Has the Merch become more important than the music?

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  • indifferentman
    indifferentman Goshen, IN Posts: 731
    edited June 2014
    The unfortunate thing is because of the limited edition nature of the merch it's gone away from being a souvenir of the experience of the show for most people and it's become a profit thing for both the band and the flippers like the people Stone is God mentioned above.

    I kind of equate it to collecting baseball cards as a kid until I realized that all of my cards I had so much fun collecting by buying a pack at a time with my allowance money were virtually worthless compared to the super value inflated "Ultra Platinum Titanium Diamond Super Star" cards that they printed like 50 of total and were worth $600 if you found them on sale in a card shop.

    And let's face it, if people stand in line for 6-8 hrs for a damn poster the band and the artists could chose to print 1,000 or 1,500 posters and several more show specific t-shirts and they would still sell them out.

    I'm not necessarily criticizing the band for making the merch but maybe there's a good reason why Fugazi never sold any....
    Post edited by indifferentman on
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  • buck502000
    buck502000 Birthplace of GIBSON guitar Posts: 8,951
    http://youtu.be/CiOfNWCvTbY
  • josevolution
    josevolution Posts: 31,549
    I collect my ticket stubs from all the shows i have been too & that's it ...
    Again i put blame on the Band & management they know the demand for this crap just like they know demand for tickets ......
    jesus greets me looks just like me ....
  • benjs
    benjs Toronto, ON Posts: 9,359
    The only reason I go to PJ shows these days is for the stickers, there's really not even a need to stay for the performance.
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    EV
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  • JimmyV
    JimmyV Boston's MetroWest Posts: 19,597
    benjs said:

    The only reason I go to PJ shows these days is for the stickers, there's really not even a need to stay for the performance.

    I walk around the GA pit trying to flip my sold-out merchandise for high prices while listening to Dave Matthews Band on my iPod.
    ___________________________________________

    "...I changed by not changing at all..."
  • shortstack
    shortstack Posts: 2,339
    benjs said:

    The only reason I go to PJ shows these days is for the stickers, there's really not even a need to stay for the performance.

    ha

    did you see me? i saw you.
  • Cosmo
    Cosmo Posts: 12,225
    I admit it... I have a ton of crap. Been collecting this stuff for a while.
    It started vinyl.. when vinyl was an unwanted novelty in the early 90s. It was kind of cool to see the album covers of new music in the sea of CDs. Albums like No Code, Yield and Binural would sit in the bins for months and sometimes, years.
    Then, it was T-shirts. It was that damn Mr. Point's fault. I got posters from the gigs I went to... and they are hanging on my walls.
    Now, I've got shirts and hats and hoodies and beach towels and skate boards and socks and shoes. But, i still wear plain t-shirts, plain white socks and combat boots everyday.
    Go figure.
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    Hail, Hail!!!
  • foodboy
    foodboy Posts: 988
    not really interested anymore. i don't buy merch at any shows of any kind. there is just too much of it. i used to get to shows early just to get a poster but stopped. but to each there own. if you enjoy it do it.
  • Cosmo
    Cosmo Posts: 12,225
    foodboy said:

    not really interested anymore. i don't buy merch at any shows of any kind. there is just too much of it. i used to get to shows early just to get a poster but stopped. but to each there own. if you enjoy it do it.

    ...
    Yeah... i've cut out the posters... no more wall space. But, i do like the most of the Emek posters.
    And black t-thirts. Every band makes black t-shirts and i have a ton of them. My favorite t-shirt of late is my 'Arthur Channel' shirt... because it's tan.
    Allen Fieldhouse, home of the 2008 NCAA men's Basketball Champions! Go Jayhawks!
    Hail, Hail!!!
  • foodshop65
    foodshop65 Connecticut Posts: 731
    i think it's great. pretty remarkable for a band to have this kind of collectibility. they have great imagination behind the band and if you are a fan, makes for a fun hobby. see you in Amsterdam!!!
    Randall's Island 9-29-1996, MSG 9-10/11-1998, Meadows, CT 9-13-1998, Sacramento 10-30-2000, Bridge School 10-26-2002,MSG 9-8/9-2003, Hartford 2013, Amsterdam 2014(2), Memphis 2014, MSG 5-1/2-2016, Fenway 8-7-16, Fenway 9-2/4-18 MSG 9-11-22
  • EnterThanman
    EnterThanman London, ON Posts: 1,057
    ComeToTX said:

    I buy posters for shows I go to if they're good. Nothing else.

