denim rebels

Denim Rebels: The role of the adorned denim ‘Battle Jacket’ in heavy metal

subculture and personal identity

Amanda [email protected] Studies in Popular Music

“A battle jacket is a jacket associated with heavy metal subculture that is normally adorned in some way with personal alterations. Basically, the idea is to begin with a fairly plain denim or

leather jacket, and customize it with items locatable within heavy metal dress codes, including but not limited to patches, buttons (badges), pins, studs, paint, embroidery, safety pins,

autographs, or ink drawings”.

The Battle Jacket Experience

1) Observing2) Desiring3) Shopping4) Selecting5) Designing6) Wearing as Sharing

*After visiting the six steps, a connection to personal identity forming practices and belonging to a battle jacket subculture is more apparent.

Existing Literature

In Heavy Metal…

• Weinstein, D. (2000) Sociologist• Christe, I. (2003) Writer• Anson, M. (2015) Graphic Design

Studio Manager

In Biker Subculture…

• Ballard, L. (1997) Folklore Academic• Thompson, H. S. (1966) Rolling Stone

• Downey, L. (2007) Historian• Little, D. (2007) Writer

Participant Data

111

7

Interview MethodIn Person Skype

Video Call

Online Survey

4

11

3

1

Affiliation with Researcher

The 70’s and 80’s Rock and Metal CommunityUniversity of Liv-erpool Rock So-cietyPersonal Friend of ResearcherRock Society friend Referral

Participant Data

• Ages from 20-52. • Youth Aged 20-25 =

15• Adults Aged 50-52 =

4

• 18 participants British, UK or English origin

Age Male

Female

Total

20 2 4 621 5 0 523 1 0 124 0 1 125 2 0 250 1 0 152 3 0 3Total 14 5 19

Participant Data

33

2211111 1

11

Favorite Subgenre

Classic Rock/Metal Hard RockProgress Rock/Metal Thrash Metal Alternative Folk Rock/MetalGrindcore GrungeMetalcore NWOBHMSludge Metal Pirate MetalCan't Decide

106

3

Favorite Music Genre

Heavy Metal RockAlternative

Participant Data

How do you feel about designing clothing with patches (badges), pins, or studs?

• 6 = Yes, I have made something other than a jacket this way

• 5 = No, I have never done this and do not plan to do it in the future

• 4 = No, I have never done this but would like to in the future

• 3 = Yes, I have made a denim jacket this way

What survey participants completed:

• 9 = Participants Identified as Designer• 5 = Participants Identified as Non-

Designer• 4 = Participants Identified as Future

Designer

Battle Jacket Survey Results

Introduction to the Battle Jacket Experience

“”

We can now look more closely at the relationship between experience,

expression, and signification in subculture; at the whole question of style and our

reading of style(Hebdige, 1979, pp. 61)

• Battle Jackets as design experience, self-expression, and stylistically of heavy metal subculture

• Due to the personal nature of adorning jackets, it is not only apparent but also encouraged that participants add their own twist.

The Battle Jacket Experience

Observing Desiring

Shopping Selectin

gDesigni

ngWearing

as Sharing

The Battle Jacket Experience:1) OBSERVING

• “I've wanted one for a few years. Many fans and indeed bands where them and the idea of something mainly for gigging appealed. I loved the idea of the personalization to embrace the bands I love.”

RICK


Will: Peter and his denim jackets. He’s always wearing

the jackets with band patches on them. George:

Peter always has his jackets…Peter has changed a lot. He wasn't into the denim thing when I first

met him. Used to wear just t-shirts. Harry:

Peter and his denim jacket. Lauren:

Peter has got his denim.

Researcher: Is there anyone or multiple people whose style

stands out more than others?


Peter: …I sewed more [patches] and was thinking I wanted to make my own design…I found ‘tshirtslayer.com’, a website where metal-heads share patches, creations, vinyl, etc. The biggest section is people sharing the jackets.

Bill: You might want to join the ‘Denim and Metal’ [Facebook] group as there are loads of [pictures] on there of current and old jackets/cut offs and plenty of great stories too.

