--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You've got to have a gimmick if your band…" description: "\"You've got to have a gimmick if your band sucks.\" — Gary Giddins" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eee/gary-giddins-25694_music-making_you-ve-got-to-have-a-gimmick-if-your-ban_1314244.jpg" --- # You've got to have a gimmick if your band sucks. ![“You've got to have a gimmick if your band sucks.” quote by Gary Giddins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eee/gary-giddins-25694_music-making_you-ve-got-to-have-a-gimmick-if-your-ban_1314244.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eee/gary-giddins-25694_music-making_you-ve-got-to-have-a-gimmick-if-your-ban_1314244.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eee/gary-giddins-25694_music-making_you-ve-got-to-have-a-gimmick-if-your-ban_1314244.jpg) > “You've got to have a gimmick if your band sucks.” [Gary Giddins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-giddins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote suggests that a band lacking talent must rely on a distinctive gimmick to attract attention, implying that style can compensate for substance. **In simple terms:** Bands need a unique hook if they lack musical skill. Key Takeaway Develop a memorable identity. Themes music performance authenticity marketing creativity Mood wry observational Type critical cultural When to use this quote - band promotion - stagecraft - branding - audience engagement Key Concepts business psychology culture Questions to Reflect On - Is a gimmick sustainable long term? - Can authenticity replace a gimmick? A Different Perspective Gimmicks may only provide short‑term success. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Band](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/band/) [Band Sucks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/band-sucks-2848627/) [Gimmick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gimmick/) [Gimmick Band](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gimmick-band-3634037/) [Got Gimmick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/got-gimmick-1053665/) [Music making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-making/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) ## Related quotes > [I don't see us as a big media gimmick band. We don't have a cultivated appearance or anything like Kiss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-verlaine/i-don-t-see-us-as-a-big-media-gimmick-band-we-don-t-have-a-cultivated/) [Tom Verlaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-verlaine/) > [You got to have a gimmick in this got-to-have-a-gimmick world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-corso/you-got-to-have-a-gimmick-in-this-got-to-have-a-gimmick-world/) [Lee Corso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-corso/) > [Your favorite band sucks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-favorite-band-sucks/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If some band sucks, you're going to have to find out about it for yourself, because I don't have the interest in issuing warnings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/if-some-band-sucks-you-re-going-to-have-to-find-out-about-it-for/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [I hope we don't lose in America this demand that those of us who want this office must be prepared not to handle the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-h-pater/i-hope-we-don-t-lose-in-america-this-demand-that-those-of-us-who-want/) [Walter H Pater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-h-pater/) > [“Whether you try too hard to fit in or you try too hard to stand out, it is of equal consequence: you exhaust your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/whether-you-try-too-hard-to-fit-in-or-you-try-too-hard-to-stand-out/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [A song cannot be a gimmick as it requires talent and hard work. But if it is placed wrongly, then it can be called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sameera-reddy/a-song-cannot-be-a-gimmick-as-it-requires-talent-and-hard-work-but-if/) [Sameera Reddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sameera-reddy/) > [MPs have no real knowledge of how to function other than via gimmick and briefings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/mps-have-no-real-knowledge-of-how-to-function-other-than-via-gimmick/) [Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/) > [You gotta have a gimmick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethel-merman/you-gotta-have-a-gimmick/) [Ethel Merman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethel-merman/) > [These days, you have to have a gimmick to do the weather. You have to have an act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willard-scott/these-days-you-have-to-have-a-gimmick-to-do-the-weather-you-have-to/) [Willard Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willard-scott/) > [Everybody is designing magic iPhone apps that do things that are really, really beautiful, but a really important thing about magic is that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/everybody-is-designing-magic-iphone-apps-that-do-things-that-are/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [I don't want any gimmicks. The fact that people think that Whack is a gimmick is so crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tierra-whack/i-don-t-want-any-gimmicks-the-fact-that-people-think-that-whack-is-a/) [Tierra Whack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tierra-whack/) > [I am a successful lecturer in physics for popular audiences. The real entertainment gimmick is the excitement, drama and mystery of the subject matter.