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Bands That Like to Play Dress-Up / TK
Music | March 3, 2009 | Comments (46)
You know what one of my favorite things is? Showmanship. I love good music, I do. I also love some not-so-good music, and one of the things that can help get past a mediocre band, particularly live, is showmanship. In music, one of the most intriguing things are bands that get into playing dress-up. I don’t mean faux-hawks and artfully ripped jeans. I don’t mean glam-metal mascara and hairspray. I mean bands that do not fuck around, and get into full costume as a part of their act (sometimes even giving themselves ridiculous fake names). It breathes a new life into their act, something that adds more visual to their acumen. It’s sometimes stupid. It’s sometimes misdirection, so you don’t notice how crappy they are. But also, it’s fun.
As a general rule, however, these bands tend to run towards the metal side of the spectrum. I’ll try to make this as balanced as possible, but expect a fair amount of bangin’. Also, before anyone starts to bitch - this is a list of bands that I like. Therefore, Kiss was left off.
So with that in mind, here are my favorite bands that like to play dress-up.
Gwar — Oh, Gwar. You provide endless metal amusement. The irony about Gwar is, despite their horrific prosthetics, including giant spikes, demon faces, armor and freakishly disturbing fake monster phalluses, their music is not really that heavy. But Goddamn if it isn’t fantastically entertaining. Gwar takes themselves deliciously seriously, and with names like Balsac the Jaws of Death and my favorite former member, Sexecutioner. I saw Gwar once in high school, and let me tell you, you haven’t lived until you’ve had a man dressed in a giant spiked helmet and a freaky-monster codpiece vomit fake blood all over you. With their costumes representing some sort of strange post-apocalyptic mutant / Deadite hybrid, they are true entertainers, and their live shows seemmore like deranged musical theater than a concert. It truly is something to be experienced before you die.
“School’s Out”
Aquabats! — And so I ask you: Does the world really need a ska-synth-pop-punk band that dresses like cut-rate superheroes and claim they’re trying to save the world? I think we can all agree that there are really only two words needed to answer that question. “Fuck” and “Yes”. Like Gwar, the Aquabats! (exclamation point mandatory, thank you very much) often stage silly-ass fake battles during their live performances. They’re certainly not the most talented band in the world, but they are a hell of a lot of fun.
“Fashion Zombies”
Marilyn Manson — My guiltiest of guilty pleasures. I admit it. I love Marilyn Manson. Their records are hit or miss, but AntiChrist Superstar, Mechanical Animals and The Golden Age of the Grotesque are all standout efforts in the industrial / metal / whatever-the-fuck genres. But I still maintain that Manson (nee Brian Hugh Warner) is a talented musician with a gift for theatrics and drawing attention. He’s also an arrogant, self-aggrandizing twerp, but the man knows how to put on a show. His disturbing affinity for pancake makeup, scary contact lenses, back braces and burlesque, creates a freakish persona that I find endlessly amusing, and has made him the pseudo-king of the goths, as well as a frequent target for fundies with too much time on their hands. And they can rock out pretty intensely, too.
“The Nobodies”
Devo — Devo’s a blast from the past who are far more than their hit, “Whip It.” They’re actually a scathingly intelligent, darkly satirical group with a series of sharp, anti-establishment, anti-consumerist messages that frequently get lost in their goofy-assed getups. But their peculiar brand of New Wave art-pop is smart, interesting and best of all, pretty damned good. On top of that is their penchant for costume, ranging from their trademark flower pot helmets and yellow pseudo-hazmat suits, to wigs and other accoutrement.
“Gates of Steel
Slipknot — Slipknot is an interesting case. A balls-out metalcore band that sometimes (mistakenly) gets tossed in with the awful wave of nu-metal that came in the last ten years, their getups present an unusual situation. They claim that their outfits - matching, nondescript jumpsuit uniforms and demented masks are there to allow less focus on the individuals. As lead singer Corey Taylor said, “It’s our way of becoming more intimate with the music. It’s a way for us to become unconscious of who we are and what we do outside of music.” Unfortunately, I’m calling bullshit. Don’t get me wrong, I like the gimmick. But I believe that it is a gimmick. It’s about drawing people in based initially on your visual style, and I think I’d respect them more if they owned up to that. Regardless, Slipknot has some decent stuff out there.
