Bands who wear their own merch on stage

[CyaNitrate]

So being a photographer for a local newspaper means that whenever a big act roles through town I get to go and photograph the show. Foreigner was awesome, actually got a picture with them. Ron White was hilarious. Jackyl was entertaining as hell.

I'm editing the pics from last night's show, The Band Perry....gotta take the bad with the good. The opener was this three piece with a female vocalist in a sun dress playing guitar and banjo, a guy who alternated with her between banjo and guitar, and another on upright bass. Very country, but like, honest and genuine feeling. So then the main act comes on, and they're wearing their own tshirts. It just feels...bad.

Like, for a local band busting their asses trying to get traction, wearing their own merch makes sense..get their name out by any means. But these guys are signed national headliners..it just felt kinda sleazy, even though I know lots of bands do it. What do you guys think?

The only real plus was discovering an instrument previously unknown to me, which I can only describe as a big ass mandolin. It looked like a thinline tele, but with only 4 strings, but zooming in revealed each was double coursed, just like a mando.

[tuffteef]

i thought like the only reason to wear your own merch is because its the only clean clothing left in the van that doesn't smell like popcorn yo

[goroth]

If it's ok for Maiden...

[skullservant]

Corrupted wears their own stuff I think

[Iommic Pope]

i thought like the only reason to wear your own merch is because its the only clean clothing left in the van that doesn't smell like popcorn yo

Or vomit and five day old sweat and bourbon.

Or bourbon sweat....

...and you're Dimebag Darrell.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cC7ue0YhN00[/youtube]

[sonidero]

Their my fuckin shirts and I'll wear them all day erry day... I'll be that douche... I mostly wear ILF related shirts noaw so of I had my own I'd wear it all the time... Also I don't think it's a bad thing or weird to wear a band shirt as a fan when you're going to that show, why do peeps not like that... You best believe I had my Loveless shirt on when I finally saw MBV...

[Chankgeez]

The only real plus was discovering an instrument previously unknown to me, which I can only describe as a big ass mandolin. It looked like a thinline tele, but with only 4 strings, but zooming in revealed each was double coursed, just like a mando.

Pics or it didn't happen.

[rustywire]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_GFzFqyaRc[/youtube]

(them not you)

[D.o.S.]

Were they cool shirts?

[Ugly Nora]

OP, do you have a problem with big acts having their name on the bass drum head as well?

[BoatRich]

OP, do you have a problem with big acts having their name on the bass drum head as well?

I personally think this and most backdrops are cheesy as hell. I agree with the OP though, I'll wear my own shirts around to do stuff but never onstage, it just seems odd to me.

[weed_killer]

Sonic Youth used to do it all the time:

NSFW: show

For me it's one of those grey areas that really depends on the attitude sense I get from the band - if it's coming across as 'they're clean and we've been on the road too long' like tuffteef said then sure, but if it's more 'our band is so fucking great that we'll wear our own merch', no thanks.

[D.o.S.]

Sonic Youth clearly falling into the latter half of the spectrum.

I think the ideas that power a discomfort with wearing your own merch are largely groundless once you start selling your own merch, myself.

[weed_killer]

Sonic Youth clearly falling into the latter half of the spectrum.

80s sonic youth though, so I agree with 'em.

[D.o.S.]

Oh, definitely -- I think they're pretty unimpeachable regardless of era.