Artist/Band Name: Real Name Versus Nick Name?

[Musical Gym]

Why do/don't you use your real name?

Why do/don't you use an artist/band name?

Thoughts? Pros? Cons?

[jancivil]

I think my band name conveys a sense of the exotic and maybe an attitude; at the same time it has something to do with my last name.
It's a brand name.

[Musical Gym]

I think my band name conveys a sense of the exotic and maybe an attitude; at the same time it has something to do with my last name.
It's a brand name.

Interesting. Do you find that a brand name also gives you more freedom to utilize more helper tools to achieve musical results you otherwise may not be able to pull off strictly with your own set of musical skills?

[Tricky-Loops]

An artist's name is easier to memorize, even for people of other native tongues! There are only a few artists who use their real names, for example Joe Cocker or Fritz & Paul Kalkbrenner. Or Blank & Jones, as well as Kruder & Dorfmeister. But there's no Anzilotti & Münzing, it's Snap!

Try to memorize the real name of Zucchero...Adelmo Fornaciari...

Even harder, ever heard of the real Greek name of George Michael?

[Musical Gym]

An artist's name is easier to memorize, even for people of other native tongues! There are only a few artists who use their real names, for example Joe Cocker or Fritz & Paul Kalkbrenner. Or Blank & Jones, as well as Kruder & Dorfmeister. But there's no Anzilotti & Münzing, it's Snap!

Try to memorize the real name of Zucchero...Adelmo Fornaciari...

Even harder, ever heard of the real Greek name of George Michael?

Good point.

[RunBeerRun]

I have neither an artist name nor a nickname, I'm just good at the guitar, I'm also good at math, don't have a name for that either.

[Tricky-Loops]

The biggest disappointment I had when I learned that Calvin Harris isn't Calvin Harris...

(And then, did he really create disco? )

[jancivil]

I think my band name conveys a sense of the exotic and maybe an attitude; at the same time it has something to do with my last name.
It's a brand name.

Interesting. Do you find that a brand name also gives you more freedom to utilize more helper tools to achieve musical results you otherwise may not be able to pull off strictly with your own set of musical skills?

No. I have had people contribute with things I was not inclined or really the person to even do, via interactions where they may as well think of it as 'Jan Civil music'. So, I would bank on them knowing me, from around.


I just think that a band name poses a different expectation of the object than a person's name, unless they are known as a band leader.

[Musical Gym]

I have neither an artist name nor a nickname, I'm just good at the guitar, I'm also good at math, don't have a name for that either.

....

[Hink]

my real name is the same of an infamous would be assassin so using that as an artist name would be too obvious. One of my first childhood friends called me Hink and it stuck even through the service, I really cant remember a time where someone wasn't calling me Hink...except in grade school sports where they called me jynx but I showed them, I turned into a long haired guitar playing hippie

[Tricky-Loops]

...in grade school sports where they called me jynx but I showed them, I turned into a long haired guitar playing hippie...

Same thing happened with Zucchero, how handsome did he look in the 80ies without hat, beard & sun glasses!



And now... (without his sun glasses)

[farlukar]

I'd rather not have my crappy music associated with my name.

I have neither an artist name nor a nickname, I'm just good at the guitar, I'm also good at math, don't have a name for that either.

“Hi, we're Riemann Zeta and we play math rock!”