Wear your own shirt?

[JimmyM]

The only time it is acceptable is when everyone in the band wears one as a uniform, a la these guys:

 

[Wfrance3]

long as its clean...

 

[electracoyote]

Certain musician types will have a problem with it.

The other 99.5% of the people in the room (you know, that audience we're trying to win over) probably won't care, and some might even think it's cool and want one. Good marketing.

Depends on the music and venue as well. I wouldn't make it the habit, but I'd consider it from time to time.

Leave it up to the individual members to decide, and remember whose opinions really matter.

 

[mrjim123]

I don't understand why this would even be an issue. Bands have their names/logos on bass drums, hanging on banners on stage, and sell merch all over the place. But somehow it's not cool to wear a band t-shirt while you're playing?

I don't get it.

Finally, 15 posts in, a sane reply! Some of the responses before had me asking myself what I missed along the way. Wear them, don't wear them, there are no rules, who gives a rat's ***?

 

[12BitSlab]

I have a different take.

Very few people here has the fame or notoriety of Sir Paul, Ginger Baker, or any of the other names mentioned.

Wear whatever it is that the person paying you wants you to wear. It doesn't matter what I think, or anyone other than the person who signs the check. That is the ONLY opinion that matters.

 

[rufus.K]

Acceptable? What are we? Conformists? Anything you do that doesn't involve the suffering of others is acceptable. Wear your shirts. It's good advertising. NEVER be concerned with others' opinions of you. Others are jerks. This is a world full of very vocal jerks, and the nice people mostly don't offer up opinions on stuff that's none of their business.

Wear the shirts. Don't wear the shirts. Pay busty strippers to wear your shirts. Whatever makes you happy is fine with me.

I would not wear my own band's T shirt around town, at home, or in general in public. That seems to border on narcissism. MAYBE mowing the lawn since that's not exactly public and I need something to keep sun off me and soak up sweat. I also wouldn't put my band bumper sticker on my car. I prefer non-descript in my vehicular presence-- no bands, politicians, causes, little stick people, stickers stating that I heart a particular breed of dog, none of it.

I WOULD in theory wear my band's t-shirt at my band's gig (though in actuality I don't).

This is a proper place to promote your band-- at your band's gig, surrounded by your band's logo on a drum set, with the name on the marquee (if there's a marquee), with your band's banner hanging behind the stage, in front of many of your friends. If there's one place it's okay to advertise a store with it's logo, it's IN THE STORE, during business hours. People are there specifically to patronize the store. You get upset when you see the Walmart logo in Walmart? Or the Guitar Center logo in Guitar Center?

wear the shirt. there is nothing wrong with it

 

[RichardW]

Joe Strummer has spoken. Case closed.

 

[mikeswals]

Lame.
might as well take it the next step further and put your names on your shirt.

You want your fans around you wearin your shirt at a show, not you, it is narcissism.

 

[Savage_Dreams]

does no one else see the irony in this question and his avatar? wear the damn shirt!

 

[the slug]

Sure it's ok, as long as you are also wearing cargo shorts and sandels

 

[sigterm]

It's super cool it reminds me of those customized shirts you see at big family reunions that aunt milly makes. You can also get matching quilts.

 

[Plutonium244]

wear the shirt. there is nothing wrong with it

Particularly at a gig.

 

[redwingxix]

ok I guess I could be a little biased. Or maybe it's because I saw some of my favorite bands doing it at an impressionable young age?

 

[electracoyote]

maybe it's because I saw some of my favorite bands doing it at an impressionable young age?

And how many non-musicians have you heard bash those bands for wearing their own tee? I'm guessing somewhere close to none.

 

[Mugre]

I'm normally very much a "do your own thing man" kind of guy. Play a Fodera on a blues gig? Sure. Don't wanna own a P bass, great. Heck, I'm even okay with cargo shorts on stage as long as it's a dad band at a block party but I dunno, something about wearing your own band t-shirt on stage just comes off as desperate. I mean, I wouldn't walk out on a band I like because of it but I'd sneer for a moment and thing, "really?".

 

[skwee]

this would be acceptable.

 

[tedious1]

In general, I'm not a fan, it seems conceited, not clever.

Having said that, I play originals punk, the band name is the sixth word you can't say on TV, and our first shirt had the band name on the front and "---- me, I'm in the band" on the back.

That shirt I wore for a bit, but I can't recall ever wearing it on stage.

Since we started doing short tours every year (for the most part) I generally buy a shirt from one of the bands we're playing with and wear that. It makes for a light pack for the start of tour, underwear, socks, some shorts, a shirt or three (sometimes none of the other bands have merch, rare, but it happens...), and a bag for sweaty shirts purchased on the road.

 

[armyadarkness]

I would wear a Justin Bieber T-shirt, ironically of course... it's not like I have all his albums and a few rare import singles or anything like that....

I knew it!

 

[sigterm]

I feel the same way about pants.

It's all fun and games till you can't play Miami anymore

 

[renobassman]

Wear the shirts. Don't wear the shirts. Pay busty strippers to wear your shirts. Whatever makes you happy is fine with me.

If you do this, it won't matter what you're wearing on stage because no one will be paying attention to you.