Rock and Roll Makeup

In the early 1970's bands such as T-Rex with Marc Boland, Moot the Hoople, Roxy Music and David Bowie turned a new page in Rock and Roll by performing in makeup. The fad became know as Glam Rock or Glitter Rock. Although largely a British phenomenon, American Artists such as the New York Dolls and Alice Cooper became lumped in with Glitter Rock. Alice Cooper of course was more performance rock than glitter rock, but the era was the Glam Rock Era, so the moniker was hung on Mr. Cooper also.

Makeup was not new to Rock and Roll in the 1970's, Little Richard used makeup while performing, as did, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, and even Pink Floyd. Long before all bands were applying makeup for music videos, the glam rock era brought the world a band whose identity was concealed by full facial makeup with comic book undertones was rising to the top of the charts selling millions of records and performing live in makeup on worldwide tours. It didn't take long for KISS to be identified, but they were rarely seen without rock makeup throughout the 1970's. Years later on a reunion tour they did perform without rock makeup, but KISS nostalgic will always recognize them in full performance rock makeup.

The makeup era in rock even touched one of the classic 1960's icon, as Bob Dylan performed he New England leg of his famed Rolling Thunder Revue Tour in full White Face Makeup. With the popularity of a new Television station dedicated to rock videos, MTV, every performing band was soon leaning how to use Professional Performance Makeup for the cameras. Makeup Artists from the Television and Film Industry soon found new clients in the Rock and Roll industry, as Music Videos were produced in mass to fill the airtime of the widely popular twenty four hour music video channel MTV.

Professional Theatrical Makeup in 2009 is now an essential to most performing bands, even to the point of having full time Makeup Artists on tour. Mehron makeup was there to witness the makeup transformation of Rock and Roll, just as it was there during the early days of silent films, and the full blown Hollywood epics of the 1930's. Mehron Makeup has been producing Professional Performance Makeup in the USA, free from animal testing since 1927. In over eight continuous years of formulating make up for the professional performance community, Mehron Makeup has witnessed all the transitions in all of the performing arts. Through all the changes, Mehron Makeup has been there as the innovators in the next makeup wave. In 2009, Mehron is still the innovators of safe, quality makeup for any application that the Performing Artist can ever want, and continues to research and develop new colors and products year after year in their march towards the 100 year mark of producing Professional Makeup, For Theather, Film, Television, Rock and Roll, Videos, Circuses, and every performance art known.