“Psychosocial”
Goblin Cock — These guys are relatively new to me, as I just saw them a couple of weeks ago and ended up picking up their albums, Bagged and Boarded and Come With Me If You Want To Live. I was actually surprised by how much I liked them. Fronted by Rob Crow of Pinback, they play a weird mix of sword-and-sorcery metal, give themselves names like Bane Ass-Pounder and Larben The Druid, and sing songs about everything from Snuffleupagus to Japanese monster movies. They’re not going to change the world anytime soon, but they’re fun. They’re also very strange. When I was waiting in between sets for them to come on, I noted to someone how odd it was that their roadies wore matching uniforms. Turns out, those weren’t roadies. That was the band, setting up their gear. They then went in back, changed, and came out in full black wizard robes with hoods and cowled faces. To which I say: Awesome.
“Stumped”
Daft Punk — Ah, you crazy French bastards! First and foremost: Daft Punk fucking rocks. Their incredibly infectious, brilliantly orchestrated house / electronica is complex and wholly addictive. To keep things interesting, they’re also notorious for rarely giving interviews, and rarely allowing people to see their real faces. For the most part, you’ll see the duo of Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo in their jumpsuits and spaceman headgear, and in videos, they’re frequently shown as animated characters, if at all.
“Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger”
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes — The Gimmes are simple creatures, really. One of those ubiquitous side project supergroups, the band is made up of members of NOFX, Lagwagon, the Foo Fighters and the Swingin’ Utters. They only play covers, and they usually choose songs that are incongruous with their punk rock stylings. Their outfits change from album to album and show to show, but they’re usually decked out in matching gear that ranges from suits and fezzes, to cheerleader outfits to cowboy getups. Musically, they’re straightforward punk, but the humor is in their style and their choices of songs, which include covers of Cat Stevens, Whitney Houston, The Beach Boys and Barry Manilow.
“I Believe I Can Fly”
Lordi I’m going to let my friend Kelsi take this one, as she’s previously written about them:
In may of 2006, I went to one of the many weekly meetings (budgetary! staffing! special events! employee review!) at the music venue where I was a club manager and the talent buyer pulled me aside and said “oh my god, Kelsi, you have to hear these guys who won the Eurovision contest.” and I was like, “Eurovision contest? double-you tee eff? Also, I am hungover like a bitch.” Because that’s kind of the sort of job that it was. A little google action later, I found out that he was referring to Lordi.
I have always been a bit of a sucker for the show. Now, I may tell you that I’m not such a fan of, oh, say Gwar. or Children of Bodom. or Motorhead. but ask me about the best shows I saw during my tenure at that nightclub, and those are the kinds of names that will come up. And if there’s one thing you can say about Lordi, it’s that they appreciate the finer points of showmanship. So, anyway. in those dark days of 2006, iTunes was like “Lord-who? Finnish you say? Huh. Never heard of them.” So I resorted to some ahemfilesharing and was exposed to some of the most glorious rawk that has ever been. This is not music for lovin’. This is not music for thinkin’. Nor readin’, nor anything else for which you might want a musical backdrop. This is monster rock, and it requires your full attention.
“Would You Love a Monsterman?”
MF Doom, aka Doom, aka King Gheedorah, is a rapper, producer and all-around weirdo. But an immensely talented weirdo. A multi-talented artist with a penchant for psuedonyms and masks based on Marvel Comics villains, he’s been a member of a mess of projects (MadVillain, DangerDoom, King Geedorah to name a few). He gets his rocks off rapping about everything from Adult Swim to homelessness to Godzilla movies. His beats are incredible and his lyrics walk the line between brilliant and insane. For a real head trip, check out DangerDoom, his collaboration with super producer Danger Mouse.
“Dead Bent”
Björk — Don’t even try to tell me Björk doesn’t belong on this list. Sure, playing dress-up may not be her schtick. It may not be a part of her persona in the way that it is for the gentlemen from Gwar. But Björk is fucking insane, people. She attacks reporters. She wore a fucking swan to the Oscars. And those aren’t the weirdest things she’s done! Now musically, Björk is actually rather brilliant. She’s not terribly accessible, musically speaking, but her vocal and songrwriting talents are nothing short of breathtaking. Coupled with her whackadoo fashion sense, Bjork is a force to be reckoned with.
