The Towelheads!

Mummies, for sure.  Rip-Offs were also blinking ace.

Fire Bad!

http://www.reverbnation.com/#!/firebad

Los Tiki Phantoms from Spain.

Good call on Atomic Suplex! We played with them earlier in the year and they damn near brought the pub crumbing to it's foundations. Amazing band.

Gotta love Clinic as well, especially the first few records. They've gone a wee bit softer in their old age, but are still an amazing band.

Nobody mentioned The Astronauts yet. So...

The Spits !

does Angus Young count also? ;-)

Torpedo Monkeys, Dead Elvis, the METALUNA IV

The Bucky Rage... but then I'm a bit biased. Was a massive fan before I stepped in on bass though.

Deadbolt, Los Straightjackets, Knuckle Dragger, and there used to be a band here in Phoenix in the early 90's called Mid Evil Knevils that wore Evil Knevil out fits. Their line was "we were these helmets for your protection"

Obviously The Mummies!! but I have a question, Man Or Astro-Man? counts?

Great thread, I agree with you Wolfboy Slim, masks add another great dimension to a live show...I see Kiss mentioned, but I think we should draw the line between makeup (especially glam) and masks.

I too, really like, The Mummies and the bandage gimmick cracks me up.

The Mexican wrestling masks worn by, Los Staitjackets and the Dwarves, look brilliant. It must be murder to play in that getup in summer.

The Kings of masked shows around here (Oz) would be T.I.S.M. whose identities have never been revealed behind an unbroken line of diverse and bizarre masks.

However, I'm rather partial to 'Zorro' eye masks, which I think look excellent when worn by 6ts trash bands or Japanese Garage acts like the 5,6,7,8's and the Stompin' RiffRaffs. I think they would be my favourites, (though they're not always masked).

My favorites right now: The Scumbugs!

Not a masked band as such , but , I saw Blue Oyster Cult ,once , in 1979. During the inevitable Drum solo on "Godzilla" ,the strobe lights kick in , and suddenly , Alan Lanier is wearing a gigantic , regulation , licensed by Toho studios ,Godzilla mask ! Under the strobe , you'd see his own face return , then go back to the mask , as if by magic , while playing the drums. It was an effective illusion , to say the least.....Flash forward about 25 years later , and I'm seeing Brain Surgeons NYC , featuring Lanier and Ross The Boss (I was the only person there wearing a Dictators T-shirt. Everybody else wanted to talk about Manowar !). This was , of course ,  a small venue , so when THEY did "Godzilla " , Lanier simply grabbed the mask from behind his kit , put it on , did his solo , took the mask off again , and finished the song. No strobe lights , no suspension of disbelief. It was hilarious! 

We may be biased, but Klobbermeister is our favorite masked band.

Mask Man is great but no one was ever like Blowfly

King Diamond was cool but I haven't listed to them since I cut my mullet.

Mohammed Rafi put out the classic video Jaan Pehechan Ho

The Vampires were a German instrumental surf group with a girl drummer that all dressed up like Robin the boy wonder. They were great but lost in time, if anyone has more info please share.

My recommendation would be the Christian garage rockers the Knights of the New Crusade

Conjunto Misterio from Portugal (1963 - 1965)

Although they mostly covered famous songs, the idea and concept of a masked band was , I believe, quite innovative for the time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEkhVXVEdJU

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cWdQEoHbKV4/TStixOAKyTI/AAAAAAAAAHc/Bur-29j1aF0/s1600/Conjunto+Mist%25C3%25A9rio+-+Front.jpg

Cheers.

I gotta' throw the Mummies as #1....they even had that kick ass ambulance.  Cross town fiends/rivals the Rip Offs were great as well!  "Got A Record" is still one of the best album covers.

3-D Invisibles. They don't always wear masks or makeup , but , when they do , it's something very cool. And , as Rock'n'Horror bands go , they've never got their due.

Los Straitjackets. Gotta love the luchador masks.

The Phantom Surfers & Blind Rage & Violence. 

Rev

There was a band in the 70's , maybe early 80's , called The Children of The Night. They had a Dracula , a Frankenstein, a Wolfman , a Mummy and an Ygor.....They put an album out and even got their picture printed in Mad magazine. Have'nt heard a lick of their music , and I suspect it's nothing to write home about , but, they LOOKED cool. Eddie Angel (Los Straitjackets , Neanderthals.) once told me he was starting an all - monster band . I don't know if it ever got past the planning stage , but , knowing him , it would have been great.

The Spits & Nobunny.

Very Good ! "ME SO LA , RA FA RE DO , DO ME NO FA , RE DO , DO , DO"
 
DammitDave said:

Nairobi Trio

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoLTFQsFswM