We hear from some of the city's leading musicians to discover how they choose their outfits for the stage...
Ever since Mozart first donned silk stockings, the relationship between music and fashion has been symbiotically interlinked. Whether you’re a flapper or a rapper, a mod or a rocker, into goth, grunge, punk or rave music, the tunes you listen to can influence the way you dress, and vice versa. Deciding what to wear on stage, therefore, is sometimes just as important as getting your setlist song-perfect, or making sure your instruments are in tune. We caught up with some of Notts most iconic musicians to find out more about how they dress for the stage…
Harleighblu
How does what you wear play a part in getting you ready for the stage?
It plays a huge part in my confidence on stage - I very much put on a show and I want to feel worthy of all the eyes on me. I’m a live performer and I am known for my stage presence, so my style has a lot to do with how I feel when I play.
Every show is an excuse to wear the latest crazy piece I’ve found too - whether it's a giant Jamiroquai style fluffy hat or cow print platform boots. Whatever it is, it's usually funk inspired.
What's one of your favourite outfits for performing in?
The wilder the better. For my last show I wore thigh-high, seventies-style white cowboy boots, an American style denim hot pant playsuit and zebra print cowboy hat. My dreadlocks are blonde and about 33 inches long, which I think adds to the overall look. I felt like the funkadelic soulstress that I am that day!
Describe your style in three words…
Vintage, sassy and funky.
Bone Cult
How does what you wear play a part in getting you ready for the stage?
Our masks are the most important part of our stage outfits and we wouldn’t play a show without them. It’s important because when the mask is on you stop being who you are in everyday life, and become anonymous. So when we are playing a show it isn’t about who is wearing the mask anymore - we just become part of a visual experience.
What's one of your favourite outfits for performing in?
The masks are always to be worn with black jeans, black jacket - no exceptions. Footwear can be open to some variety of Dr. Martens or Nike Air Max (black only). We’ve experimented with some more punk-rock aesthetics in the past, for instance leather jackets by Killstar that were literally covered in studs. The sheer weight of the hundreds of studs made performing even more physical.
Describe your style in three words…
Urban. Obsidian. Monochromatic.
Aeris Houlihan - Witch of the East
How does what you wear play a part in getting you ready for the stage?
I think the outfit is a key part for any performance artist. Whether that's going on stage or shooting a music video, it's an extension of how you want to present your art/music. I tend to think of a piece of art as a form in a large pitch black room. The more the creator does to help the viewers see the full form of their art the better. It's like giving viewers a torch but it can only be moved a bit at a time. The more you enhance the viewer's experience of taking in your art the more they can move that torch.
What's one of your favourite outfits for performing in?
It used to be a wedding dress that I dyed greyish. It's the one I wore in the music video Fools Paradise. Unfortunately, when I was put in prison abroad a family member threw it in the bin. Having said that, I currently wear a big black cotton coat with a huge hood. I like the fact that no-one can see my face on stage anymore, hiding under a hood and appearing dramatic in the dark. I struggle with things like body dysmorphia so this can be a good way to circumvent that by taking certain elements out of the equation, allowing me to just focus on my performance. It seems to fit our aesthetic well.
Describe your style in three words…
To quote what people have said to me: scary, black, sermonic.
Stage outfits are so important because they almost transform you into a more powerful, theatrical version of yourself
Brother Bill - Church of the Cosmic Skull
How does what you wear play a part in getting you ready for the stage?
All elements of our regalia endow the wearer with total spiritual magnetism and charisma, especially the Cosmic Talisman and Sigil of Septagrammaton - available exclusively from our website…
What's one of your favourite outfits for performing in?
The Cosmic cloth must be white in colour and of the finest weave - this represents enlightenment, promotes chakral cleanliness, and strikes fear into the hearts of non-believers.
Describe your style in three words…
Not a cult.
Tiger Cohen - Divorce
How does what you wear play a part in getting you ready for the stage?
I think I feel a certain regeneration when I alter my appearance for performing. I feel far away from myself, totally refreshed and new; I think the separation helps me to let go of insecurities. I think it gives me agency over how the audience will perceive me, plus a shameless outfit can evoke a bit of intrigue, I hope. That kind of control is something I’ve always admired in other performers, and fashion is always a part of a musician's persona, even if it's understated. I don’t tend to talk much on stage so my outfits are a big part of what I offer.
What's one of your favourite outfits for performing in?
I know it’s not really an outfit but I have these black cowboy boots that I love to wear on stage, they’re very pointy and perhaps teeter on the edge of uncool, but I think most of my outfits are like that; I tend to go for what I like rather than thinking about how it will fit with other clothes I own. I also have some red gogo boots that I am definitely going to wear on the upcoming Divorce UK tour, so if that interests you please buy tickets?
Describe your style in three words…
Impulsive, alt-country and camp.
Molly Godber - Babe Punch
How does what you wear play a part in getting you ready for the stage?
Stage outfits are so important because they almost transform you into a more powerful, theatrical version of yourself. It’s like creating a character - it gives you ten-times more confidence than you would have otherwise!
What's one of your favourite outfits for performing in?
We all have such different looks but I wear a lot of black - usually a diaphanous jumpsuit that gives me some movement and presence.
Describe your style in three words…
Witchy, comfortable and floaty.
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