raverr
I do not dance so much as I endure a song with my neck. That has been true since the '90s, in rooms where other people were shuffling and I was the one in the back trying not to knock a drink out of a stranger's hand. If you are dressing for a headbanger show, dress for the motion. The shirt is the last decision. The shoes, the hair, and the stuff that can hit someone else are the first.
Headbanging at a bass show is not a costume contest and it is not a contact sport you signed other people up for. You can love a nasty riddim pattern and still keep your elbows to yourself. The clothes that work are boring in the best way: they stay on, they do not swing, and they let you see.
Shoes that stay planted
Your weight is going to shift. A good headbang is a small, repeated commitment, not a leap, but your feet still have a job. I want closed toes, laces that are actually tied, and a sole that grips a floor that may be wet with someone else's drink. Brand-new boots with a stiff sole will fight you. Sandals are how a heel comes down on your toes, yours or someone else's.
If you like boots, wear the pair you have already walked in for weeks. A tall boot that bites your shin every time you nod is a distraction you do not need when the pattern gets mean. Low, stable, boring. I have had more fun in plain black shoes than in anything I bought to look like I belonged.
Socks that do not bunch. A blister on the heel turns the second half of the set into a negotiation. Deal with it at home. The venue floor is a bad cobbler.
Hair, hoods, and anything that whips
Loose hair is a whip. I say that as a person who has been hit in the mouth by a stranger's hair and who has also been the stranger. If your hair is long enough to leave your shoulders when you nod, tie it. A low knot, a braid, a clip that actually holds. Check it in the car, not during the drop, when your arms are up and the person behind you is closer than you thought.
Hoods up are for the parking lot. In the crowd, a hood blocks the corner of your eye and hides your ear from the friend trying to tell you something. I drop the hood at the door. Hats with brims do the same job of blinding you and poking the person beside you. A soft beanie that stays put is the most I want on my head, and only if it will not fly off on the third nod.
Earrings that dangle, long necklaces, and scarf ends are grab points. They catch on other people's clothes. They hit you in the teeth. I take the long metal off before I go in. Studs I forget about are fine. A chain I have to keep rescuing is not.
What stays home
Spikes, hard studs, metal chains that swing, and big decorative belts are how a fun pit becomes somebody's bruise. The people around you did not agree to armor. Leave it. Same with glass, tall totems you cannot control, and a backpack that turns you into a wider, blinder version of yourself. A small bag on your front, if you need one, stays close and zipped.
I also leave brand-new white anything. Headbanger floors are not precious. Drinks spill. Shoes find your hem. If you need the piece to stay perfect, it is not a show piece yet. Wear it after you have made peace with a mark or two.
Check the venue before you bring props. Some rooms allow flags and fans. Some will take them at the door and your night starts with an argument. I am not going to pretend I know tonight's rule at a room I am not standing in. Their page, then the door staff. In that order.
The shirt, and why the back matters
Once the hazards are handled, wear a shirt you can sweat in and move in. A heavyweight tee is my indoor default. A hoodie is the layer for the line and the walk, and it comes off if the room heats up, which it will. Ours run small. If you are headbanging in a hoodie, size up so your shoulders are not pinned when your arms go up. The size guide is the boring page that saves the fun one.
The sentence on the shirt I mean literally is I Don't Dance, I Headbang. That line and one pink swash. That is the whole design. On light colors the type goes dark so it still reads. There is a tee with the same sentence if a fleece is too much for the room. I wear the words because they are true for me, not because a pit requires a uniform.
Black hides sweat and reads under dim lights. A lighter ground is easier for your friends to find when everyone else had the same idea. The headbanger collection is where I keep that lane. If your night is dubstep that happens to include headbanging, the wider dubstep clothing wall is the rest of the closet. Wear what you can move in. The print is a bonus your friends can read from behind you.
How to stand so the outfit can do its job
Clothes will not fix a spot you should not be in. If you need space to move your head, stand where that space exists. The rail is tight. The middle of a dense floor is tight. The edges and the back are still the same bass, and they are where I go when I want to nod without collecting strangers' shoulders. You can love the front and still step out when it compresses.
Keep the motion mostly vertical and mostly yours. A wide whip that travels into the person beside you is not a compliment to the producer. If you bump someone, a hand up and a quick sorry still works when nobody can hear it. If someone is clearly not in the same mood, give them the step. Pits and headbang pockets are better when people can leave them.
Watch your drink and your phone. A headbang is a good way to launch a phone out of a shallow pocket. Zip it, or put it somewhere deep before the set, not after you hear it hit the floor. Earplugs in before you start. Headbanging and unprotected ears is a bad trade. If ringing or pain follows you home and stays, see a doctor or an audiologist. I am not that person. I am the person telling you to bring the plugs.
Outdoor headbanger sets and dust
The same rules hold in a field, with extra filth. Daytime sun, nighttime cold, ground that may be dirt or mud. I still want planted shoes, tied hair, and a layer I can take off. I also accept that the outfit will get dirty. That is the ticket.
Dust in your eyes and your throat is not something a shirt fixes. When the lot is the kind that coats everything, the kit for that is at our sister shop Dustproof Supply. I send people there for the dust problem and keep the headbanger clothes here. Read the event site for what you can carry in. A gaiter that was fine at one festival may not match another's gate rules, and I will not invent those rules to sound helpful.
The version I walk in with
- Broken-in shoes with closed toes and a sole that grips
- Hair tied, hood down, no swinging metal
- A tee I can sweat in, and a hoodie I can remove
- Phone and earplugs in pockets that survive a nod
- Nothing spiked, nothing precious, no backpack in the crowd
You do not have to look hard. You have to last the set and let the people around you last it too. The pink swash is optional. The tied hair is not, if your hair is the thing that would otherwise introduce itself to a stranger.
Raverr is independent. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by any artist, label, or event.
Shop the gear from this guide: rave hoodies for cold nights and the walk home, and rave shirts for the floor.
FAQ
What should I wear to a headbanger show?
Wear broken-in closed-toe shoes, a shirt you can sweat and move in, and nothing that swings or has a hard edge. Tie long hair back, keep the hood down in the crowd, and put your phone somewhere it cannot launch. A hoodie is for the line and the walk, not a requirement at the rail.
Is a hoodie a bad idea if I headbang?
A hoodie is fine if you can get your arms up and you are willing to take it off when the room heats up. Ours run small, so size up, especially if you want shoulder room. Drop the hood once you are inside so you can see.
What should I leave at home?
Leave spikes, swinging chains, long scarves, big backpacks, and anything you need to stay perfect. Check the venue before you bring flags, fans, or props. If a rule is unclear, believe the venue over a guess.
Where should I stand if I want to headbang?
Stand where you have room to move your head without hitting people. Edges and the back are still the same song. If the crowd compresses, step out. Your clothes cannot make a bad spot safe.
Do I need earplugs if I am mostly headbanging in the back?
Yes. The back of a bass show can still be loud enough to matter. Put plugs in before the set, and see a doctor or an audiologist if pain, muffled hearing, or ringing sticks around after you leave.