Rock and heavy metal music has had a long history with makeup. We can trace it back to the glam rock period of the 1970s, which, in turn, evolved into the metal scene (in terms of showmanship). Bands like KISS, the New York Dolls, and Alice Cooper decided that makeup would be an important part of their performance and persona. The line linking those theatrical acts forged in the 1970s to contemporary black metal bands, such as Ghost or Gorgoroth, today is not always a linear one, but there are ways we can signpost it.
Of course, the difference between those bands in the 1970s and contemporary ones is stark, both in the aesthetic sense and the purpose of the cosplay. In the 1970s, it was all about the feminine sexualization of male performers to create the idea of provocativeness. Whereas today, there is more emphasis on the concepts like horror, the occult, satanism, and so on. Certainly, the goal remains to shock the audience. We are told that modern audiences are less sensitive, but that is only partly true. Audiences were shocked in the 1970s when the androgynous David Bowie appeared on stage, but consider that there is still pearl-clutching when acts like Sam Smith do similar today. The point, as such, is that sexualization and feminization still shocks, but rock music itself has veered away from it.
Inspiration drawn from folk horror like Day of Dead
Certainly, there is no blueprint for the costume and theatrics that a metal band should follow today, although there is a commonality of theme. Some veer toward the ‘death’ makeup that one might associate with el dia de los Muertos, the mainly Mexican celebration on All Souls Day. The traditional skull and death face, which can be seen in horror-themed games such as Day of Dead, has been largely extrapolated across many black metal bands, although each will have its own spin on it. This is not exactly a modern idea, however, and we can look back at Iron Maiden’s Eddie as an interpretation of this, even if Bruce Dickinson and co didn’t want to wear makeup or masks on stage.
Over the last half century, music experts have thrown up a variety of reasons for the embracing of such personas. One common theme, however, is that it helps with merchandising and marketability. The likes of KISS knew exactly what they were doing when they donned the white and black face paint. It helped the band sell everything from lunch boxes to t-shirts. In 1983, KISS decided to remove the makeup before launching Lick It Up. It instantly made the band less recognizable. Does anyone picture KISS without their makeup today? A bit of eyeliner or full face paint helped to cultivate a marketable persona; everyone from Bowie to Bolan, Osborne to Cooper knew this.
And yet, metal bands today don’t tend to appear on lunch boxes. You might buy a T-shirt at a Gorgorth concert, but you won’t get merchandising to the same degree. Bands claim other reasons for the makeup and the masks. Theatrics, yes, and the desire to put on a show. But some claim the makeup puts a focus on the music, not the people behind it. In a sense, the bands of the 1970s put on makeup to put the spotlight on their personas, whereas bands today use it to create a sense of anonymity. These are generalizations, of course, and there are always going to be exceptions to the rule. But broadly speaking, that rule is followed.
Gwar understood that stage makeup offered a chance to rock on
Of course, none of that is to say that stage makeup doesn’t attract attention to the performance and the performers. One of the best examples is Gwar, the Virginian metal band where each member takes on a mythological persona. Gwar’s theatrics and storytelling is at least as important as the music. However, here’s the kicker: it still afford the anonymity that we mentioned above. We can say this because Gwar has had no fewer than 24 members of the band since its formation in 1984. It has none of its founding members in the band (since the death of Dave Brockie), and that has allowed the focus to be taken off the men and women behind the masks.
All of this also points at an undeniable truth: rock bands have always had stage personas that help to cultivate an image that may not be true in real life. They are playing characters, and they may use those characters to sell merchandise or provide the backdrop for a stage performance. The reasons and the means may vary, but the evolution over the last 50 years has led to some remarkable storytelling. In an era where metal and all music are threatened by artificial intelligence, we should remember that the art of rock extends to how it looks, not just how it sounds. Such a large part of that is shock, horror, and sensuality.