Conference marvin::uk_music

    What I have heard is that bands make very little on the actual gigs
    after everyone has been paid (I'll bet) and merchandising is where all
    the profit is to be made.  Some bands don't seem to charge much, I saw
    Ride in Wednesday and T shirts were �6.  Billy Bragg is another
    one for keeping the prices down but then he does that with his records
    as well.  
    
    I saw a feature in some news programme once and it showed that people
    will buy T shirts etc at almost any price.  I'm surprised that so many
    bands sanction it because in the end it is their fans who are being
    ripped off and this will surely put people off the band concerned in
    the end.
    
    Tim
    ---

    While I think that some of these T-shirts are far too expensive, I'd
    hardly call it a rip-off, as you choose whether to buy the things or
    not.
    
    It is true, though, most bands playing the small-to-medium sized venues
    don't actually make a lot of money out of it (OK, you could make a
    *living*, I suppose, but not become fabulously wealthy); usually, bands
    tour to promote a record, which is where the money is.
    
    Bob

    What gets me is that a t-shirt might cost 13 quid at a gig, but the
    same t-shirt is 8.99 in HMV or somewhere.  That's a rip off.
    
    matty

    Or James t shirts being only 7 squids on mail order, but 8.99 in shops. 
    But who buys t shirts in shops?  if you want one, you get it at the gig
    so that it is baptised with sweat.  Possibly.
    
    Mikef

    Yeah, I agree, I don't know why, but if I want a t shirt, I will
    always get it from the gig.
    
    			Andy.

    I never buy T-shirts at gigs. I would expect to be paid to buy one as I
    am being used as a mobile advertisement for the band.
    
    Bob

    Hear haer Bob,AND concerts are more&more beginning to look like
    rip-off's too these days looking at the fee's they want for it to
    get in.
    
    YO�
    Jan.

    Well, I don't really go to too many gigs; mostly I go for the smaller
    places where you just turn up, drink beer and jump about, and don't
    worry too much about T-shirts, etc., so I don't really have a lot of
    experience of this kind of thing. The last one I went to where they
    were selling merchandise was TMBG at the T&C, T-shirts there were a
    not-too-unreasonable 7 quid. Not that I bought one.
    
    Is a 'Come Home' (etc) T-shirt obligatory for James at the Brixton
    Academy....?
    
    Bob

    hot word from Bruce...'Come Home' T shirts are now officially naff at
    James gigs...;-)
    
    Mikef

    Just as I thought! I wouldn't buy one anyway, I prefer to stand out as
    an individual, hence my choice of shirts for those who have seen them.
    
    I only have one band T-shirt, a Tom Waits from 1986/7, and someone gave
    me that.
    
    Bob

    But Bob, there is a fine line to be trod between expressing ones
    individuality, and looking a complete pillock...;-)
    
    Mikef

    One of the guys that used to work here wore 'Bros' and 'New Kids..'
    t shirts :^)))))))
    
    Now, that is individual!

    
    re .12
    
    You say he 'used' to work there, is the fact that he used to wear Bros
    T-shirts any bearing on his 'leaving'? ;-)

    
    He was an I.T.  He's gone back to college now.
    
    And he used to wear the teeshirts just to annoy people.
    
    n