Well how do you sell it then? I always wore my band's merch, and I sold a ton of it. Couldn't keep it in stock. Sold one right off my back one time and then did the worst sin of all: finished the gig shirtless.
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Wear your own shirt?
- Thread starter redwingxix
- Start date
Well how do you sell it then? I always wore my band's merch, and I sold a ton of it. Couldn't keep it in stock. Sold one right off my back one time and then did the worst sin of all: finished the gig shirtless.
I'm just being a smart ass...,I totally agree supporting your fellow musicians is a must, and wearing the shirts of your touring mates is always a sign of showing respect and support.
I also love a good cover band.
Count me with I don't care crowd. We have embroidered golf shirts that are acceptable for outdoor gigs and since we are older, we can get away with it.
MDBass
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...ironically, also the opinion of an anonymous internet star.
If the OP is in a legacy band playing sold out arena tours, like every musician posted here wearing their own shirts is, then he'd already know that he can do whatever he damn well pleases.
But he isn't, which is why he's posting here asking for the opinions of anonymous internet stars
...ironically, also the opinion of an anonymous internet star.
If the OP is in a legacy band playing sold out arena tours, like every musician posted here wearing their own shirts is, then he'd already know that he can do whatever he damn well pleases.
But he isn't, which is why he's posting here asking for the opinions of anonymous internet stars
I'm not any kind of star. I know who I am. But in a working band, I sold a lot more shirts on a night I or someone in my band wore one than any night when we didn't, so your opinion is invalid here. Do you want to move merchandise? Better show it then.
MDBass
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Any real working band has a merch display: a band member doesn't need to wear a shirt onstage for people to see them.
"My anecdotal story makes your opinion invalid."
If that's the game we're playing, someone should probably mention how most touring bands (who make their living selling merch) don't wear said merch onstage.
Wear your own bands gear onstage all you want: you get to be pleased with your merch sales and I get a laugh out of how bush league it looks to me.
Everyone wins
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Any real working band has a merch display: a band member doesn't need to wear a shirt onstage for people to see them.
"My anecdotal story makes your opinion invalid."
If that's the game we're playing, someone should probably mention how most touring bands (who make their living selling merch) don't wear said merch onstage.
Wear your own bands gear onstage all you want: you get to be pleased with your merch sales and I get a laugh out of how C-list it looks to me.
Everyone wins
You come across as smug.
But you knew that.
I laugh at no one. Everybody has worth in the world of entertainment. I find a lot of people dislike videos I post, or work I do, and try to look down their noses at me, and publicly say so. And then I go to check out what they are doing, and I think they are not very compelling, and I say NOTHING to anyone about it, because I have enough class that I don't need to raise myself up by bringing others down.
I don't care what most touring bands do. I don't care what other bass players think of me. I don't care about anyone's opinion on anything, therefore not just yours but all opinions are just as invalid. It's silly to worry about pleasing others, and it's silly to think you can hand out a stamp of disapproval at "how C-list it looks" to you.
I am far below the C-list.
Where are you?
MDBass
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I'm just poking a bit of fun at you for taking your opinion on a bass forum this seriously: it's a bass forum, it's not that serious
If you don't care about anyone's opinion, why are you so insistent on arguing with mine?
The OP asked a question, I gave my opinion, and you keep coming back to tell me how wrong I am.
I think it looks uber tacky, and I think there's a reason that no professional band that formed after 1990 does it regularly.
You disagree, and think it works well for you, so do your thing: if I ever happen to see you play you'll be selling merch and I'll get a smile out of it, and laughter most assuredly falls under the "entertainment" umbrella.
Have a nice night my friend
MDBass
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My favorite so far was the guitarist who made the "this is not a (name of his band) shirt" to wear onstage from earlier in the thread.
A friend of mine owns a screen printing company, I might just have to do the same for giggles...though I do already tour Mexico with a band that sells shirts with "Si shaging Si!" on them
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I don't wear band t-shirts....ever.
All band members with identical band t-shirts should be a crime!!!
All band members with identical band t-shirts should be a crime!!!
I suspect that most of those advocating NOT wearing their own bands' t-shirts are relatively young, and by "young" I mean below, say, 50-55 ( 
) because that is roughly the age where I started realizing that "cool" is vastly overrated, that chasing it is a sign of insecurity, and that cool is often hijacked by those with some lame sense of a code of honor developed by a small, relatively insular group.
Cool vs. non-cool is a valid concept because it exists to help enforce necessary social norms. Common courtesy, respect, a sense of the order and beauty that surrounds us - these can all be used as yardsticks against which one can measure "coolness". The subject of THIS thread is NOT in that realm.
If you believe that wearing your own band's t-shirt is egotistical then having them printed to begin with is egotistical. If you think that promoting yourself while you're upfront is somehow crass than get a different job. Wear other band's shirts to show support - I'm all for it, if you really like the band. Whether you want to wear your own band's shirt or not, on-stage, off-stage - its all good, but to suggest that one way is cool and the other is not is a misguided take on coolness.
Really being cool is often doing what isn't cool, as long as you're respectful towards others in the process. If you want to be cool then do the opposite and knock cool on it's ass, otherwise you might as well get a t-shirt that reads "sheep"!
) because that is roughly the age where I started realizing that "cool" is vastly overrated, that chasing it is a sign of insecurity, and that cool is often hijacked by those with some lame sense of a code of honor developed by a small, relatively insular group.Cool vs. non-cool is a valid concept because it exists to help enforce necessary social norms. Common courtesy, respect, a sense of the order and beauty that surrounds us - these can all be used as yardsticks against which one can measure "coolness". The subject of THIS thread is NOT in that realm.
If you believe that wearing your own band's t-shirt is egotistical then having them printed to begin with is egotistical. If you think that promoting yourself while you're upfront is somehow crass than get a different job. Wear other band's shirts to show support - I'm all for it, if you really like the band. Whether you want to wear your own band's shirt or not, on-stage, off-stage - its all good, but to suggest that one way is cool and the other is not is a misguided take on coolness.
Really being cool is often doing what isn't cool, as long as you're respectful towards others in the process. If you want to be cool then do the opposite and knock cool on it's ass, otherwise you might as well get a t-shirt that reads "sheep"!
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