San Diego Reader

Since 2002, the insectoid stage outfits worn by the Locust have been created by fashion designer Ben Warwas.

"The first outfits I did were green, with masks that had mesh over the eyes," he says. "For a while, the eye coverings were white, but they discovered that stage lights would completely blind them, so I made the eyes black. The second set I did was green and red, then I did some white ones, a gray set, and the ones they wear now are aqua and fake fur."

He says the band occasionally commissions emergency replacements.

"A few masks have been stolen at shows. Now I make two sets of each outfit, so they can have a spare if something happens, or if the clothes get too stinky...it gets really hot inside them. They also travel with [their old] outfits, in case anything happens."

Warwas has toured with the band, shooting video footage he hopes to use someday for a documentary.

"Some people show up in outfits they made themselves," he says. "I'd love to make Locust masks that they can sell at shows, so the audience would be filled with insect heads, but at least for now it's too expensive to do as merchandise."

As of the newest tour, the band's soundman and a woman who takes photos and sells merchandise are also wearing custom Locust outfits. "It took a few years to talk the sound guy into it. The girl says she gets hit on a whole lot more now!"

The Locust appears December 5 at Epicentre.