As musicians, we are always trying to find our "Look." Countless inspirations from every which way show up unexpectedly and can be exhausting to gather them in such a way that make them unique to who we are. With the constant flow of characters from movies, tv shows, video games, and other musicians entering our brains, we have to be careful what we take notes from as to not plagiarize anyone else lol. But, I've realized that at the end of the day, we can only really be ourselves if we know, wholeheartedly, that we are feeling good about the styles we are embracing. I've also learned that a collage of those inspirations is what makes us unique. So really, there's no way to "Steal" a look if you take bits from everywhere(and feel good about it).
One way in which I've taken inspiration from is through video games. I was born in 1985 so by the time I was 5, video games were everywhere and eclectic characters were being born constantly. From weird plumbers and furry speed animals to cloned military badass's and sword wielding ninjas. To this day, there are no shortage of video game characters that have won the hearts of many. Today, I will be listing the Top 3 video game characters that I have used as inspiration for my style.
1. Nathan Drake
- Games: The Uncharted Series
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Creator: Amy Hennig
- Developed: Naughty Dog
Nathan Drake was one of the first characters to really make me understand the depth that can be created within a video game character. Most of High School, I kept video games to the side to focus on my bass guitar playing and songwriting, so I didn't get back into video games until around 2007, which was when the first Uncharted was released. it took all but a couple seconds to relate to him. He was sarcastic, funny, and completely calm to the fact that he could die at any moment. Which in turn, made him really cool to me. I wanted to be him. With every gun fight or ancient ruin I had to climb, I fell even more in love with his witty banter because as silly as he was, he was still an all out badass. On top of all that chaos, he still managed to dress in style. Simple, but cool as hell. Jeans, boots, and a long sleeve shirt rolled up to his elbows that just gleamed a sexiness to him that I wanted to emulate lol.
- Games: The Metal Gear Series
- Genre: Action/Stealth
- Publisher: Konami
- Creator: Hideo Kojima
- Developer: Konami Computer Entertainment Japan
This one is kind of a two for one deal. I was first introduced to the Metal Gear series in 1998 through a Playstation marketing demo disc that I acquired from either a video game magazine or Pizza Hut(I can't remember). Metal Gear Solid wasn't the first release for the series, but it was the first to really take it to a whole new level. The game mechanics were perfectly executed in a way that made you feel like you were actually a spy. Cautiously breaking one neck at a time and saving the world. breaking the 4th wall with Psycho Mantis is all but just a small example of what this game revolutionized. The character of solid Snake gave me a confidence that my fourteen year old self just didn't know that I had. So much so that I carry it with me to this day. But it wasn't necessarily his dress style that I brought with me to my later years as a musician. It was actually his genetic father, Big Boss(aka Naked Snake) that I took inspiration from. Seeing this bigger than life character perform super human feats while having a cigar in his mouth made me want to pick up this habit. It has given me an added confidence to add to my arsenal of "Coolness." Top Pic: Big Boss, Bottom Pic: Solid Snake
- Games: Red Dead Series
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Publisher: Rockstar Games
- Creator: Dan Houser, Michael Unsworth, Christian Cantamessa
- Developer: Rockstar San Diego
Arthur Morgan is probably the most relatable character on this list. No, I've never robbed a train or a bank. I've never murdered anyone. And I've certainly never been in a late 19th century gang ful l of thieves and murderers. But, I have gone through enough pain in my life to arrive at a crossroads within myself to determine what is simply right from wrong. With that realization comes grit and integrity to do the right thing and not back down. And Arthur Morgan did just that. This character took me through so many epiphanies from within that by the end of the game, I was not only emotional, but I was left a better person having to dig deep to truly understand why I related to this character so much. While there are countless outfits that you can dress Arthur Morgan in, his standard ensemble at the beginning of the game is what I kept for him pretty much the whole game. I didn't like to stray from it because it reminded me of, well...me. To me, it's not necessarily the physical clothes that I've taken away for my look, but more of Arthur's attitude, energy, and most importantly, his vulnerability.