“”

In consuming popular music, the individual is free to choose not only between various

musical styles and attendant visual images, but also how such choices are

lived out and what they are made to stand for (Bennett, 2006, pp. 112).

•This is the ultimate sentiment, as it indicates the most desirable quality of power - to not only make choices but also decide upon their meaning. •With choosing patches for a jacket, for example, one can decide if the patches stand for •Youth are empowered and can form their own battle jacket subculture.

The Battle Jacket Experience:2) Desiring

“”

The dissociation of one group is the association with another

(Willis, 1978, pp. 46).

•Many fans battle with “…feelings of loneliness and find validation by seeking out others with the same experiences and feelings” (Cavicchi, pp. 158). •Fans may feel as if they are leaving a side they do not belong on for one they do.• Any fan can feel a sense of belonging by listening to heavy metal, but a personal act such as designing a jacket shows a much deeper awareness and connection to the community.



•There is a desire to creatively express oneself in a way that is reflexive of personal identity.

•Even those who do not listen to heavy metal will identify someone in a battle jacket as a powerful member of the metal community. And a metal fan will be able to read the band logos and determine immediately what type of metal the wearer likes.

•In conversations sparked by the jacket, recalling the story of why a certain patch was selected or a compliment of sewing an advanced embroidery pattern could connect music to understanding oneself.

The Battle Jacket Experience:3) Shopping

Sophie: All current patches I

own are from Hellfest.

David: Stalls, especially at festivals. They have all these pins and jackets and badges as well.

Louie: You can always find [patches] at festivals. Usually there are

entire stalls dedicated to them.

Charlie: The two [patches] that

I have are from Sonisphere.


Merchandise Examples from ‘Panic Posters’ Affleck’s Palace – Manchester, UK


Charlie: There’s this one that was a circular patch of a storm trooper helmet. Sophie thought it'd still look metal and not ruin the theme. I would like to put that on my upper arm. It wouldn't ruin it if it were on the sleeves.

‘Extreme Loudness’ Merchandise – Affleck’s Palace, Manchester UK


Other Shopping Methods:•Online Shopping•Free patch with the purchase of a CD or other item

Final Thoughts:•What we can determine from the shopping section, is that shopping in person at festivals, local shops, and alternative shopping centers goes more hand in hand with the idea of making a battle jacket as an experience, because of the excitement and options available at hand. •However, for a designer who has a very clear idea of what accessories they want, they may get frustrated going from shop to shop, when they can search online and find exactly what they need.

The Battle Jacket Experience:4) Selecting

or

Anthony:

If it was sleeveless it wouldn't serve a purpose. It'd definitely be long sleeved.


Peter:

That Def Leppard patch is not nice enough. You need to look for ones that are better quality.


Sophie: That's another thing, if there were any bands I wouldn't have: bands with known fascist views or anything. I wouldn't want to show support for that kind of thing. Or even bands that could cause confusion, a band called ISIS, is really good, really like them but I wouldn't want to wear an ISIS badge for obvious reasons.

The Battle Jacket Experience:5) Designing

Sewing• 12 participants already know how to sew• They were taught by various methods• asking a family member • taking a textiles or similar class in school • or being in a program like scouts or cadets where sewing is mandatory

• Sewing is not considered a feminine activity to any participant:• Ruby: That's wrong. I know plenty more men who can sew more than me…I

don't really find sewing to be that feminine. It doesn't bother me if they're sewing. I'd prefer it if they were sewing and they could sew my jacket for me.


Organization Options:

•pattern •symmetry •patch shape •subgenre•color •haphazard/no organization

Peter’s jacket is organized by color.


Charlie: I quite like this idea of putting my name above [the back patch], in the font of the band [logo].

The most important part of design is adding personalization to the jacket. It is the element that separates one jacket, from a sea of denim at a metal festival.

The Battle Jacket Experience:6) Wearing as Sharing

Grant’s Jacket

Identity and Subculture Conclusions with Battle Jackets

• The idea that identity forming ends with entering the heavy metal subculture is inaccurate. • Participant Anthony confessed that a jacket would not be his

identity, but ‘part of his identity’.• Anthony loves pop music and noise music as much as heavy

metal which creates the partial identity.