    Yup! Same. I've been to 20 shows and have 4 posters. Don't need the rest (mostly because they were done my Ames).

    As a "community" that revolves a round a band though, there's atleast as much focus on the merch as the music, if not more. Guess that's what happens when you hire someone specifically to pump out products to the fans.
    The member formerly known as Scratched Vinyl
  • PP193448
    PP193448 Here Posts: 4,282
    F Me In The Brain said:

    I do have an unopened case of sheep that sits on my shelf laughing at me; but that was a gift, I didnt buy it!

    Mine is opened to see that I have the full set from the case I actually paid for. Kept in the box cause they're damn ugly. Damn merch demons possessed me to buy them... Oh shit. I hear more demons telling me to buy more PJ stuff all the time... Where's my Haldol?
    2006 Clev,Pitt; 2008 NY MSGx2; 2010 Columbus; 2012 Missoula; 2013 Phoenix,Vancouver,Seattle; 2014 Cincy; 2016 Lex, Wrigley 1&2; 2018 Wrigley 1&2; 2022 Louisville
  • CM189191
    CM189191 Posts: 6,927
    JimmyV said:



    benjs said:

    The only reason I go to PJ shows these days is for the stickers, there's really not even a need to stay for the performance.

    I walk around the GA pit trying to flip my sold-out merchandise for high prices while listening to Dave Matthews Band on my iPod.
    Flipping. DMB. Apple products. It's like the vomit-in-my-mouth trifecta!
  • bootlegger10
    bootlegger10 Posts: 16,253
    EnterThanman said:

    ComeToTX said:

    I buy posters for shows I go to if they're good. Nothing else.

    Yup! Same. I've been to 20 shows and have 4 posters. Don't need the rest (mostly because they were done my Ames).

    As a "community" that revolves a round a band though, there's atleast as much focus on the merch as the music, if not more. Guess that's what happens when you hire someone specifically to pump out products to the fans.
    New music comes out every four years from the band. Merch much more often. It can get addictive for sure.
  • helplessdancer
    helplessdancer Posts: 5,293
    JustBreatheVLC said:

    Please discuss.

    please tell us what you think
  • vant0037
    vant0037 Posts: 6,170
    I don't know, has it? It seems like its a question that can only be answered individually.
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  • djklambake
    djklambake PHX, AZ Posts: 2,524
    The merch helps me remember when the music isn't playing.
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  • JustBreatheVLC
    JustBreatheVLC Posts: 55
    edited June 2014
    helplessdancer said:

    JustBreatheVLC said:

    Please discuss.

    please tell us what you think
    helplessdancer said:

    JustBreatheVLC said:

    Please discuss.

    please tell us what you think
    I have to be honest here, it should not be this way, but for me I have gotten to the point where I am really anxious at shows to get the show specific merch and if they run out it upsets me and I can't enjoy the show as much. Lame I know. I love the thought and creativity that is put into a lot of the merch, no band comes close, I wear my 38 Pearl Jam shirts proudly . . . .I mean a U2 or Springsteen concert shirt is always so mass produced looking but then you take a look at a Pearl Jam 20 Milwaukee Bucks themed grey shirt, wow, so cool and special . . . but at the end of the day I could love without the merch but can't imagine life without the music.
    Post edited by JustBreatheVLC on
  • JimmyV
    JimmyV Boston's MetroWest Posts: 19,597
    With the band playing shorter tours and going years between albums it can feel sometimes like there is more merch than music. But, as others have said, the stuff sells. We have become a buying crowd.
    ___________________________________________

    "...I changed by not changing at all..."
  • armyfan
    armyfan Posts: 348
    Id trade every piece of merch i got for the perfect show. Its all about the live show in my stupid opinion. Id much rather have a 3 hour legendary show than a coke ten vinyl. But thats just me. I dont need 5 baseball cards to have a good time. Gimme a great live show! Maybe ive had too many adult beverages. Ok, i have. My bad!

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