that brings together “the funniest band and musician photos ever,” and nobody can deny that. The photos are funky and funny, and genuinely made our day.

Over the years, the Facebook page has grown to nearly a quarter of a million followers who love the project’s focus on interesting pics, retro vibes, and “sick humor.”

Now, don’t get us wrong, we absolutely adore the entire retro vibe that’s radiating from the ‘Awkward band and musician photos’ project. However, you can’t deny that plenty of those pics really didn’t age all that well.

Whether it’s due to the style of clothes or haircuts that were fashionable at the time (and seem awkward now), or the overly serious poses that everyone was doing, the images seem slightly out of place when we’re looking at them from 2023. However, you can’t deny that these photos are proof that with enough confidence and some fire in your eyes, you can look semi-badass no matter what you wear and how you style your hair.

Look, we get it, taking photos can be super awkward for some people. In fact, some of us still don’t enjoy staged pics because it all feels incredibly unnatural just standing there while the photographer does their thing without showing even a hint of emotion.

Are we smiling all right? Does our hair look okay? What are we even supposed to do with our hands?! An amateur photographer is likely to take a few quick snaps and call it a day, moving on to the next client. Meanwhile, a true professional will help guide their clients with grace, put them at ease, and make the entire photo shoot fun for everyone involved. And if you’re having fun, the photos are likely to look far more natural, rather than stiff and awkward. Good direction is invaluable.

At the core of any good band pic lies the subject’s ability to relax and, well, be ‘cool’ about the photo shoot. If you’re worrying about how you’ll look and what others might think, stressing out over your day job, and wondering whether you turned the oven off when you left home that day, you’re very likely to look out of place in the final photos.

However, if you fully embrace your role—that of an awesome musician who is going to conquer the world and change the industry forever—everyone’s going to see that passion in your band pics. And even if you don’t end up achieving all of your goals, the images are going to be a wonderful reminder of how you and your friends followed your passions, did your best to overcome whatever challenges were thrown your way, and genuinely had a ton of fun writing and playing good music.

According to ‘Alive Network,’ a band’s strong image is important because it makes you distinct: you stand out from your competitors and your potential audience then immediately knows what you’re all about.

Meanwhile, it’s not a sin to care about your image. Sure, music’s at the heart of what you do, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t look like a pro, too. Think of it as creating an image of trustworthiness that can help your work get noticed and shine brighter. And, remembering the halo effect, it’s not a bad idea to take a bit of time polishing up your image, so long as you don’t obsess over it.

Like with any other art form, clarity and focus will help you stand out with your music. You need to find a specific ‘sound’ that truly represents what you and your bandmates are all about. Then, hone in on it, elevating it to a new level. High quality music will get the attention it deserves: the effort you put into your craft is well worth it.

‘Musician on a Mission’ notes that you should strive to find a genre that “feels most natural to all your bandmates.” In essence, what you want is to make sure that the entire band is enjoying themselves while also avoiding a mish-mash of genres that might get lost among the noise. Ideally, your band’s photo should reflect your influences, mission, and the idea lying at the core of your music.

What's your relationship with music, dear Pandas? Have you ever been in a band or rocked out on stage? Do you play any instruments, whether professionally or as a lighthearted hobby? Which of these vintage photos did you enjoy the most? Scroll down to the comment section and share your thoughts with everyone else.