Metal Question?

I agree Krokus my friend.

All I "have" to wear at work is a TSA approved vest and hart hat if I'm out of the truck. I get lots of comments on my shirts. One day it's a Harley shirt from New York City or Vegas, the next might be a Megadeth or a Stryper shirt. I got teased for my Neon Cross shirt.....only because it was kinda/sorta "small".

I applaud "both" those who sport the "look" and those who hold the "heart". If I could look "normal" wiith long hair again....Well, then it would be on. Mullets were/are lame but Skullets are worse. My old @$$ can go into a music shop and start jamming on a kit and youngsters will run into the drum room and I can watch thier faces change before my eyes. Here in Montana it happens alot. I did the "stoner/surfer/skater/metal" look in my youth and once I bega playing in a working band.....Normal jeans and t shirt stuff justfelt right. Over 70% (I suppose) of people I knew with long hair were musicians. So calling that a lifestyle is different from somebody who diidn't play was an honest assessment.

James B. wrote:

The arguement about earning good money and appearances doesn't always apply. I look like a "dirty biker" and earn more than our resident legal professional.

Depends on your field. In Corporate IT shops; no way the biker or metal looks fly for most companies. But like I said, I chose this field so I therefore chose to play by its rules. Others don't and that's fine for them but since I don't know how to drive a truck, IT it is for me.

tohostudios wrote:

James B. wrote:

The arguement about earning good money and appearances doesn't always apply. I look like a "dirty biker" and earn more than our resident legal professional.

Depends on your field. In Corporate IT shops; no way the biker or metal looks fly for most companies. But like I said, I chose this field so I therefore chose to play by its rules. Others don't and that's fine for them but since I don't know how to drive a truck, IT it is for me.

I understand that. Right now, I am sitting at home from my usual job due to weather, but I have somebody driving my "private" truck and get paid for it.
Sure there are responsibilty/liabiltiy issues but it is nice.

tohostudios wrote:

James B. wrote:

The arguement about earning good money and appearances doesn't always apply. I look like a "dirty biker" and earn more than our resident legal professional.

Depends on your field. In Corporate IT shops; no way the biker or metal looks fly for most companies. But like I said, I chose this field so I therefore chose to play by its rules. Others don't and that's fine for them but since I don't know how to drive a truck, IT it is for me.

It definitely applies to a field, as I'm currently driving a van for a company around the Chicago area. They have absolutely no problem with attire, as long as I'm not driving around half naked or wearing a speedo. Had I remained in the educational field, long hair and other metal accoutrements certainly would not not be permitted.

tohostudios wrote:

James B. wrote:

The arguement about earning good money and appearances doesn't always apply. I look like a "dirty biker" and earn more than our resident legal professional.

Depends on your field. In Corporate IT shops; no way the biker or metal looks fly for most companies. But like I said, I chose this field so I therefore chose to play by its rules. Others don't and that's fine for them but since I don't know how to drive a truck, IT it is for me.

Well, when I worked for AOL in the Tech Dev area you could get away with dressing metal! All the software developers and testers wore shorts and t-shirts all summer long!

Apple Inc doesn't have a dress code either, lots of metalheads and punks running around.

The metal look is cool but doesn't work for everybody. There are plenty of reasons I don't do it other than for the fact that I can't really pull it off (my friends don't dress like that, girls, job, etc.).

Since last April I've been growing my hair out but it's coming along so slow and really isn't working. It's naturally wavy, curly and poofy. Probably going to cut it all off soon, I'm tired of all the attempts at styling!

I dont begrudge those who like to dress 'metal' but i detest those who dress 'metal' saying that if i am not like them I am not a tr00 fan (whatever that means)

S.D. wrote:

Apple Inc doesn't have a dress code either, lots of metalheads and punks running around.

Did you ever get out to the Netscape campus back in the day? Even more laid back than the AOL Dulles campus!

tohostudios wrote:

James B. wrote:

The arguement about earning good money and appearances doesn't always apply. I look like a "dirty biker" and earn more than our resident legal professional.

Depends on your field. In Corporate IT shops; no way the biker or metal looks fly for most companies. But like I said, I chose this field so I therefore chose to play by its rules. Others don't and that's fine for them but since I don't know how to drive a truck, IT it is for me.

