If you’ve ever seen Tool, A Perfect Circle, or Puscifer live then you know that frontman Maynard James Keenan has a penchant for theatrics, with him often donning different costumes and makeup for his on stage performances.
In a recent appearance on “Kyle Meredith With…”, Keenan, alongside Primus frontman Les Claypool, addressed why he chooses to wear costumes on stage, clarifying if it’s for entertainment purposes or if it’s simply a device that allows him to – as the interviewer put it – “use a different voice.”
“It’s a different voice but it’s also, as Les [Claypool] said, it stems initially from an insecurity of just being able to express yourself and having some kind of a – something to hide behind a little bit while you’re trying to figure out who the f*ck you are on that stage.”
He continued: “Then it just kind of becomes a thing you do because you end up finding that, you know – We’re trying to work some sh*t out as musicians or artists but we’re also up there to entertain. So I think it helps to put the costume on to remind myself I’m there to entertain and not just work through some weird daddy issues.”
Keenan recently made news when, during his 2023 performance at the Welcome to Rockville Festival in Florida, he took the stage wearing a blonde wig, lipstick, prosthetic breasts, and a tight top. While some thought his outfit was a jab at Governor Ron DeSantis and his stance on drag shows, Keenan later revealed his costume choice was personal and not political in nature.
“I’ve been cross-dressing since long before these clickbait-junkie dupes were out of diapers,” he told The Messenger. “It’s pretty crazy the technology and the prosthetics nowadays, how they’ve come along, and I just was considering bringing the look back. And that’s really all there is to it. I’m not a political fella – had nothing to do with Florida.”
