Wes Borland's 29 greatest on stage costumes
A look at the Limp Bizkit guitarist's ever evolving outfits, makeup and body paint
Truly one of the most eccentric and flamboyant characters in rock music, Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland is renowned for his elaborate visual appearance at live concerts.
Alongside being a killer musician with a 40-million record selling nu metal band, Wes Borland is also a trained tattoo artist and keen painter and these artistic influences bleed through into the various formidable on-stage personas he concocts.
Wearing trademark black contact lenses in his eyes, Wes Borland sports outlandish costumes and body paint at Limp Bizkit concerts to create fearsome – and sometimes hilarious – guises. Constantly evolving, Wes Borland rarely rocks the same look at consecutive live concerts too.
"I go onstage wearing almost nothing,” Borland noted about one look in 2002. “I have underwear and my boots on, and I paint my whole head black—from the neck up—and I have the black contacts. All you can see is these glowing teeth.”
Here at Kerrang! Radio we’ve rounded up some of Wes Borland’s most outrageous and memorable looks from over the past quarter-of-a-century, from simple beginnings, to Limp Bizkit's riotous set at Woodstock 99, to his modern-day LED masks. There's even an extremely rare picture of Wes Borland with no makeup! Check them out in all their glory below...
Wes Borland's greatest on stage outfits:
Wes Borland's greatest stage costumes
Wes Borland at Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California in June 1999 shortly after the release of Limp Bizkit's second studio album 'Significant Other'. With white face paint, eery shark-like black eyes and cobwebs on his neck, Wes Borland was starting to perfect his fearsome onstage persona.
Wes Borland's greatest stage costumes
Wes Borland at the 30th anniversary Woodstock Festival in August 1999 with those same emotionless dead eyes and more flamboyant, almost tribal face paint. The look is a precursor to Wes Borland's guise in Limp Bizkit's 'Break Stuff' video in 2000.
Wes Borland's greatest stage costumes
Wes Borland Pukkelpop Festival in Belgium in the summer of 2000 with that now trademark white face and black shark eye combo, but this time with blood smeared all over his chest. Lovely stuff.
Wes Borland's greatest stage costumes
Rarely sporting the same make-up and body paint at consecutive shows, just a few days after Pukkelpop, Wes Borland took to the stage in Hamburg with this gloriously terrifying skeletal look.
Wes Borland's greatest stage costumes
Wes Borland on stage with his comedy side project Big Dumb Face in 2001 wearing nothing but a pair of speedos and a mask. Strong look!
Wes Borland's greatest stage costumes
Wes Borland unveiled this gloriously evil guise at on the Main Stage at Download Festival back in 2009. You certainly wouldn't want to meet him down a dark alley.
Wes Borland's greatest stage costumes
Much less scary than his Download Festival look, Wes Borland sported white body paint with rainbows daubed on his shoulders and a crude ribcage on his chest at Palasharp in Milan in June 2009. Setting the look off nicely is his rather fetching glitterball mask.
Wes Borland's greatest stage costumes
Wes Borland at the much-missed Sonisphere in 2011 wearing a clown mask, blue contact lenses and resplendent white suit complete with pink rose on his lapel. Exquisite.
Wes Borland's greatest stage costumes
Wes Borland stares out the cameraman at Gramercy Theatre in New York City in May 2010. Now devoid of a glitterball mask, Wes wears a resplendent mirror design on his shoulder instead.
Wes Borland's greatest stage costumes
Wes Borland flaunting his feminine side at Leeds Festival in 2010 complete with black wig, crude lipstick and a faux-fur coat.
Wes Borland's greatest stage costumes
Just one day later at Reading Festival 2010, Wes Borland morphed into this proper horrorshow witch-like look. Enough to give the fresh-faced youngsters in the front row nightmares.
Wes Borland's greatest stage costumes
A stark black-and-white look Wes Borland unveiled in Madrid in September 2010.
Wes Borland's greatest stage costumes
In Germany in June 2011, Wes Borland revealed a slight tweak to the deranged witch look from Reading Festival a year earlier by introducing LED eyes. Phenomenal.
Wes Borland's greatest stage costumes
Wes Borland in his stark black-and-white guise at Sonisphere 2011.
Wes Borland's greatest stage costumes
Almost camouflaging into the darkness except for those glowing LED eyes, Wes Borland looks truly formidable at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in California in September 2011.
Wes Borland's greatest stage costumes
Featuring sunglasses, a moustache and horrific comb over hairstyle, blood daubed on his pants and a sharp white jacket, Wes Borland unveiled this unique look in Sydney in 2012.
Wes Borland's greatest stage costumes
Wes Borland sporting flowing blonde locks and a mask at Rock in Rio festival in May 2012.
Wes Borland's greatest stage costumes
The inimitable Wes Borland at Download Festival 2013, coated in black body paint, and wearing a glittering mask embedded with LEDs.
Wes Borland's greatest stage costumes
Looking like he'd been attacked by the clothing isle at a charity shop, Wes Borland rocked this strong look at Brixton Academy in 2014.
Wes Borland's greatest stage costumes
Another deranged look Wes Borland revealed at Sonisphere 2014, featuring a glistening black face mask. Behind him you can see Wes' custom painted guitar cabs, which are as uniquely decorated by the Limp Bizkit axeman as any of his outifts.
Wes Borland's greatest stage costumes
The return of Wes Borland charity shop chic look but this time with a stunning tiger-themed dressing gown.
Wes Borland's greatest stage costumes
A skeletal looking Wes Borland at Manchester Arena in 2016.
Wes Borland's greatest stage costumes
Wes Borland in his y-fronts and dressing gown at Domination Festival 2019 in Mexico City in 2019.
Wes Borland's greatest stage costumes
Wes Borland on stage with Limp Bizkit at Doheny State Beach, California in June 2019. Yeehaw cowboy!
Wes Borland's greatest stage costumes
Fred Durst may have stolen the show at Limp Bizkit's summer 2021 shows in North America with his 'dad vibes' look, however how could we overlook the somewhat bird-like Wes Borland? Resplendent as usual and the furry boots are a nice touch.
Wes Borland's greatest stage costumes
An extremely rare photo of Wes Borland on stage wearing no makeup, no contact lenses in his eyes or crazy costume! In 2022, during some downtime for Limp Bizkit, Borland was part of legendary composer Danny Elfman's band at Coachella. The band performed Elfman's compositions such as The Simpsons theme and songs from The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Wes Borland's greatest stage costumes
After the release of their sixth studio album 'Still Sucks' in October 2021, Limp Bizkit embarked on a tour which continued into 2022. As well as showcasing further versions of Fred Durst's 'Dad Vibes' look, Wes Borland continued the evolution of his outfit, combining elements of past costumes like his brilliant white suit, black half-mask, long hair, and those eery pure black contact lenses.
Wes Borland's greatest stage costumes
Pictured here during Limp Bizkit's massive Gunnersbury Park gig in London on 13th August 2023, Wes combines a number of his trademark themes, with a pitch black suit paired with skeletal face paint and pure black contact lenses.
Wes Borland's greatest stage costumes
Borland on the mic! Sporting double-eye makeup, embroidered shirt and a simply glorious moustache, Wes takes a turn on vocals during 2023's Louder Than Life Music Festival in Kentucky.