Metal musician = Clown?

the ombudsman · #1 08-31-2004, 12:48 PM

I love metal. I love many kinds of music, too. But when you pick up, say, Metal Maniacs or something like that, all I see is pic after pic after pic of what look like sad/angry clowns.

Why do many metal bands have to wear silly costumes/masks/make-up? Why do they all look sad/evil/angry? Why don't they let the music do the talking? Is it because for most of them, they lack talent in the musical department?

I have a speed/death metal band (think old Death and Pestilence), yet I'm clean-cut, don't wear leather or inverted crosses (I do have a couple tattoos and I often dress in black, but this has nothing to do with my taste for metal). Does that make me less metal?

It's not surprising metal is not taken seriously by so many people. Most bands look so childish and ridiculous...

Squidfinger · #2 08-31-2004, 12:53 PM

You're not alone Ombudsman. I too look down on bands that rely heavily on makeup, spikes and such. Too me being a metal musician is just wearing a band T-shirt and playing hard.

PS. I am a GWAR fan, there's an exception to every rule. But for bands like Slipknot and their like, Bah!!!

the ombudsman · #3 08-31-2004, 12:55 PM

Yeah, I know what you mean. I loved Immortal, though they looked like evil clowns from Hell.

**baba** · #4 08-31-2004, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the ombudsman

Why do many metal bands have to wear silly costumes/masks/make-up? Why do they all look sad/evil/angry? Why don't they let the music do the talking?

It's not surprising metal is not taken seriously by so many people. Most bands look so childish and ridiculous...

This has been a major hurdle for me and metal. That and cookie monster vocals. Our guitarist is a clean cut finance guy that knows damn near the entire popular metal catalog note for note. Although we play different music, he and the drummer will rip into Slayer or something and it's just beautiful to see/hear the dichotomy.

McHack · #5 08-31-2004, 01:00 PM

IMHO, the only people who should be allowed to wearing Metal make up are:

1) The Kiss members - C'mon, Ace Frehley is one ugly dude, we need SOMETHING to cover his ugly mug just to make him look normal...

2) Alice Cooper

That's all!

Mon Rominee · #6 08-31-2004, 01:07 PM

It's a viscious cycle. FOr metal it seems it didn't gain anywhere near it's popularity potential until Kiss came along. There's your makeup...

then the genre became more established, and people took notice at the same time as more un-make-uped bands came onto the scene, and the music DID the talking...then came glam metal and ruined the whole shebang...

and then the alterna grunge came into the forefront and wiped clean the slate powdered by the glam metal boys...

And things were bad for metal, once again relegated to the underground....

Then boy bands and in the interim a general disdain from the MTV viewing public in re: to metal pretty much shut the door for true metal's chance to regain prominence...

And that's where the Slipknot / Mushroomhead type bands come in. What's sadder than how these guys look is the point in their career they decided or sucumbed to the fact that that was the only way to get noticed. Hence Mudvayne.

We all KNOW the general music buying masses are all into image over substance, so there you go. I know the guys in Slipknot can play. But would they have been nearly as popular if they didn't look like idiots?

Ifrit84 · #7 08-31-2004, 01:14 PM

Metal is about music, not faces or makeup. Music as a whole is focused way to much on "Pop" or "Image". People that market themselves as well as music are doing music more harm than good. Good moneywise, not so good when people listen to a band/singer just because of the image they see.

Peoples ugly mugs need to stay out of music, period. (Even if they are "pretty")

jive1 · #8 08-31-2004, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the ombudsman

I love metal. I love many kinds of music, too. But when you pick up, say, Metal Maniacs or something like that, all I see is pic after pic after pic of what look like sad/angry clowns.

Why do many metal bands have to wear silly costumes/masks/make-up? Why do they all look sad/evil/angry?

Yeah, can't we go back to the days of big hair, spandex and ripped t-shirts.

vbass · #9 08-31-2004, 01:38 PM

All that the makeup/costumes do is make me laugh. It's a joke and a lot of times even if I tend to like the band's music, the ridiculous stage presense can put me off.
I wear the same shiz on stage (jeans/tshirt) as I do offstage. That's more metal to me than putting on any number of leather pants/black robes/steel boots, etc.

It's really too bad that 'most' people's impression of metal is the cartoonish crap they see on MTV, but I guess that holds true for most genres.

the ombudsman · #10 08-31-2004, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jive1

Yeah, can't we go back to the days of big hair, spandex and ripped t-shirts.

Not that it's any better...

Matt Till · #11 08-31-2004, 02:08 PM

It all comes from Metal fans (most of them) obsession with "scary" movies. Metal? me likey much much.

jive1 · #12 08-31-2004, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the ombudsman

Not that it's any better...

OK how about we go back a little further, and we could go with leather pants and shirts with ruffles, and men who wear silk scarves.

keb · #13 08-31-2004, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baba

This has been a major hurdle for me and metal. That and cookie monster vocals.

Whenever I hear the cookie monster vocals kick in I just start laughing. Maybe I just don't get it.

Osama_Spears · #14 08-31-2004, 04:12 PM

Because if everyone wore "normal" clothes we wouldn't be able to tell them apart

vbass · #15 08-31-2004, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keb

Whenever I hear the cookie monster vocals kick in I just start laughing. Maybe I just don't get it.

I can understand why most people dislike that type of vocals. It really was an acquired taste for me as well. Though, I must admit that once I started liking it, I REALLY ended up liking that style of vocals. I think it's just another evolvement.

bryan bailey · #16 08-31-2004, 06:29 PM

Mr. Bungle........

Wait a minute... Nevermind.

Zlartibartfast · #17 08-31-2004, 06:45 PM

"Clowns need Love too"
Red Skelton

puttz buster · #18 08-31-2004, 06:48 PM

Unfortunately, people get sucked into the physical image rather than consentrating on the music, even the artists, trying to look big and mean. I totally agree with you obudsman.
R.I.P chuck.

Coutts_is_god · #19 08-31-2004, 08:38 PM

I love older Heavy metal.

All the heavy metal songs I write, are SO Spinal Tap.

Wildside · #20 08-31-2004, 09:46 PM

I think it's lame when bands in any genre don't have an image. I don't particularly care for the skinny-tie nu-wave 80s pop image, but at least there was a look. I'm tired of bands that get onstage in unmatched street clothes. When I go to a show I want to see a spectacle, something larger than life, not some regular dude. I don't really like the image of bands like mudvayne,or slipknot but at least they have a look worked out and that's cool in my opinion. I prefer when metal bands at least do the bare minimum and put on some cool black leather or something.