Are glasses 'metal?

Mr. CooL ICE

Why don't many metal bands wear glasses? Does non-20:20 vision declare you unfit for the metal world? Sure, you might see James Hetfield or Dave Pybus wear glasses in interviews, but why take them off for photoshoots?

aidan_walsh

Because its inconvienent to be jumping around a stage with glasses on?

Its not just metal bands that don't wear them when playing...

magpie

If Garth wears them, then they're metal.

Oh and Lenny Kaye as well, but he looks kind of like Garth.

Phil_321

I don't know what it is but glasses are just wrong when it comes to rock/metal.

Doctor J

Yeah, stumbling into dorrs is much more Metal

Phil_321

I'm as blind as a bat myself, have always worn glasses, but when I'm jamming/gigging I have to slap in contact lenses if I'm going to unleash my full rocking powers.
Kind of like Clark Kent turning into Superman

edson

yeah ya can't really wear glasses when playing the drums either, could get broken if a stick goes flying, contact lenses are handy anyway :cool:

mr_angry

Who needs 20/20 vision when you're smacked out of your head?

powerage22

Phil Rudd wears glasses on & off stage :cool:

Malice

It's to do with safety. As Phil_321 says, you can't really rock out properly while wearing glasses. Unless it's a very sedate practice or jamming session, I've GOT to put my specs away safely in their case. I know from experience that it doesn't take much for glasses to go flying off your head (you don't even need to be jumping around like a loon... well not much anyway)

Also a mis-directed elbow/head/foot etc to the face can be shrugged off ordinarily but you can get some quite nasty cuts from bits of broken glasses introducing themselves to your face. Not to mention the whole risk of blindness.

Of course it could just be that the hard rockers like James Hetfield and err that guy from Linkin Park just don't want to look like nerds when they're on stage

Mr. CooL ICE

magpie wrote:

If Garth wears them, then they're metal.

Oh and Lenny Kaye as well, but he looks kind of like Garth.

I presume you're talking about Mr. Edgar? Slap me if you want, but I didnt see WW till a few weeks ago

But why don't people use wrap-around glasses like goggles for metal? Sure, Edgar Davids uses them for playing soccer, cos he's got an eye condition that can't be compensated for with contacts (apparently) but some industrial metallers with a slight sci-fi image should have worn them. Maybe even Kiss?

Doctor J

Kiss wear bi-focals

Malice

LordChessington wrote:

I presume you're talking about Mr. Edgar? Slap me if you want, but I didnt see WW till a few weeks ago

But why don't people use wrap-around glasses like goggles for metal? Sure, Edgar Davids uses them for playing soccer, cos he's got an eye condition that can't be compensated for with contacts (apparently) but some industrial metallers with a slight sci-fi image should have worn them. Maybe even Kiss?

Ha! I was going to mention sports goggles in my previous post I've got a pair that I use for playing football (contacts are just TOO awkward) but I've never thought about using them while playing music. I must give it a go, although the style I play isn't really industrial metal or Kiss

I seem to remember watching an old Donnington video where the lead singer of The Wildhearts wore wierd goggles. It was quite an impressive sight although the Sideshow Bob-esque red dreadlocks probably helped. Does anyone else remember this?

dregin

some of the guys in snapcase wear glasses. More hardcore than metal...

Civilian_Target

The Therapy lead singer wears glasses and has some sort of strap thing on them...

Doctor J

Way back in the day Dave Navarro would always wear shades because he was ****ed with heroin, he hated people making eye contact with him

Robbo

Noel Redding takes the prize for the most rock'n'roll glasses evar.

That said, I'd imagine the combination corpse paint and a pair of Specsavers "Himmlers" (or similar) wouldn't command the right kind of respect in todays cut and thrust world of metal.

magpie

Worship Noel

cournioni

You can't headbang with your glasses on.

Karl Hungus

Are glasses metal?

Well, my frames are anyway.

edson

Doctor J wrote:

Way back in the day Dave Navarro would always wear shades because he was ****ed with heroin, he hated people making eye contact with him

same with Layne Staley, huh?

nesf

PORNAPSTER wrote:

You can't headbang with your glasses on.

You can and I have, and it's the reason that I occasionally need to buy new glasses, although I generally wear contacts if I know I'll be moshing.