We have a loose dress code here. Black cargo pants and either a black polo shirt or sweater is my uniform of choice. We're not supposed to wear jeans, but I do on occasion without any repercutions. I can count on one hand the times I've had to wear a tie. And because I'm part of the creative dept., we get cut some slack. You know how those weird, artsy types are. Long hair, earrings, facial hair doesn't seem to be an issue. Sales people might have it different.

I have alot of respect for those who work in offices. I couldn't do it, call it "stir crazy" or whatever.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

We have a loose dress code here. Black cargo pants and either a black polo shirt or sweater is my uniform of choice. We're not supposed to wear jeans, but I do on occasion without any repercutions. I can count on one hand the times I've had to wear a tie. And because I'm part of the creative dept., we get cut some slack. You know how those weird, artsy types are. Long hair, earrings, facial hair doesn't seem to be an issue. Sales people might have it different.

Same here. I'm not in the "creative" dept. but since I don't deal with our beloved public I can come in wearing pretty much whatever I want and nobody cares. Today I'm sportin' a NJ Devils sweatshirt and black jeans.

Back to the "why don't people in the U.S. dress metal anymore?" question though... I can't speak for anybody else, but in my case it kinda happened like this: all thru high school and college I rocked the denim jacket or leather MC w/my vest w/patches, always wore concert shirts, etc. As I went through my 20's those concert shirts started getting worn out so they were thrown away and since I wasn't going to as many concerts at that point in my life, I never got new ones to replace them.

I also put on a bunch of weight during the same period and grew another inch or two post-college as well so after a while the denim and leather jackets didn't fit right anymore either. Once again, I never bothered to replace those with new ones. I had more important stuff to spend my money on, like food and rent.

Nowadays my wardrobe still consists mainly of jeans and t-shirts, but there are only a couple of band shirts in my closet (both of which are Iron Maiden), the rest are various sports teams, places I've visited, etc.

So it's not like I ever made a conscious decision to quit "dressing metal," just that all of my stuff became victims of the march of time and middle age spread.

Fat Freddy wrote:

MetalGuy71 wrote:

We have a loose dress code here. Black cargo pants and either a black polo shirt or sweater is my uniform of choice. We're not supposed to wear jeans, but I do on occasion without any repercutions. I can count on one hand the times I've had to wear a tie. And because I'm part of the creative dept., we get cut some slack. You know how those weird, artsy types are. Long hair, earrings, facial hair doesn't seem to be an issue. Sales people might have it different.

Same here. I'm not in the "creative" dept. but since I don't deal with our beloved public I can come in wearing pretty much whatever I want and nobody cares. Today I'm sportin' a NJ Devils sweatshirt and black jeans.

Working in a sports arena has that advantage too. I can wear a hockey or lacrosse jersey to work and noone would bat an eye. And when the ice is down, from September till April or May, the building temp is set just above "witch's tit". I'm often sporting a windbreaker as well.

Fat Freddy wrote:

So it's not like I ever made a conscious decision to quit "dressing metal," just that all of my stuff became victims of the march of time and middle age spread.

Exactly.

I have a few band shirts, but not too many...mostly Beatles, actually.

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

Fat Freddy wrote:

So it's not like I ever made a conscious decision to quit "dressing metal," just that all of my stuff became victims of the march of time and middle age spread.

Exactly.

I have a few band shirts, but not too many...mostly Beatles, actually.

That pretty much sums it up for me too. When my car was broken into at a show and my denim jacket was stolen, I just never bothered replacing it. Concert shirts got too small & worn out.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

Fat Freddy wrote:

So it's not like I ever made a conscious decision to quit "dressing metal," just that all of my stuff became victims of the march of time and middle age spread.

Exactly.

I have a few band shirts, but not too many...mostly Beatles, actually.

That pretty much sums it up for me too. When my car was broken into at a show and my denim jacket was stolen, I just never bothered replacing it. Concert shirts got too small & worn out.

...not to mention expensive. The last time I bought a concert tee was when I saw Maiden in '08 and I think I paid $40 for the damn thing. Curse Derek Riggs and his irresistible artwork!!!

Why does "long hair" have anything to do with just being a metal thing ?

Growing up where and when I did, most long hair dudes were not even associated with metal. They were hippies, surfers, stoners, bikers and of course musicians. Most musicians with long hair that I knew and jammed with played music that wasn't even considered metal/hard rock even back then.