“”

Using music in this way as a mirror for self-perception…is a common practice of

identity work in daily life. Additionally, different styles of music can be used by the same person to articulate different

identities (DeNora, 2006, pp. 146).

•Allowing the battle jacket experience, as a process for identity forming, does not limit the designer to only be identified in this way. •Each designer is free to make more personalized items or simply change clothing to reflect these different stylistic personalities.


“”

…the first indicator of subcultural substance comprises the existence of a set of shared tastes

and values which is distinctive from those of other groups and reasonably consistent, from

one participant to the next, one place to the next and one year to the next

(Hodkinson, 2002, pp. 30).

•Battle jacket subculture members would see their adapted jackets to still be representative of the group battle jacket experience. •The battle jacket subculture exists because its participants are designers who value belonging and individual status in the heavy metal community. •Battle jackets offer the wearer a connection to their identity through personal alterations, but still encourage group identity because of their popularity within the heavy metal community.



In conclusion, this is why through the experience of battle jacket design anyone is free to personalize his or her identity within heavy metal and belong to the distinctive battle jacket subculture. Through the battle jacket experience, one is observing, desiring, shopping, selecting, designing, and wearing as sharing subcultural status while expressing personal identity.

Appendix A: Ethnography Bibliography

Adam. 2015. Denim Rebels: Adam. Interviewed by ...Researcher. [on-line] Survey and 16 September 2015.Anthony. 2015. Denim Rebels: Anthony. Interviewed by ...Researcher. [in-person] Sydney Jones Library and 19 September 2015.Bill. 2015. Denim Rebels: Bill. Interviewed by ...Researcher. [on-line] Survey and 13 September 2015.Brian. 2015. Denim Rebels: Brian. Interviewed by ...Researcher. [in-person] Harold Cohen Library and 17 September 2015.Charlotte. 2015. Denim Rebels: Charlotte. Interviewed by ...Researcher. [in-person] Liverpool Guild of Students and 18 September 2015.Charlie. 2015. Denim Rebels: Charlie. Interviewed by ...Researcher. [in-person] Kensington and 13 September 2015.Chris. Denim Rebels: Chris. Interviewed by ...Researcher. [on-line] Survey and 13 September 2015.David. 2015. Denim Rebels: David. Interviewed by ...Researcher. [in-person] Kensington and 18 September 2015.Evie. 2015. Denim Rebels: Evie. Interviewed by ...Researcher. [in-person] Harold Cohen Library and 17 September 2015.George. 2015. Image & Dress Code in University of Liverpool’s Rock Society: George. Interviewed by ...Researcher. [in-person] Sydney Jones Library and 7 May 2015.Grant. Denim Rebels: Grant. Interviewed by ...Researcher. [on-line] Survey and 29 September 2015.Harry. 2015. Image & Dress Code in University of Liverpool’s Rock Society: Harry. Interviewed by ...Researcher. [in-person] Sydney Jones Library and 11 May 2015. Jessica. 2015. Denim Rebels: Jessica. Interviewed by ...Researcher. [in-person] Kensington and 20 September 2015.Lauren. 2015. Image & Dress Code in University of Liverpool’s Rock Society: Lauren. Interviewed by ...Researcher. [in-person] Crown Place and 13 May 2015. Louie. 2015. Denim Rebels: Louie. Interviewed by ...Researcher. [video call] Skype and 15 September 2015.