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/i-am-a-successful-lecturer-in-physics-for-popular-audiences-the-real/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [I didn't want to be written about as a human-interest story. I didn't want to be a passing thing. You know, now we move…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-mullins/i-didn-t-want-to-be-written-about-as-a-human-interest-story-i-didn-t/) [Aimee Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-mullins/) > [I've never wanted to use my age as a gimmick, as something that would get me ahead of other people. I've wanted the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/i-ve-never-wanted-to-use-my-age-as-a-gimmick-as-something-that-would/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) ## More by Gary Giddins > [Even my colleagues don't read classic criticism. And my feeling is that if you don't do that then you're not really practicing your craft.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-giddins/even-my-colleagues-don-t-read-classic-criticism-and-my-feeling-is/) [Gary Giddins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-giddins/) > [I'm a critic. That means you are a writer. So, yes, you have to make yourself an authority on whatever subject it's going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-giddins/i-m-a-critic-that-means-you-are-a-writer-so-yes-you-have-to-make/) [Gary Giddins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-giddins/) > [You're writing for some version of yourself. You're writing the kinds of things that you like to read or wanted to read at a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-giddins/you-re-writing-for-some-version-of-yourself-you-re-writing-the-kinds/) [Gary Giddins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-giddins/) > [One of the things I always underscore when I teach criticism is that young critics, or would be critics, frequently have this illusion that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-giddins/one-of-the-things-i-always-underscore-when-i-teach-criticism-is-that/) [Gary Giddins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-giddins/) > [Writing style is something is a consequence of who you are. I think that I had a certain propensity for a style that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-giddins/writing-style-is-something-is-a-consequence-of-who-you-are-i-think/) [Gary Giddins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-giddins/) > [I think all of us begin as writers. I wanted to be a writer from the time I as eight, long before I heard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-giddins/i-think-all-of-us-begin-as-writers-i-wanted-to-be-a-writer-from-the/) [Gary Giddins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-giddins/) > [Humility is a very important trait in a critic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-giddins/humility-is-a-very-important-trait-in-a-critic/) [Gary Giddins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-giddins/) > [People should not feel intimidated by received wisdom. You have to discover it yourself. If I tell you that Armstrong is great, it's meaningless;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-giddins/people-should-not-feel-intimidated-by-received-wisdom-you-have-to/) [Gary Giddins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-giddins/) > [I hate the idea of turning jazz into homework assignments. I would never have a quiz saying, "Who's the clarinetist on the Hot Five?"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-giddins/i-hate-the-idea-of-turning-jazz-into-homework-assignments-i-would/) [Gary Giddins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-giddins/) > [Jazz is for joy. It's for euphoria, it's for emotion, and anguish, and excitement, and all of the joys that great art can produce,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-giddins/jazz-is-for-joy-it-s-for-euphoria-it-s-for-emotion-and-anguish-and/) [Gary Giddins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-giddins/) > [Bing Crosby said that Armstrong is "the beginning and the end of music in America," and he wasn't far wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-giddins/bing-crosby-said-that-armstrong-is-the-beginning-and-the-end-of-music/) [Gary Giddins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-giddins/) > [Nobody knows where jazz is going, because nobody has ever known where jazz was going. I mean, you couldn't possibly predict the Swing Era…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-giddins/nobody-knows-where-jazz-is-going-because-nobody-has-ever-known-where/) [Gary Giddins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-giddins/) > [When I teach criticism, the first thing I say, and this sometimes pisses off younger - I mean, students, is that, opinions are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-giddins/when-i-teach-criticism-the-first-thing-i-say-and-this-sometimes/) [Gary Giddins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-giddins/) > [If you're genuinely candid and expressive then you're never wrong, even when you are wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-giddins/if-you-re-genuinely-candid-and-expressive-then-you-re-never-wrong/) [Gary Giddins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-giddins/) > [I can't get very excited about a musician who can do Art Tatum because I've got the Art Tatum records. I want to hear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-giddins/i-can-t-get-very-excited-about-a-musician-who-can-do-art-tatum/) [Gary Giddins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-giddins/) [Explore all 22 Gary Giddins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-giddins/) ## More