James B. wrote:

Why does "long hair" have anything to do with just being a metal thing ?

Growing up where and when I did, most long hair dudes were not even associated with metal. They were hippies, surfers, stoners, bikers and of course musicians. Most musicians with long hair that I knew and jammed with played music that wasn't even considered metal/hard rock even back then.

Why does any part of a person's appearance have anything to do with just being a metal thing? That's the whole point some of us have been trying to make in this thread.

If it's true that not all people with long hair are "metal", it only follows that not all people with short (or no)hair are NOT metal. Same thing with attire.

I get my shirts off ebay if i can find them cheap enough.Is $16 for a metal shirt a decent price?I see them on ebay for $15 to $18.

speed101 wrote:

I get my shirts off ebay if i can find them cheap enough.Is $16 for a metal shirt a decent price?I see them on ebay for $15 to $18.

That sounds like a decent enough price to me provided they don't shrink to a size that only fits an infant after you wash them. And if the printing doesn't start flaking off after several washes.

James B. wrote:

The arguement about earning good money and appearances doesn't always apply. I look like a "dirty biker" and earn more than our resident legal professional.

Especially for people like me. Even if I had short hair, no facial hair, and wore nice clothes there is no way for me to make big money (maybe if I hadn't wasted my G.I. Bill on a business degree I never finished). My only hope to make good money is to be a mechanic (which has thus failed), stay in warehouse work (which doesn't pay much money but may work as I'm learning how to drive a forklift), or go back into retail (which I hated and worked so hard at getting out of). I will cut my hair (just short enough to wet back and hide it's true length) when I search for a new job but I will grow them back out once a job is attained (providing there are no dress code rules that prohibits it-I don't think there are any in warehouse or automotive). Luckily in my current temp job I can wear jeans t-shirts, and keep my hair and beard.

People of any sort (especially metal/hard rock fans) should be able to wear what they want and not be accused of not being true. I think the pants hanging past your ass look is stupid but if you want to wear that and still listen to metal then I'm not going to accuse you of being a poser. I personally wear the jeans and t-shirts because I feel most comfortable (I usually feel like collared shirts are a noose around my neck and slacks are usally too tight. Also when I tuck shirts in I look like my waist is almost at gut level (plus t-shirts hide my ever growing belly).

I have my hair long because I like the way I look like it and I don't like how I look like with short hair. I also like the feel of my hair hanging down, blowing in the wind, and it somehow lessens neck pain when I headbang (plus headbanging with short hair looks rediculous-but some would argue headbanging looks that way no matter what-but I still like to do it). I like the facial hair because I look too young without it, I have a rash on my upper lip that gets bad unless I shave every day and I hate shaving every day. I also wear the leater jackets, studded belts, and spiked wrist bands because I like the way they look. None of it because I feel that I have to 'look metal'.

*Doublechecks* Thought I just posted in this thread. Huh. Anyhow I can only speak for myself although I would suspect it is the same for many others. Simply put I got on with life. I have no desire to be a walking stereotype nor do I have a desire to "make a statement" that I listen to a genre of music. Then again I didn't really ever get into the whole group conformity deal to begin with, my style as a youth was a cross between "skater" and rivethead despite listening to metal almost exclusively. These days I look like Mike Ness or Jesse James. It isn't to make a statement or fly some vague flag. I find Dickies work pants more comfortable than jeans, prefer workboots over most shoes and wifebeaters can't be beat in 100 degree heat.

I never got the whole "Trekki" thing in Metal anyways where if you enjoy the music you have to dress, look and act a certain way. It's a form of music, it's not a "style of dress."

I read the whole thread and I think it got a bit derailed.

speed101 wrote:

Why is there not more Metalheads that look metal in the us as opposed to europe and such conutries?

When u festivals like Keep It True,Heavy Metal Maniacs festival and other festivals in Europeon countries theres tons of metalheads who look very metal like i listed above.Why is it so much different there as opposed to here?

I think this is mostly about young people. It's not what you (we?) in your 30s and 40s wear to the office. Most of big rock festival audiences are made up of kids between 18-25.

And to answer the ORIGINAL question - why do MOST OF the festival goers in Europe look more metal than in the US is simply because it's cooler to do so in Europe. It's not like kids put that much thought in it. Metal is quite mainstream in Germany and Scandinavia and if it increases your chances of getting laid, you go for it.