OK fess up - who wears their own bands merch?

[Space Hammer]

I for one, have been totally against the idea of wearing a T-shirt (or other bits of merch) of a band that i play in (I blame my punk background). Recently one of the bands that i play in has commissioned a pretty cool artist to do some illustrations and i'm thinking "damn that's cool - can't wait to pull one of those on".

So what's the verdict? faux pas? who rocks their own shirts out and about?

[Cream]

"Marry, sir, ’tis an ill cook that cannot lick his own fingers. Therefore he that cannot lick his fingers goes not with me."
- William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, act IV, scene 2

I say if you can't even rep your own band by wearing a shirt, why should you expect anyone else to pay to do so?

[Space Hammer]

Originally Posted by StratPack

"Marry, sir, ’tis an ill cook that cannot lick his own fingers. Therefore he that cannot lick his fingers goes not with me."
- William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, act IV, scene 2

I say if you can't even rep your own band by wearing a shirt, why should you expect anyone else to pay to do so?

If I was a cook i'd eat my food - but i wouldn't wear a shirt saying I did the best steak in town. That said i see your point, and maybe this is a cultural thing, because as an Australian such behaviour would/is looked at as being a fairly douche-y thing to do.

[Cream]

I don't think wearing your band's shirt implies you think you play the best music in town either. Even some pros wear their own merch. If you're proud of something you made, I don't have a problem with you showing it, YMMV.

EDIT: I would go on to say I find the opposite more odd -- band's wearing other bands' merch while on stage. I don't care if they're your idols or whatnot, you're here to play your music so why wear an advertisement for another band while playing in yours?

[Sweetfinger]

I'm wearing a T-shirt right now. I have several in different colors. Of course, I picked the logo and shirt colors we did as ones that I would wear. Not black. They've been good sellers.

[The Last Rebel]

Originally Posted by StratPack

I don't think wearing your band's shirt implies you think you play the best music in town either. Even some pros wear their own merch. If you're proud of something you made, I don't have a problem with you showing it, YMMV.

EDIT: I would go on to say I find the opposite more odd -- band's wearing other bands' merch while on stage. I don't care if they're your idols or whatnot, you're here to play your music so why wear an advertisement for another band while playing in yours?

I like it when band members wear shirts for other bands. It's a good way to find out who likes what. It's also helped me find new bands more than a few times. Also, I don't see the problem with advertising for other musicians especially if they're friends, which they very well may be. At least where I come from showing support for your scene and your friends is a very good thing. Not to mention it's unhealthy to think of other bands as competition or rivals.

[T.Wesley]

I don't know, but when I played in active bands, I always wore our t-shirts. Not on stage, but, you know, in real life.

On stage I would never wear any band's shirt.

[Lostintime]

Phil Lesh

[pickaguitar]

I say wear it...just not on stage

[Celticguitar666]

I make my own T shirts with pics of my Guitars amps and such. No I am not in the pics. It leads to meeting and chatting with some interesting people.
Although I would to like to make one with my beautiful wife jamming on her violin if she would let me! I am a quasi punk grunge hippy the best of each (I hope) Neil Kurt Rotten?

Dewey

[A440]

[n8cjohn]

Everything in moderation. While technically not merch - since we don't sell them - I wear one of our shirts when I travel - so I can get cool pix of our band logo at famous landmarks.

I wear one of our shirts on stage every once in a while - usually under another open shirt.

This was taken at IHOP after a show one night last spring:

[NoNoise]

I would never wear a shirt for a band I am or was ever in and do cast some judgement on people I see doing it for reasons already given in this thread.

Sorry. Don't mean to offend, but I'm just being honest.

I also don't wear a band's shirt when I go to see them live for similar reasons. My friends always called that "being THAT Guy..."

I don't see an issue wearing another band's shirt when I play, though. It shows I support other bands. I would never ever want people to think they should only listen to my music and that there's not other great (or even much better) music out there...

[germs]

definitely not on stage, if that's what you're asking.

out and about? sure, why not.

[Jet Age Eric]

Originally Posted by StratPack

I say if you can't even rep your own band by wearing a shirt, why should you expect anyone else to pay to do so?

Because anyone else wouldn't look like a shameless/desperate self promoter.

Originally Posted by The Last Rebel

I like it when band members wear shirts for other bands. It's a good way to find out who likes what. It's also helped me find new bands more than a few times. Also, I don't see the problem with advertising for other musicians especially if they're friends, which they very well may be. At least where I come from showing support for your scene and your friends is a very good thing. Not to mention it's unhealthy to think of other bands as competition or rivals.

A buncha +1s. I'm always thrilled when I hear another band is wearing one of our shirts. That said, I find I don't tend to wear tees these days ... -E