What makes a good gig poster?

[EricAnton]

Hello all,

Im currently a student at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and I'm doing a project focusing on gig posters. As part of such, I'm trying to define as specifically as possible, what are gig posters? Are they advertisement or art? What criteria must it meet to be considered a gig poster, rather than a commercial run-of-the-mill everyday poster? Or do you even see a difference? And most importantly, how do you define a good gig poster?

Any thoughts on the subject would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
-EJ

[VonDada]

If you can read the Headliner, Date and Venue from a passing car, it's a good gigposter.

[slidingpast]

I think you've come to the right place.

[mikeage]

i thought the idea was "if you can't read it or understand it then it's not for you, square"

[dennyschmickle]

this is going to be good.

[mikeage]

and a gig poster would advertise a specific gig or series of gigs, where a poster might advertise a band in general or a movie or some sexy angel from the 70's.

[EricAnton]

If you can read the Headliner, Date and Venue from a passing car, it's a good gigposter.

so you base the success of a poster solely on its promotional abilities? Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it true that some of these posters were made after the show happened?

[DWITT]

You make an awful lot of assumptions for someone trying to learn something.

[Sash]

If you have to ask what makes a good gigposter...

[dennyschmickle]

It's a fair question, but (obviously) there are many, many answers.
Amazing psychedelic posters were almost un-readable, but they're great posters.