Were Rat Tails New Wave or Metal?

[Sean]

Were Rat Tails (I think that's what they were called) New Wave or Heavy Metal? I remember seeing a quite a few bands in Europe with this and they were New Wave. In my high school though, people that had this were considered Heavy Metal. This is basically when you cut your hair and you leave the little tail hanging down right in center into your neck. I actually wanted to get this cut when I was younger but was afraid to because I thought it represented the wrong kind of music.

Sean

[yellowsky]

I know Ric(k)? from The Young Ones had 3 cool looking ones!

[SwampThing]

Rockers as well as Wavers sported these in my neck of the woods. Certain aspects of fashion crossover music genres. I remember seeing pictures of local bands in the 80's and it was very difficult to determine if they were metal or wave. I think the glam

[christsmasher]

Lol, what a great topic! I remember having a tail back in the day, and I was definitely a waver. I think the Metalheads had the mullet, but the rat tail definitely made a crossover there.

Personally, I'm seriously considering doin' the rat tail. It'

[Ollie Stench]

Rat tails were New Wave. Just look at Johnny Slash from the TV show Square Pegs. I've never seen a headbanger with a rat tail, although I used to see tons of white trash children with them about 10 years ago.

[mare_idol]

I liked the look when it first came out and it was considered a new wave look (around 1980), but like Ollie said, too many white trash people started getting carried away with the look and that's what it reminds me of, so I don't like it anymore -- especi

[ExRat]

Many white trash kids still have them in my neck of the woods. I never noticed many metal-heads ever having rat tails in my area either. It seems to have started (at least in my area) as a new wave hair style. I can think of a few new wavers with infamous

[KYYX4ever]

"king and queen of the new wave rat tail"...heh heh.

i also had a rat tail, an asymmetrical near my shoulder. it was definately a New Wave thing where i was from (WA state); never saw it on heavy metal fans. miss it still !