Be a Rocker
Deciding to be a rocker like all your idols requires dedication to the music and a sense of the music. Some people are like this by heart, some people aren't––are you?
Contents
Steps
Dressing the part
- Get band tees of your favorite rock groups, old and new. Also, get some shirts of slogan or ads or just plain tees and maybe some tees of concert venues. Plus, you can never go wrong with a good old Jack Daniels T-shirt. Anything with skulls isn't necessarily rocker. Striped thermals are also very rocker. Black/Gray and Black/White stripes are best though.
- Wear slim pants or tight pants. It doesn’t matter. It's your preference. Bondage also works. If you're going with baggy, camouflage is a good choice along with black jeans. With tight, leather, black, or blue jeans will work well. Make sure you have some holes in those jeans!
- Jackets add a great touch to your look. Black leather jackets are always perfect. No need to spend any big money though, you can get a much cheaper leather jacket at your local motorcycle supply shop that is of the same quality and will probably last longer. A solid color hoodie (black, gray, etc.) would be another good choice, along with striped hoodies (black/gray or black/white). Denim jackets are good too.
- Choose a hairstyle. Long hair (the longer the better), short hair, medium, and buzzed are all fine.
- Get some shoes. Converse, Vans, combat boots, boots, or even white trainers, it really doesn't matter. Avoid Jockey or New Balance shoes, however.
- Accessories are essential for the rocker look. Spiked and studded wristbands are a must. Rings are also good, with silver rings or with skulls or tribal patterns, it's good to wear them in excess on your hands. But with gold, be careful! You don't want to be mistaken for Flava-Flav do you? If you decide to wear sunglasses, don't spend too much, you may end up losing them anyway. Good choices include Aviator and Wayfarer design.
- Hats can be a nice touch. Bandannas, top hats, fedoras, skull caps, or even the simple baseball caps are all acceptable, (just look at Tom Morello, for example).
- Wear cool tees. Wear ones that express "you".
Getting the rocker attitude
- Make sure that you actually love music. Like, bands like Bon Jovi or Nickelback, and others. Never deny that you love this kind of music. There is no way that you should care if people don't like you for it!
- *Be your own self. You are not anyone else; don't act like it. Rock music isn't about fitting in–– it's about breaking the mold, doing something nobody else has ever thought of. Not just acting stupid, doing something significant. But remember, as Kurt Cobain (the lead singer of Nirvana) said, it's better to be dead than "cool".
- Don't copy other rockers. "Oh, James Hetfield has slicked back hair, I'm doing that, David Draiman has snake fangs, I'm getting some, etc." Do your own thing, set your own trends. And, you have to know your music. If you wanna be a rocker, you have to know what you're talking about. Search your favorite band on Wikipedia, learn their history, then people will realize you know what you're talking about. Simply, you wanna be a rocker? Be a rocker.
- To be a "rocker" isn't a goal. It's not a scene or a trend. At least, not a real "rocker". All that really means is to be a rock star, or an aspiring musician whose music is generally under any genre of rock (Whether it be Classic, New Age, Hard, Alternative, etc. etc.).
- Know who about who's in a band. For example: Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath, Slash in Guns N' Roses, Keith Richards in The Rolling Stones, etc. You'll look poser if you can't back up your favorite band.
- Be nice to everyone. You'd be surprised how much cooler people will think you are if you're nice to them. People will just think you're a loser if you're always acting like a jerk.
Improving your musical abilities
- Learn. Consider taking a few voice lessons or buying a guitar, bass, keyboard or a drum set and take lessons. Try to find a few friends who play an instrument, (typical rock n' roll instruments are drums, electric guitar, electric bass, vocals, and keyboards), and try to form a band, write some music and practice!
- Be yourself. All the rockers aren't acting like someone they're not.
- Enjoy a wide range of rock music. Listen to: The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Pink Floyd, Van Halen, Aerosmith, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Whitesnake, Black Sabbath, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Nirvana, ZZ Top, The Doobie Brothers, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Grateful Dead, The Eagles, and many others.
Tips
- You can get all this stuff at thrift stores, online stores, wherever.
- Use your iPod or MP3 player to show others your music.
- Start a band with your friends and make demos and make connections with people who can start you guys big!
- it is hard being a rocker, remember that when performing.
- Handkerchiefs make great instrument wipes, and are handy for wiping your sweat at a gig.
Warnings
- Don't be rude to people and don't say, "Oh, I'm a rocker. Don't mess with me because I'm a rocker!" Don't tell people you're a rocker; they should notice you are and say you’re like the rocker type and just say, "Yeah, thanks." If you do tell people you are they will label you as a poser. Although many people may call you goth, emo or anything besides a rocker.
- A true rocker always treats their partner well.
- Never let anyone insult your favorite band without arguing with them and telling them that they have no taste in music. Before you do this make sure that the band you like is actually good and is actually rock .
- If you decide to wear camo, don't overdo it. If you wear camo pants, with a camo shirt, with a camo jacket, with camo shoes, you'll look ugly as hell. Wear only one item of camo clothing at one time.
Things You'll Need
- Instrument (guitar, keyboards, bass, drums and vocals are basic rock)
- Amplifiers
- Rock clothing (jeans, band t-shirts, leather jackets, denim jackets)
- Accessories (necklaces, wristbands, bandannas, rings, belts)
- Hair (long and flowing like early Metallica, medium long like Dave Grohl, or even buzzed looks cool)
- A stash of CDs you carry around with you or a portable music device
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