Why do bad bands have such cool stuff?

Ever notice how the worst bands always have the coolest-looking stuff? Maybe they’re overly compensating, but awful musicians seem to grasp the fundamentals of marketing faster than everyone else. To me, a band’s merchandise—T-shirts, posters, stickers, buttons, etc.—should accurately reflect the quality of the band. Punk rock is one of the worst offenders, in that the lamest bands hawk all the tough-looking, DIY stuff. Good Charlotte, who’ve yet to release something even approaching real punk, have cool stuff including Level 27, a separate clothing line that caters to the “mascara and blood spatters” scenester crowd. The Casualties, an up-and-coming street punk band with crazy hair and negligible talent, have a mohawked skull logo that festoons their shirts, belt buckles and stickers. Again, the music lags behind. Who cares if they’ve been playing the exact same song forever? Twenty bucks will guarantee kids something that will offend their parents. The Misfits apply the same logic. They get worse (and lose band members) every year, but their stuff gets cooler and cooler. Thankfully, there is hope. Good bands with quality merchandise do still exist—they’re just harder to find. For example, North Carolina rockabilly band the Tremors sell glow-in-the-dark “Uranium Rock” shirts (in conjunction with an EP of the same name)—a fun gimmick with great campy artwork. As for their music, many North Carolinians consider them one of the best bands in the state. So let that be your guide into a world of quality entertainment.

—Posted by David Kiefaber

June 29, 2005 in Kiefaber | Permalink