Wear the band's logo t-shirt while gigging?

[SumOne]

What do you reckon to wearing your own band's logo t-shirt as you gig?

 

Free advertising....or just advertising that you are uncool?!

[Doctor J]

The most uncool thing possible, even if done ironically.

[MartinB]

Not cool for an originals band

[PaulWarning]

sort of, I wear a shirt with a patch with the bands name on it, crap quality, but at least my wrinkles aren't visible, Verbal Warning is the name on the patch in case you're interested

Edited August 24, 2023 by PaulWarning

[Waddo Soqable]

I wouldn't be wearing a tshirt on its own anyway, I'd generally have a shirt or jacket over it, so what it says is mostly obscured. 

[SumOne]

Bonus point for Mick Jagger wearing one with his face on it:  https://www.buzzfeed.com/tugboatcaptain/pictures-of-musicians-wearing-their-own-bands-t-s-cb7n?utm_term=.qpBZpj44mD&epik=dj0yJnU9cHU2N1BlUXA3eUdURUVrUVcwVnBRVHNhSlVCeE5zOUcmcD0wJm49WG1YUG1PZS1aeGRNd1JPaDNkVWZOUSZ0PUFBQUFBR1RuUFJB

 

 

 

 

[Acebassmusic]

I guess we're uncool then 🤷‍♂️  🤣

 

 

Edited August 24, 2023 by Acebassmusic

[Reggaebass]

Out of interest why is it uncool, I think I would 

[Oopsdabassist]

I would have no issues...if I HAD a tee shirt with the band's logo on it!

[Lozz196]

I’m aware that it’s meant to be very uncool, especially for originals bands, but in lieu of a backdrop or bass drum skin (on multi band lineups) then at least it’s some publicity for what band the audience are watching.

[Ed_S]

Both guitarists from another band playing on the same bill as us bought our shirts from the merch table and put them on to go and play their set. A nice gesture, but somebody wrote a review referring to them by our band name and tagging us etc. So wearing your own shirts on stage is probably better than another band who could conceivably be mistaken for you wearing your shirts on stage. Well.. unless they're significantly better than you 🙂 

 

We have been known to wear our band shirts, but they've tended to be either a slightly different design or a colour that we don't sell as merch.

[BigRedX]

Definitely no. I have been in bands where we have worn our band T-shirts while setting up, but we always got changed into our stage wear before playing. 

 

Personally I wouldn't wear on stage a T-shirt or any other clothing with an obvious logo or branding on it unless I was being paid a significant amount of money to do so.

[Rexel Matador]

For reasons I cannot begin to fathom, I've always had in my head that this is only ok for drummers.

[BigRedX]

1 minute ago, Rexel Matador said:

For reasons I cannot begin to fathom, I've always had in my head that this is only ok for drummers.

 

Because most of the audience can only see their head. 

 

Can also work for some keyboard players depending on how prog rock their rig is...

[Doctor J]

The keyboardist can also conceal their uncoolness under their cape.

[Newfoundfreedom]

Each to their own but it's a definite no from me. 

 

It's the absolute pinnacle of sad. YMMV 

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Worrying about what is and what isn't cool is defintely uncool

[MartinB]

 

[meterman]

I’ve done it in originals bands, for a couple of different reasons.

 

One, when you’ve been on tour for nearly 3 months and you’ve run out of clean clothes to wear, raiding the band merch doesn’t seem like too bad an idea eventually. Especially when the record company has produced 1000’s of them and you’re stuck behind a drum kit and nobody’s going to see you anyway. Getting your laundry done when you’re away for months is almost impossible. So, yeah... Guilty!
 

Two, when the T-shirt design is a really good one and you’re playing in a great band on a huge stage and being paid daft money to be there, then why not? Again... Guilty!

 

Similarly, I did a gig for Levi’s once and got a load of free gear from them, which I’ve worn onstage at various places. Nobody’s bothered.

 

I’ll admit that although I take my work reasonably seriously I wouldn’t claim to possess an ounce of cool, so in my case I’d doubt anyone seeing me in a band shirt would give a toss. I’m a middle aged white guy so nobody really cares what I wear. I’m at that age where I might as well be invisible now anyway 😂 But also it wouldn’t bother me if I’d gone to see a band and one of them had a T-shirt with the band’s name on it. It’s not exactly Joy Division oven gloves or Sisters Of Mercy tea towels level is it?

 

Edited August 24, 2023 by meterman
tea towels

[Paul S]

Yes, I wear one.  I am a fat, ugly, elderly twit for whom the pursuance of 'cool' long ago lost its appeal.  Helps to remind me of the band's name, tbh.

[cetera]

One man's cool is another's uncool. Someone who thinks it's uncool might not be someone whose opinion you value anyway...

 

Do what you want. It's all in HOW you wear it.... 

[Reggaebass]

Duckie Simpson wearing the band T shirt here, so it’s definitely not uncool 

[Newfoundfreedom]

Never heard of him. 😆

[rushbo]

My main band is a Roxy Music tribute and we have a "smart-casual" dress codes, so a T shirt would be frowned upon. Our drummer is exempt from this ruling and wears a selection of vintage Roxy Music T shirts at gigs, which I think is pretty cool. 

 

As a man of a certain age, I tend to gig in a waistcoat, buttoned up - apart from the bottom button, of course. I do wear a T shirt underneath that and very occasionally, it's the band's T Shirt, but you can't see what's on it anyway.  I'm not a huge fan of wearing a T shirt onstage (unless it's teamed with a waistcoat or jacket) but if you've got a cool logo or a snazzy design then go for your life. Free advertising and a plug for your merch. 

Edited August 27, 2023 by rushbo

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

33 minutes ago, Paul S said:

Helps to remind me of the band's name, tbh.

That’s a great idea. I should get a t-shirt with the band name, date, venue and time I need to be there for each gig 😂