New Promo Pic

Can I just shock you?

I’ve never liked band photographs.

As a listener, I’m rarely, if ever, bothered about what the musicians look like.

As a musician, I’d rather listeners didn’t know what I look like – I’d like to retain some mystery, so that all the fantastical or self-effacing claims about myself are treated as art, instead of explicit statements of authentic truth, the veracity of which can be verified or challenged.

There seems to be a rule that band pics should be sober portraits to illustrate a brooding intensity or dark spirit (band members looking moodily at the camera while the singer looks down) – or a sense of humour, conveyed by not looking moody, ie, smiling (the latter is considered risky, I believe, and should only be attempted by those bands already famous for their sense of humour – whether or not they actually have one.)

They are rarely interesting or artistic, with some notable exceptions.

As you might be aware, I like to be different.

Not having one at all would be alright, but if I don’t provide one for promoters, they’ll grab a pic off the internet of me sweating, in a hat.  

(There’s quite a few of them.) 

And I’m vain enough to find that uncomfortable to look at.

It seems like an absolute necessity to have one, so, before I give up completely, I’ll try again to do something creative with it – like this

Which I still like, but is a bit old now.

So, The Glorious New Regime is (once again) encouraging me to pretend to care what anyone else thinks I should do by giving YOU, Dear Reader, a chance to pick the best new promo pic for me – for a carefully-chosen set of acceptable options, of course.  (After all, this is democracy we’re talking here, not freedom…)

So, please feel free to comment below to let us know which you prefer.  Or, even better, send us a drawing of me with a swearword written across my face – that’ll show the music industry for ignoring me for ten years. Yeah.

Comments are enabled, so do your worst (or quickly descend into vicious abuse of other commenters, as is the norm with these things).

The GNR will reveal the winner at claytonblizzard.com

(or not, if no one bothers to vote/comment, as the case may be…)

1.

Blizzard Family Portrait.

Guess which one I am.

2.

The Arty House

Courtesy of The Art House in Southampton. Arty innit.

(Photographer unknown)

 

3.

ClayBear

By Dr Spin

4.

Blizzard of The Rovers

5. Clayton Banjohead

Analogue I s Better Than Digital album shoot

By Gerard Dunne

6.

Bird’s Eye View

From The Den, Corn St, circa 2009 (courtesy of Joe Clarke Photography)

7.

The Light Fandango

At The Grain Barge

Photographer unknown

8.

Born Trippy

The Lost Weekend at The Cube, 2010

Photographer unknown

9.

Dr Spin kills Blizz with his own guitar in the back yard

Analogue I s Better Than Digital album shoot

By Gerard Dunne

 

10.

With GrayDog and Audience, Rebel Soul, Shambala 2013

Photo courtesy Paul James

NB: If you are the copyright holder/photographer for any of these images, please get in touch via claytonblizzard@yahoo.co.uk

Thanks and Peace

Clayton Blizzard