Bands who wear their own merch on stage

[weed_killer]

[CyaNitrate]

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.

[CyaNitrate]

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.

That's kind of how it felt. I should note that it was only the mando-tar player. The other two were in regular, clean looking clothes. So maybe just the one guy is "omg we're awesome"

[backwardsvoyager]

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.

+ 1, this stuff is all kinda cringeworthy to me, people can do whatever they want and we can just deal with it, but personally i'd never wanna do stuff like that.
that's a kind of biased opinion developed from playing too many shows to empty rooms alongside bands that still insist upon setting up goddamn logo banners behind the stage though.

[guitarslinger21]

FWIW, I saw some hipster band open for St. Vincent. They didn't have a banner or anything. They didn't wear logo shirts. No bass drum logo. They joked about being called "Daughtry" since Chris Daughtry was playing in the upper level theatre the same night. They never announced their own name.

No idea who they were, but they definitely sucked. Maybe that's why they wouldn't advertise their name.

[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.

+ 1, this stuff is all kinda cringeworthy to me, people can do whatever they want and we can just deal with it, but personally i'd never wanna do stuff like that.
that's a kind of biased opinion developed from playing too many shows to empty rooms alongside bands that still insist upon setting up goddamn logo banners behind the stage though.

I booked a band who brought their banner to a fucking basement, it was ridiculous. I'm big on setting up quickly and short and sweet sets and banners and custom drum heads and shit just seem like a ton of posturing and a waste of time to me. I'm totally cool with big stage productions, and making things a show, just keep it tasteful and/or completely over the top I guess

[blindrabbit]

Yeah, we wear our own shirts on stage. No one really knows who we are, so it helps get our name out there, and also hopefully gets people interested in buying the shirts. Now, it's not like we do this every gig, and it's never more than just one guy wearing one, but I definitely don't stress over it. Wear whatever the hell you want to. If you like your own merch, cool. If you don't want to wear it on stage, also cool. There are way bigger things to stress over than this.

[Ugly Nora]

This douchebag got his band logo tattooed on his arm, not once, but twice. What a douchebag.

[grygrx]

I only wear merch from my band in two situations.

1) Regular shirt is fucked for some reason, merch shirt is available.
2) The band broke up.

[CyaNitrate]

This douchebag got his band logo tattooed on his arm, not once, but twice. What a douchebag.

[Krosis]

When national acts do it, it's kinda cheesy, almost like saying "don't forget to hit up the merch table on your way out and give us $35 for this shirt."

But one of my biggest pet peeves is going to a club or bar show and digging the band on stage, but having no idea who they are. They don't have anything on stage with their name and they either didn't announce who they were or they did before I got there. How am I supposed to follow the band and support them if I don't know who they are?

On the other other hand, I also like seeing bands wear other bands' shirts, as if to say "hey thanks for digging us but you should dig this band too, they're cool." Kinda like people helping each other out.

[blindrabbit]

This douchebag got his band logo tattooed on his arm, not once, but twice. What a douchebag.

Awesome.

When national acts do it, it's kinda cheesy, almost like saying "don't forget to hit up the merch table on your way out and give us $35 for this shirt."

But one of my biggest pet peeves is going to a club or bar show and digging the band on stage, but having no idea who they are. They don't have anything on stage with their name and they either didn't announce who they were or they did before I got there. How am I supposed to follow the band and support them if I don't know who they are?

On the other other hand, I also like seeing bands wear other bands' shirts, as if to say "hey thanks for digging us but you should dig this band too, they're cool." Kinda like people helping each other out.

Perfect. Couldn't have worded it better myself. My preference (and I think my buddies agree) that we like to wear the shirts of other local/smaller bands, especially ones we are playing with - sometimes we'll buy a shirt right there and throw it on before hitting the stage - but the whole thing with banners and drum skins and wearing your own t-shirt is that it helps people know who you are. Important stuff for the little guys like us.

[CyaNitrate]

When national acts do it, it's kinda cheesy, almost like saying "don't forget to hit up the merch table on your way out and give us $35 for this shirt."

But one of my biggest pet peeves is going to a club or bar show and digging the band on stage, but having no idea who they are. They don't have anything on stage with their name and they either didn't announce who they were or they did before I got there. How am I supposed to follow the band and support them if I don't know who they are?

On the other other hand, I also like seeing bands wear other bands' shirts, as if to say "hey thanks for digging us but you should dig this band too, they're cool." Kinda like people helping each other out.

Perfect. Couldn't have worded it better myself. My preference (and I think my buddies agree) that we like to wear the shirts of other local/smaller bands, especially ones we are playing with - sometimes we'll buy a shirt right there and throw it on before hitting the stage - but the whole thing with banners and drum skins and wearing your own t-shirt is that it helps people know who you are. Important stuff for the little guys like us.

All of this! This is exactly what i was trying to convey in my original post.

[PeteeBee]

ugh bands not saying there name drives me crazy! I really don't get it. I go to lots of shows and don't have time to research every band on the flyer. Just tell me who you are! I never paid any attention to banners or drum skin logos before this but now that it is brought to my attention I totally agree that they're cheesy. Just tell me twice, like after the first song and right before the last. Don't plaster it everywhere/rant

[space6oy]

i wear my bar's logo t-shirts all the time but would never wear my own band's shirts until we broke up.
if it's having to get into the merch for whatever reason, turn it inside out. duh.