“I’ve Seen It All”
So there you have it — 11 bands who revel in not just the music, but the theatricality of costume. Showmanship, people!
TK can often be found staggering around his back yard, wishing for a zombie attack and shouting at leaves. He studies the dark arts of cheeseburger-making and cultivating the Merciless Pepper of Quetzlzacatenango. He wastes valuable time at Uncooked Meat.
Comments
Posted by: courtney 2 at March 3, 2009 12:24 PM
One word: Turbonegro.
Posted by: frumpiefox at March 3, 2009 12:40 PM
I know it was a phase, but come on:
Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
Posted by: PaddyDog at March 3, 2009 12:51 PM
Oh and you forgot to mention that Bjork's mother was on hunger strike for several weeks to stop Iceland building a dam or something (you know, back before Iceland had to sign on to welfare) so right there, the admirable crazy is compounded and genetically verified.
Posted by: PaddyDog at March 3, 2009 12:54 PM
Good stuff! God I love Bjork. I'm wondering if Gnarls Barkley might not deserve a mention here. In their case, that of Devo and that of Bjork, aren't we seeing bands who like to push the boat out sonically? The act of changing yourself is akin to taking on different personas in music.
Posted by: Caspar at March 3, 2009 12:58 PM
I love Me First and the Gimme Gimmies so much. Also the Aquabats.
My love of Daft Punk extends past eros and Philia and goes headfirst into Agape.
Posted by: twig at March 3, 2009 1:10 PM
Hey! One of the Aquabat dudes is on "Yo Gabba Gabba" occasionally, not that I would know, because why would I watch a show geared toward toddlers? I mean, really.
Yooooooooo Gabba Gabba!
Posted by: Dustin Rowles at March 3, 2009 1:12 PM
Daft Punk makes even Kanye West withstandable.
God, I loved their anime vids. They may have been the reason I got into it in the first place.
Posted by: Vermillion at March 3, 2009 1:13 PM
Hey! One of the Aquabat dudes is on "Yo Gabba Gabba" occasionally, not that I would know, because why would I watch a show geared toward toddlers? I mean, really.
Don't you have a very young child, and therefore a convenient excuse?
Posted by: Vermillion at March 3, 2009 1:16 PM
DEVO was the newest new wave band when I first went to college in 1977 (shutup, I know I'm old). They played a concert at my college my first semester there. We listed to Whip It being broadcast repeatedly for half an hour, with video (it was new, what can I say) being projected on the backdrop. Then Devo came out and lipsynched to Whip It for half an hour, and repeated what they did in the video. Yeah, I wasn't impressed.
Posted by: BWeaves at March 3, 2009 1:20 PM
I would like to submit for your refusal:
Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine
Posted by: boo at March 3, 2009 1:31 PM
I agree on the Aquabats. I have only seen them on Yo Gabba Gabba. By the way, there are lots of folks clamoring to be on that show. I really like it and so does my two year old. They had the Ting-Tings on one time doing a cover of "Happy Birthday" by Altered Images. That sealed it for me.
Think Happy Thoughts!
Posted by: Forrest at March 3, 2009 1:36 PM
Being formerly in a band from Iowa, it pains me to see that Slipknot is the group that got signed. It took record companies to recognize 9 dudes in masks as "good." Quite honestly, there were better bands out there. I am so glad that record companies are dying.
Posted by: Jez at March 3, 2009 1:36 PM
Skinny Puppy makes GWAR look like poncy gits....
Posted by: jotthedot at March 3, 2009 1:43 PM
Boo: Seconded. Gorgeous camptastic music, frightening ensembles.
Is it bad that I only know of Gwar from Empire Records?
Posted by: Sweetie Dahling at March 3, 2009 1:46 PM
Personal anecdote:
I was in a band (for a brief time) called The T.U.R.D.S., which stands for Totally Unstoppable Rawin' Doom Squad. The lead singer was Dr. Piggy Plop, and the other band members were The Wizard, The Dark Lord, and Mr. Meow.
