DU musicians-please explain the rockstar sweatband thing

[underpants]

We have a video station on our cable called "The Tube" it features older videos and LATE last night I was once again confronted with a dilemma from my formative years.

Why would a rock star feel the need to wear a sweatband?

As the videos last night reminded me this is a phenomenon of the last half of the 70's into the last half of the 80's at which time it appeared to have died off, finally.

The Genesis video of Phil Collins wearing TWO sweatbands while lead singing was just too much. I knew that I had to find out if there was a practical reason for this.

Anyone? Anything?

[peekaloo]

1. I thought Phil wore that sweatband to hold his combover in place.

same with that Dire Straits guy.

:shrug:

[meegbear]

2. Besides the singer from Loverboy and Mark Knopfler ...

who else was wearing 'em?

[underpants]

4. You run into it from time to time

Freddie Mercury
Phil Collins
Several hair bands in the 80's

[meegbear]

5. Seen Phil but don't recall Freddie ...

and I thought the headband would ruin their hair?

[underpants]

6. wristband

not head bands. That is a whole other thread.

[meegbear]

7. "Why would a rock star feel the need to wear a sweatband?"

That's what I thought we were discussing.

[johnnie]

3. It was a fad

Personally, on stage I sweat like the Hoover Dam and a sweatband would be nice because sweat can burn the eyeballs. I never wore any sweatbands though and never would.

There was also a time when guitarists wore them on their wrists to stop the sweat from dripping on their hands, but that was also a fad.

[no name no slogan]

8. Headband fun: watch Mark Knopfler over twenty years

...and watch the size of his headband grow as his hairline recedes.

At first, it's only about 1" wide. By the early 90s, it's covering most of his forehead. He goes from Bruuuuce Springsteen to Aunt Jemima.

Damn I'm bored.