Jovi’s band members John Shanks and Everett Bradley stepped out and performed in Highland dress from Gordon Nicolson Kiltmakers on Friday night.
Looking to avoid mass-produced tourist imports, according to the kiltmakers, the musicians walked in asking to look like “Scottish rock stars” while learning proper kilt etiquette.
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Lead guitarist Shanks performed in front of fans wearing a navy tweed kilt hand-sewn by an apprentice at the Edinburgh Kiltmakers Academy – an institution founded to preserve traditional kiltmaking, which is listed on the Red List of Endangered Crafts.
He finished the outfit with a goat’s hair reeling sporran, an axe kilt pin, and his signature mismatched socks.
Percussionist Bradley selected an Auld Lang Syne tartan kilt in honour of Robert Burns, paired with a thistle pin and a raccoon skin sporran.
Both musicians were reportedly stunned to learn that sporran is Gaelic for purse, crowning it the “original man bag.”
The band members and Gordon (Image: Gordon Nicolson Kiltmakers)
Gordon Nicolson, founder of Gordon Nicolson Kiltmakers, commented: “It was an absolute pleasure hosting John and Everett. They had fantastic fun with myself, my daughter Eve, and our hire manager Sharon during the fitting. Seeing an endangered Scottish craft represented on a stadium stage by world-class musicians is a massive moment for traditional highlandwear… especially when it’s by members of one of the most iconic rock bands of all time! We really are over the moon.”
During their visit, the musicians described the fitting as one of the best shopping experiences of their tour, expressing deep respect for keeping traditional hand-sewing techniques alive in Edinburgh.
The shop claim they are rapidly becoming “the ultimate Royal Mile destination for international music legends”.
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Earlier this summer, Shirley Manson and her bandmates in Garbage took to the stage at Edinburgh Castle in full Highlandwear, with Manson famously bypassing traditional women’s styles to perform in a custom Prince Charlie ensemble, and her American bandmates rocking Red Nicolson Muted kilts.
Hard-rock titans AC/DC also turned to the kiltmakers for authentic Scottish attire ahead of their Murrayfield gig last summer, after Gordon himself designed a bespoke tartan in memory of their former frontman, Bon Scott.