Appendix A: Ethnography Bibliography

Morgan. Denim Rebels: Morgan. Interviewed by ...Researcher. [on-line] Survey and 17 September 2015.Oliver. 2015. Denim Rebels: Oliver. Interviewed by ...Researcher. [in-person] Sydney Jones Library and 19 September 2015.Peter. 2015. Denim Rebels: Peter. Interviewed by ...Researcher. [in-person] Kensington and 3 September 2015.Rick. Denim Rebels: Rick. Interviewed by ...Researcher. [on-line] Survey and 25 September 2015.Richard. Denim Rebels: Richard. Interviewed by ...Researcher. [on-line] Survey and 15 September 2015.Ruby. 2015. Denim Rebels: Ruby. Interviewed by ...Researcher. [in-person] Kensington and 20 September 2015.Sophie. 2015. Denim Rebels: Charlie. Interviewed by ...Researcher. [in-person] Kensington and 13 September 2015.Will. 2015. Image & Dress Code in University of Liverpool’s Rock Society: Will. Interviewed by ...Researcher. [in-person] Vine Court and 30 April 2015.

Bibliography:

The 70’s and 80’s Rock and Metal Community (2015) “Discussion”. Available at: < https://www.facebook.com/groups/ 721557701215704/> [Accessed 6 October 2015]. Anson, M., (2015) “How the Cut-Off Denim Jacket Became a Fashion Icon” [online]. DenimHunters. Available at:<

https://www.denimhunters.com/2015/08/levis-type-iii-cut-off-denim-jacket/ .> [Accessed 6 October 2015].Ballard, L. (1997). "These Youngsters Change All These Traditions": A Perspective on "Outlaw" Motorcycle Clubs in

Ireland. Folklore, Vol. 108, (1997), pg. 107-111. Taylor & Francis, Ltd.: Oxfordshire. Available at: University of Liverpool http://www.jstor.org/stable/ 1260716. [Accessed 26 November 2014]Bennett, A., (2006). “Subcultures or Neotribes? Rethinking the relationship between youth, style, and musical taste”. The Popular Music Studies Reader (eds A. Bennett, B. Shank and J. Toynbee). London: Routledge.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/

http://www.jstor.org/stable/

Bibliography (Continued):

Cavicchi, D., (1998). Tramps Like Us: Music and Meaning Among Springsteen Fans. New York: Oxford University Press.Christe, I., 2003. Sound of the Beast: The Headbanging History of Heavy Metal. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers. ‘Denim and Metal’ Facebook Group (2015). “Discussion”. Available at: < https://www .facebook.com/groups1403472 379947746/> [6 October 2015]Den’s Denim Jacket (2015). “Timeline”. Available at: < https://www.facebook. com/densdenim.jacket?fref=ts > [6 October 2015]Denora, T., (2006). “Music and Self-Identity”. The Popular Music Studies Reader (eds A. Bennett, B. Shank and J. Toynbee). London: Routledge.Downey, L., 2007. Images of America: Levi Strauss & Co. Charlestown, SC: Arcadia Publishing.Hebdige, D., (1979). “Style as Homology and Signifying Practice”. On Record: Rock, Pop, and the Written Word. (eds S. Frith and A. Goodwin 1990). Oxon: Routledge.Hodkinson, P. (2002). Goth, Identity, Style, and Subculture. Oxford: Berg.Little, D. 2007. Denim: An American Story. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd. Metallica Through the Never (2013). [DVD] Nimrod, A. USA: Blackened Recordings.Thompson, H., (1966) Hell’s Angels. New York, NY: Penguin Books.“Tshirtslayer” (2015). Metal Band: Battle Jacket. [online]. Available at: < http://tshirt slayer.com/type/battle-jacket >[Accessed 6 October 2015].University of Liverpool RockSoc. (2015) “Discussion”. Available at: <https://www. facebook.com/groups/TheRockSoc/ >[Accessed 6 October 2015].Weinstein, D (1991, 2000). Heavy Metal: The Music and Its Culture. Revised ed. USA: Da Capo Press.Willis, Paul (1978). “The Golden Age”. In: Frith Simon and Goodwin, Andrew ed. 1990. Rock, Pop & the Written Word on Record. Routledge: London. https://vital.liv.ac.uk/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_group=courses&url %2Fwebapp s%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Fcontent%2Ffile%3Fcmd%3Dview%26content_id%3D_672902_1%26course_id%3D_163012_1%26framesetWrapped%3Dtrue

https://vital.liv.ac.uk/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_group=courses&url

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