Black Magic

“If guys are in bands they can look anyway they like. They don’t even have to shave or wash their hair. They can wear the same old t-shirt and jeans all day every day and everybody thinks they’re cool rockers. But for girls there’s a particular expectation on you to look well. I can’t really explain it. It’s probably just the way it is in society generally and has probably been that way all along. You’ve got to look good. You’ve got to get the cleavage out.”

This is Lesley-Ann Halvey, singer and bassist with the noisy, all-girl pop-punk princesses Black Daisy, ahead of her fashion photoshoot for Hot Press. Although Black Daisy don’t want to focus too much on the all-girl rock band tag, that’s exactly what they are. So is image something the foursome have discussed a lot? Halvey explains that any time they have something coming up they certainly do discuss their clothing options. “We’re all going, ‘What are you wearing, what are you wearing?’ but it’s not the main focus of the band and it’s not a competition between us. We accept that we need to look well and get the image nailed. We all have preferences as individuals, but as a band, we have to co-ordinate that and make sure it works,” she tells Hot Press.
Nor is this pressure about how rock women look confined to on-stage times. “I think people have an expectation of any girl in a rock band,” she says. "If I’m on a day off and just wearing my comfy jeans and flat shoes I think they’d be surprised. They’d probably point out that I looked different last week at the gig."
On stage she prefers to opt for her navy pencil jeans. “They’re totally glued onto me,” she admits, adding, “I also love my over-the-knee leather boots. I’m comfortable in them and I feel incredibly sexy in them. But I wouldn’t wear them with a skirt. That’d be a bit much.”
Lesley-Ann prefers to shop at either Penneys or Morgan, and has bought shoes at Shoe Rack. “I live in Penneys. I have roundy hips, and when I’m trying on jeans I do the ass test where you squat down, and the best jeans for them are Penneys.” As for her favourite item in her wardrobe, there’s no contest. “I have a black Marilyn Monroe dress I bought for €5 in Japan. It looks like a long vest with a picture of her on the front and I wear it in the video for our new single ‘Disturbing New Fashion’."
And then there was the denim catsuit. “I was young and foolish and it looked great on the mannequin in the window, but it was a disaster on me. It ended up on the skip!”

Black Daisy’s Disturbing New Fashion EP is out August 1 via HMV, iTunes and downloadmusic.ie. They play Castlepalooza (August 2) and the Vibe Festival, Enniskillen (16).

Lesley-Ann wears:
SHOES: Black over-the-knee leather boots from Shoe Rack for €29.99
TOP: Shocking pink off-the-shoulder top, Morgan, €29.99
HOT PANTS: Morgan, €39.99
TIGHTS: Asda, Birmingham, €5
ACCESSORIES: Bracelets, Penneys, €3 each. Silver chain, A-Wear Dublin, €10