Band quotes > [The reason I was drawn to the Band Perry was because they have a knack for doing rollicking country music that can sound a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/the-reason-i-was-drawn-to-the-band-perry-was-because-they-have-a/) [Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [There is something to be said though when you have 4 or 5 guys playing with no net, there is a sense of urgency,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-mendoza/there-is-something-to-be-said-though-when-you-have-4-or-5-guys/) [Marco Mendoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-mendoza/) > [My Nirvana experience was much different than the other three guys. For me, it was really new and exciting. I was just a guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-smear/my-nirvana-experience-was-much-different-than-the-other-three-guys/) [Pat Smear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-smear/) > [I think my music has always been a mixture, depending on whom I'm working with - what band, what musicians, what producer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matisyahu/i-think-my-music-has-always-been-a-mixture-depending-on-whom-i-m/) [Matisyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matisyahu/) > [As you'll never hear the thing again, my boy, why not throw in a couple of brass bands?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/as-you-ll-never-hear-the-thing-again-my-boy-why-not-throw-in-a-couple/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [I've always made sure that I tour with bands that people aren't expecting me to tour with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayer-hawthorne/i-ve-always-made-sure-that-i-tour-with-bands-that-people-aren-t/) [Mayer Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayer-hawthorne/) > [There is more to me than just having been in the Runaways. And even though I'm really, really proud of what the band accomplished,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-fuchs/there-is-more-to-me-than-just-having-been-in-the-runaways-and-even/) [Jackie Fuchs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-fuchs/) > [I like the bad-boy types. Generally the guy I'm attracted to is the guy in the club with all the tattoos and nail polish.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/i-like-the-bad-boy-types-generally-the-guy-i-m-attracted-to-is-the/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [Bass guitar is the engine of the band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzi-quatro/bass-guitar-is-the-engine-of-the-band/) [Suzi Quatro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzi-quatro/) > [I just became accustomed to being all the members of the band. That was something that was really exciting to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-collier/i-just-became-accustomed-to-being-all-the-members-of-the-band-that/) [Jacob Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-collier/) > [I guess because we're essentially a two-man band, we're attracting Wham's crowd. But Wham! are more of a businessman's band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curt-smith/i-guess-because-we-re-essentially-a-two-man-band-we-re-attracting/) [Curt Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curt-smith/) > [I'm about as privileged as you can get. I'm a white, male, heterosexual front man of a rock band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-reynolds/i-m-about-as-privileged-as-you-can-get-i-m-a-white-male-heterosexual/) [Dan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-reynolds/) > [I'd been playing in bands for something like seven years at this point. And we were always trying to get ahead, trying to rehearse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aerosmith/i-d-been-playing-in-bands-for-something-like-seven-years-at-this/) [Aerosmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aerosmith/) > [Metallica's the only band i've ever been in. I'm not sure that when it ends in five, ten years, I'm going to put an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/metallica-s-the-only-band-i-ve-ever-been-in-i-m-not-sure-that-when-it/) [Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/) [Browse all 6,497 Band quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/band/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You've got to have a gimmick if your band sucks.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gary Giddins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-giddins/you-ve-got-to-have-a-gimmick-if-your-band-sucks/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Band" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-giddins/you-ve-got-to-have-a-gimmick-if-your-band-sucks/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eee/gary-giddins-25694_music-making_you-ve-got-to-have-a-gimmick-if-your-ban_1314244.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eee/gary-giddins-25694_music-making_you-ve-got-to-have-a-gimmick-if-your-ban_1314244.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eee/gary-giddins-25694_music-making_you-ve-got-to-have-a-gimmick-if-your-ban_1314244.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You've got to have a gimmick if your band sucks.” — Gary Giddins", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Gary Giddins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-giddins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You've got to have a gimmick...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-giddins/you-ve-got-to-have-a-gimmick-if-your-band-sucks/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-giddins/you-ve-got-to-have-a-gimmick-if-your-band-sucks/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```