I was Sugar Dunette (dunette is French for 'poop deck') and did a take-off of Dolly's "9 to 5". Mine was called "5 to 9" and it was about the REAL working girls. If you know what I mean.
We also did a song about Tony Danza.
Check out the myspace page. Oh yeah. I'm in those videos. Can you spot me??
Posted by: boo at March 3, 2009 1:48 PM
Lordi must have the shittiest manager though, if the only gig they can get is playing in a forest to one little girl. That's a whole lotta Give'r for very little Get.
Posted by: Odnon at March 3, 2009 2:03 PM
In reference to the above post, I recommend listening to "Average Joe".
If, you know, you are inclined to click on strange links. Or whatever.
Posted by: boo at March 3, 2009 2:03 PM
Actually, on Yo Gabba Gabba, Plex the robot is voiced by Christian Jacobs, lead singer of The Aquabats. He's the co-creator of the whole damn show.
Posted by: Snath at March 3, 2009 2:43 PM
Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine
Posted by: boo at March 3, 2009 1:31 PM
Holy crap... I had no idea anyone had heard of them.
I loved GWAR when I was a kid, and I seem to recall liking Slipknot at some point as well. Marilyn Manson and Bjork? Love. Love love love. And Bjork is almost always in costume.... I've been listening lately to Medulla alot, I had forgotten how much I love it.
Posted by: Anna von Beaverplatz at March 3, 2009 2:45 PM
Addendum: My daughter is almost two and a half.
Posted by: Snath at March 3, 2009 2:45 PM
what about my favorite band from my hometown?
MUDVAYNE!
honestly, i've never heard any of their music. But I do believe they have been nominated for a grammy.
Hey Dustin, It's DANCYDANCE TIME!
Posted by: wsapnin at March 3, 2009 3:16 PM
GWAR are hometown boys. I went to see them play at a local and now sadly defunct club in high school and got totally soaked in that sticky theatrical blood mess. My mom was a little more than disturbed when I came home looking like Carrie, but I had to remind her she once attended an Alice Cooper show which featured a fake beheading.
Might I add the Scissor Sisters to the list? They've all got goofy pseudonyms (The best-BabyDaddy), wear flamboyant costumes, especially the lead singer Jake Shears, and employ giant fucking puppets in their stage shows.
Their music's pretty k-rad too.
Posted by: Alabamapink at March 3, 2009 3:33 PM
Headline is from DangerDoom.
Posted by: Recondite at March 3, 2009 3:54 PM
Recondite wins the nonexistent prize! Congrats. -TK
Posted by: TK at March 3, 2009 4:18 PM
Hell yeah on the Turbonegro. I'd also add the Misfits to the list. You know, back when they had Danzig and were badass.
Posted by: Mattfactor at March 3, 2009 4:35 PM
I followed that link to Gwar's fake monster phalluses, and I must say, that is a truly disturbing image.
Posted by: rlr260 at March 3, 2009 4:36 PM
I toyed with adding the Misfits, Mattfactor (especially since they are one of my all-time favorite bands), but at the end of the day, other than the devil locks and eye makeup, they weren't really that different from other punk bands.
That said, Legacy of Brutality remains one of my favorite albums of all time. -TK
Posted by: TK at March 3, 2009 4:39 PM
KISS > all of those bands combined. I think Marilyn Manson would agree.
Posted by: Dave at March 3, 2009 4:44 PM
Gwar is almost mainstream by now so I'll add another mainstream band to list: My Chemical Romance since the band pulled a St. Pepper's and performed as The Black Parade
Posted by: Kes at March 3, 2009 4:46 PM
My ex dated Joey Jordison for a while and she said that a lot of what the band says about themselves is just bullshit made up to project an image.
Posted by: Eep at March 3, 2009 5:19 PM
I'd throw in The Locust.
And Madvillainy owns everyone's soul.
Posted by: Benny at March 3, 2009 5:31 PM
Surely almost any performer from the past ten or so years of the Eurovision Song Contest would qualify for this list?
Also, do consider Leningrad Cowboys and The Mighty Boosh (I know, but still...).
