How Do You Show Your Allegiance?
Friday, June 10, 2011 at 12:01AM How do you show allegiance to your favorite bands?
Is it from buying albums or concert tickets or traveling to far away shows? I decided the way I most show my allegiance is by buying -- and wearing -- band T-shirts.
I own shirts from all sorts of artists, from the staples like Motley and RATT to new acts like Asking Alexandria and Lady Gaga and even pop stars like Britney Spears. I love band shirts.
I have more band shirts than pairs of shoes, but I only get the coveted shirt if I really love the band. I would never drop $30 or $50 on a band I didn't really care about and I bet you are the same way. In fact, I'm not sure I've ever made an impulse-type purchase at the merchandise booth at a show. Before festivals, I always know exactly what I want and what bands are my target. Same for club and arena gigs.
For whatever reason, I always felt like wearing a band's name across my chest is worth more than me just buying the album or a concert ticket -- and I do all those things, too. Do you agree?
Reader Comments (21)
Band shirts used to mean something... They meant you had seen the band in concert. You could not go to Target or Kohls and pick up a classic looking band t-shirt. I recognize that you cannot find an Asking Alexandria or even a Shinedown shirt at Target. I also know that Stones and Floyd shirts are very easy to find. Some of the 80s bands like Crue and Poison are easy to find, albeit less likely at the aforementioned stores.
Now for the "damn he is old" portion. It was equally exciting to get to the venue and get my new "concert shirt" back in the day. I vividly remember waiting in line for over 20 minutes to buy an overpriced motley crue jersey with a huge bat on the front and Nikki Sixx eye slashes on the shoulder during the Shout tour. Fantastic shirt. I loved LOVED my Queensryche Empire shirt that was white with a blue/black cross on the front. I loved it because it was white and everything else I owned was black. I still own my jersey from KISS' Animalize tour and t-shirt from Asylum tours. Both not terribly remarkable, but I got them both at the show. Someone stolle my Lick It Up t-shirt in high school. As I think about it, I still have at least one t-shirt from each KISS tour since Asylum. For me, the concert t-shirt (like many things) isn't as cool as it once was due in large part to the internet, and specifically e-bay.
Do I still buy shirts? Yes, I have tons of new shirts. I don't buy at every show and the shirt must be cool. Slayer almost always has something cool. I love my classic Manson shirt with just his name and a fist with devil horns on the front and "We hate love, we love hate" on the back. Love my Murderdolls shirts, all three. Shoot, I sometimes buy off e-bay to save money on the same shirt and I can more easily afford the same shirt now compared to back then. Hell, bands at times will give you shirts as a part of a package when you buy their new disc. My Theory of a Deadman shirt is coming with the new cd. How can you pass up a shirt with LowLife in big letters on the front, especially when you are an attorney. LOL.
Anyway, I love band shirts. They have lost something in my eyes. HOWEVER, I am nostalgic and frankly I am the same guy that my resident assistant in college said, "I can always predict what you are going to wear, jeans and black CONCERT t-shirt."
OUT
What my wife has done for me is frame some of my albums yes albums and place inside the frame our ticket stubs from the concerts that we attended of those artists and hang them on the wall. My prized one is of G N R's Appetite for Destruction Album with the original art work. That one raises a few eyebrows of my kids friends and guests.
I still support bands by buying their albums, telling my friends about them, and playing their songs on my Internet radio show, but I refuse to pay highway robbery prices for concert tickets and/or shirts.
I feel that what you wear, identifies you. I am proud to wear my Hines Ward shirt. I am proud to wear my National Horseshoe Pitcher's Association shirt, and I am damn proud to wear my new Blood of the Nations, Accept Tshirt. The new Accept Tshirt is very cool, for it is a blood soaked hand waving the peace sign.
Back in the day, I got some really cool tshirts...most are gone, but never from memory. Ratt had a cool t out with a hot babe bending over and her butt was sticking out. That shirt vanished...and I am thinking my mom tossed it out with the laundry.
Another Tshirt that was cool as hell was Kiss' Animalize Tour T. It said,'If it's too loud, you're too old."
I am from a different view point with band Ts. I think it is cool that they are in stores now and that anyone from any generation can throw one on to represent their fav band or genre. I love having my son wear his Ride The Lightning shirt, and it was bought at Target.
I also buy the albums and the vinyls of some of them are on my wall for all to see. T-shirts are big but the LPs are what prove your merit these days.
1965: Beatles Lunchbox
1966: Monkees Lunchbox
1967: Monkee Mobile Corgi Toy
1968: Beatles Yellow Submarine Corgi Toy
1979: Cheap Trick Bow Tie (worn to prom)
1986 - 1993 T-Shirt Collection consisting ALL the Biggies!
2010 White Bic Lighter with Red Crüe logo
rock on,
Hammerjack's T-Shirt purchased at M3 in 2010!
p.s. In case you didn't know already, Hammerjack's, formerly located in Baltimore, MD, was THE Premier Metal Venue on the East Coast throughout the 80's and Early 90's
Thanks for reminding me...
I also have a Kiss brass belt buckle from the 70's!
p.s. 90 shirts! That's Amazing! I have about 30 -- 10 of which are originals from the early 80's to late 80's... Crüe, Dokken, Leppard, Ratt, etc.
METALBOY!
Fighter of UNROCK Crimes Everywhere!
www.reverbnation.com/electronomicon