Well before Lady Gaga hot the stage with her glam rock performances there were rock stars like David Bowie as "Ziggy Stardust" and Marc Bolan. I was born in Scotland where glam rock fashion was not an easy thin to pull off. of all the places in the world Scotland was not a great place to look like a glam rock star. The street gangs of northern England were not well known at the time but they were all about ready to pounce on anyone looking a bit different. I was a bit removed from this as my family were middle class and we lived outside the city center of Glasgow which was a bit less hostile. The level of un employment and drugs on the street made life in the inner cities of Scotland pretty hard for a kid into glam rock
At a very early age I was influenced by glam rock and at age 16 decided I wanted to look as cool as David Bowie on top of the pops. Glam rock bands like T rex were the rage and all the girls loved guys who where brave enough to wear the glam rock fashions. There were many different styles of music going on in the 70s but glam rock bands like Roxy music, The sweet, Jobriath, New York Dolls and many others were just what the kids needed in gloomy Scotland. I used to listen to T.Rex all day long and think about the lifestyle glam rack stars like David Bowie and Mark Bolan used to lead. Almost like the glamorous film stars of the 1940s they rode in limousines and stayed at the best hotels. The management firms of budding glam rock stars added to mystique by making their life seem like a dream and their habits more like a space alien than a real person. This was only marketing but it all added up to a very fun illusion of the life of a glam rock star.
The early experiences as a glam rock guy in London started by asking my mother for money to get some platform boots. it took a little while to perfect my own glam rock look as many of the top clothes were from Biba a famous shop in London that sold glam rock fashions for very expensive prices. Soon the clothes became available at the average shop and the prices really dropped, there was such a demand from the kids to look like a glam rock star that the fashion even got into the mainstream shops were the everyday shopper would now see it as somewhat normal attire. Looking at old footage of 70s films you can see the platform shoes and the spikey haircuts that were influencing designers of the high street fashions that normal people would shop.
My first encounter with violence came with me walking home after a local glam rock band played in our city. I was attacked by a local gang of kids who called me names and proceeded to rip at my sleeve. I told several of them who I actually knew from school that I was not gay I just liked the clothes and so did the girls, this enraged them even more. I was lucky just to get a black eye, spat on and my shoes taken (presumable so one of them could wear them) and get a date. Anyways it was my introduction to intolerance for no reason but the way you look and the ignorance and stupidity of the act would remain with me all my life. If people could not accept the glam rock clothes you wear how would it feel to have a skin color that they did not like? Times have changes a bit and glam rock stars like Lady Gaga can get away with more now.
I made it out alive with a few torn clothes and a missing platform boot. A small price to pay on reflection as if it were today I am sure there would have been a much more violent response. I did get a black eye and a few bruises but what really hurt is the wounded pride and loss of personal freedom to express yourself after such an encounter. I still wore glam rock fashions but was cautious where to go and be seen in such outfits. it all seemed so simple for the glam rock stats on my TV, they lived their lives (it seemed) dressing up every day in glam rock clothes and never having a care in the world. In truth I was too young to know about marketing, hype and that they were just kids themselves many manipulates to look a certain way just to make money as a glam rock star.
At a very early age I was influenced by glam rock and at age 16 decided I wanted to look as cool as David Bowie on top of the pops. Glam rock bands like T rex were the rage and all the girls loved guys who where brave enough to wear the glam rock fashions. There were many different styles of music going on in the 70s but glam rock bands like Roxy music, The sweet, Jobriath, New York Dolls and many others were just what the kids needed in gloomy Scotland. I used to listen to T.Rex all day long and think about the lifestyle glam rack stars like David Bowie and Mark Bolan used to lead. Almost like the glamorous film stars of the 1940s they rode in limousines and stayed at the best hotels. The management firms of budding glam rock stars added to mystique by making their life seem like a dream and their habits more like a space alien than a real person. This was only marketing but it all added up to a very fun illusion of the life of a glam rock star.
The early experiences as a glam rock guy in London started by asking my mother for money to get some platform boots. it took a little while to perfect my own glam rock look as many of the top clothes were from Biba a famous shop in London that sold glam rock fashions for very expensive prices. Soon the clothes became available at the average shop and the prices really dropped, there was such a demand from the kids to look like a glam rock star that the fashion even got into the mainstream shops were the everyday shopper would now see it as somewhat normal attire. Looking at old footage of 70s films you can see the platform shoes and the spikey haircuts that were influencing designers of the high street fashions that normal people would shop.
My first encounter with violence came with me walking home after a local glam rock band played in our city. I was attacked by a local gang of kids who called me names and proceeded to rip at my sleeve. I told several of them who I actually knew from school that I was not gay I just liked the clothes and so did the girls, this enraged them even more. I was lucky just to get a black eye, spat on and my shoes taken (presumable so one of them could wear them) and get a date. Anyways it was my introduction to intolerance for no reason but the way you look and the ignorance and stupidity of the act would remain with me all my life. If people could not accept the glam rock clothes you wear how would it feel to have a skin color that they did not like? Times have changes a bit and glam rock stars like Lady Gaga can get away with more now.
I made it out alive with a few torn clothes and a missing platform boot. A small price to pay on reflection as if it were today I am sure there would have been a much more violent response. I did get a black eye and a few bruises but what really hurt is the wounded pride and loss of personal freedom to express yourself after such an encounter. I still wore glam rock fashions but was cautious where to go and be seen in such outfits. it all seemed so simple for the glam rock stats on my TV, they lived their lives (it seemed) dressing up every day in glam rock clothes and never having a care in the world. In truth I was too young to know about marketing, hype and that they were just kids themselves many manipulates to look a certain way just to make money as a glam rock star.
About the Author:
Rock star New Glam rock music fashion styleDavid Bowie clothes Glam Music fashions styles people makeup bands stars london vintage clothing 1970s 2012 glam rock music