Posted by: Spongie at March 3, 2009 5:51 PM
How about [b]Buckethead[/b]?
Posted by: Bucko at March 3, 2009 5:53 PM
Manson is NOT goth, thankyouverymuch.
Posted by: Nadha at March 3, 2009 6:28 PM
this is a list of bands that I like. Therefore, Kiss was left off.
Hahahahahahahaha! That made me smile. Loathe isn't a strong enough word for me.
Also, shout out for Lordi! I'm pretty sure that my death/thrash metal loving younger brother (18) is planning a trip to Finland for next winter, just to see Lordi. Sweeeeet!
Posted by: Songbird at March 3, 2009 7:12 PM
Might I add the Scissor Sisters to the list? They've all got goofy pseudonyms (The best-BabyDaddy), wear flamboyant costumes, especially the lead singer Jake Shears, and employ giant fucking puppets in their stage shows.
I love Ana Matronic. Their music can always put me in a better mood.
Posted by: Melody at March 3, 2009 8:52 PM
Ahahaha my brother got me hooked on GWAR back in high school. My favorite is still Fish Fuck. Or Saddam a Go-Go. Teehee.
Oh, and you can pretty much include any European Black Metal band in the dressing up category. I mean, have you seen the face makeup? And the outfits? The word homoerotic doesn't do them justice. I'm just saying.
Posted by: Quincy at March 3, 2009 8:53 PM
How can you compile a list like this and leave off TISM, with their classics "All Homeboys are Dickheads" and "He'll Never be an Old Man River (subtitle: I'm on the drug that killed River Phoenix)"?
Posted by: YeahButNoBut at March 4, 2009 3:18 AM
How can you compile a list like this and leave off TISM, with their classics "All Homeboys are Dickheads" and "He'll Never be an Old Man River (subtitle: I'm on the drug that killed River Phoenix)"?
Posted by: YeahButNoBut at March 4, 2009 3:18 AM
Google search for "visual kei"
Now those are some damn costumes.
Posted by: Lex at March 4, 2009 4:22 AM
Ah DangerDoom that album impacted me deeply, with a relentless hold on its spot in my rotation that lasted for months (even after a weeks long stint of compulsive over-listening)
Madvilliany is a bona-fied, dyed in the wool classic.
Gnarles Barkley features DangerMouse as well, and they do deserve to be on this list.
As an 'artsy' type (whatever that means) I appreciate the bands/acts that go the extra mile and make visuals an important part of their performances and product packaging. Flaming Lips blew my mind the first time I saw them.
MF DOOM's mask gimmick is seemingly born out of a degree of pain. if you read his backstory you'll understand that part. But it also serves to throw the focus onto the lyrics and beats, a return to a kind of hip hop purity.
I recently saw some rock/rap retards on Carson Daly that all wore similar masks and it made me want to puke.
Posted by: VinKong at March 4, 2009 8:32 AM
Wot? No residents?
Posted by: Thomas at March 4, 2009 10:31 AM
re: MF Doom AKA DOOM:
Just remember ALL CAPS when you spell the man name.
Posted by: FrontierP at March 4, 2009 4:44 PM
Slipknot is definitely not metalcore. Where's the hardcore influence? They don't have breakdowns, they don't have gang shouts, they don't even have "punk" type songs. They are firmly nu-metal.
Posted by: Rob at March 4, 2009 11:24 PM
"Oooh baby when you cry, your face is momentary. You hide your looks behind these scars."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP7wHOHYCdc
Not fully costumed, but looking the horrorshow part for sure.
Posted by: Recondite at March 5, 2009 6:02 PM
I used to date a man who lived with one of the members of Gwar. This guy was retired from touring and just worked at a local bar.
One night I was over at their house and asked about his girlfriend.
"What girlfriend?", he asked.
"The girl that was over yesterday." I replied.
"Oh, her", he said. "She's not my girlfriend. She just comes over and cleans some times."
Then he and my boyfriend burst out laughing. Despite not having been on the road for years, he had a harem of hot chicks who wanted to bang him, but that he would just make come over and do various chores like mopping or cleaning the tub. Apparently, part of the Gwar residuals is an unending stream of hot, desperate women willing to clean your house for sex.