Studs! Hell Bent for Leather
Essay film, 19.37mins, 2019
Studs! Hell Bent for Leather performs a psychogeographical reading of the Black Country town of Walsall, looking into the links between Walsall's historic leather trade, heavy metal pioneers Judas Priest and queer leather culture.
The UK’s Midlands region was the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. Hundred years later it would also become the origin point for Heavy Metal, a music genre which would quickly grow into a global phenomena and music culture. Walsall, famous for its production of leather goods, was also where Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford grew up and it was Halford who originally brought leather, studs and chains to heavy metal, a look heavily borrowed from gay leather clubs and which has since become the twin uniform of two globalised subcultures.
Studs! was the result of a period of research spent with metal fans in Walsall, staff at the town’s Leather Museum and in the UK LGBTQ+ Leather Archives at Bishopsgate.
Commissioned by New Art Gallery Walsall and Capsule for Alan Kane’s 4 Bed Detached Home of Metal . The exhibition was part of a region-wide programme of events organised by Home of Metal, a project which celebrates the Midlands as the birthplace of Heavy Metal.
Watch the film here (password: LeatherRebel)
Images are all stills from the film