How much does Band Merch mean to you?

Band Merchandise is something that has given people identity throughout generations. As a young Teenager, attending your first shows, band Merchandise gives you not only something to remember the show by, but also something which can confirm your belonging in a certain Genre or group. When I was a young Teenager, my band shirts gave me an identity in Alternative Rock culture, which other people would pick up on, without even having a conversation. But since becoming a young Adult, band Merchandise has become something less meaningful to me to wear (even turning my first band shirts into pillows.) I decided to catch up with some young Adults, who have all taken different paths in life, from Uni Students, to full time workers, to parents, to see if Band Merchandise is still something in which they wear and how they style it to fit their personality.

Emma, 19

"I always like to style my band shirts with a chequered T-Shirt. I used to wear black jeans with them a lot, but as I’ve got older I've switched to wearing them more often with a skirt. It's especially good when at gigs, as it's normally super hot and wearing a skirt helps keep me cool.”

Amber,20

“I can't believe I fit into my McBusted top from 2014. As a mum, I don’t often get the chance to go to shows anymore and therefore the majority of band tops I have are quite old now. I keep them as a memory but don’t often wear them.”

“I'm known for denim jeans. I always used to be the only one of our friends wearing blue jeans while everyone else wore black ones, so I would style it with those.”

Amy, 18

"I still attend a lot of gigs, and therefore collect a lot of band tops, although I normally only wear them when attending festivals.”

“My Bastille tops mean a lot to me as they are my favourite band and I like showing that off.”

Kiren, 21

“Despite not getting it at a gig, my Weekend coat is my favourite and most recent item of Merch. It’s the first item of Merch which I feel really suits my style.”

“I wear my coat with a hoodie underneath to really fit in with what suits me.”

Jodie, 19

"I think my favourite thing about band Merch is the memories it holds, even if we don’t wear it anymore. Like my Busted top. Even though I only wear it as pyjamas now, when I look at it, it still brings back the memories of the gig.”

James, 20

“Pink Floyd is my all time favourite band, along with the Beetles and what makes this top extra special is the fact my mum instantly thought of me when seeing it”

“I've never really been one of those people to go to gigs, but having this top and being able to express my music taste is still really important to me.”

What are your thoughts on band Merch? Watch our video and leave us a comment!

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