We're diving into ten pieces of band merch that have pushed the boundaries of your standard tee or tote bag - from Mitski to Metallica and beyond.
We’ve all been there – a concert has just finished, you’re covered in a sheen of sweat, reviewing the shaky iPhone footage you took, in which you can hear yourself singing along passionately, albeit off-key, in the background – the vibes are undeniably high. Brimming with sheer adoration for the artist you’ve just seen take to the stage, you rush to the band merch stand, eager to commemorate the evening with an item emblazoned with you idol’s face or logo – insert Fry from Futurama screaming “shut up and take my money!”
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For most, a simple T-Shirt, badge, tote bag or vinyl would suffice. Why mess with the classics? some might ask. Well, messed with the classics a whole slew of musical artists have. From the innovate and cool, to the downright whack – today we’re diving into ten pieces of band merch that have pushed the boundaries of what we’ve all come to know and expect.
Mitski’s “Feed the Cowboy” Ramen Spoon
In celebration of her acclaimed 2018 studio album Be the Cowboy, sad girl chanteuse Mistki dropped a sizeable new range of merch on her official website. Among the more standard tee and tote bag fare was a ceramic soup spoon, aptly named the “Feed the Cowboy Ramen Spoon”, as the singer playfully payed homage to both her Japanese heritage and the album’s title. Two other zany honourable mentions from this collection were the “Free the Cowboy Padlock” and the “Dream the Cowboy Pillowcase”. Her mind!
Japanese Breakfast Chopsticks
Indie rock musician and acclaimed author of Crying in H-Mart Michelle Zauner, aka Japanese breakfast, has also released branded food utensils alongside her wearable merchandise in the past. When promoting her aforementioned ceramic ramen soup spoon, Mitski actually posted to Twitter recommending that her fans pair the purchase with a set of Japanese Breakfast chopsticks. Cool friends doing cool things – we love to see it!
Metallica Monopoly – “World Tour Edition”
Currently available on the metal titans’ official website, Metallica have their own version of the family argument inducing classic board game Monopoly for sale. The tokens include Lady Justice, a Death Magnetic coffin, a Ride the Lightning electric chair, a Master of Puppets cross, a Metal Up Your Ass toilet and the Scary Guy. Admittedly, this is pretty damn cool. However if the band’s dynamic in their 2004 documentary Some Kind of Monster is anything to go by, I’m not so sure that a game of Monopoly would do the members themselves much good!
Weezer Fake Mustache Set
Everyones favourite geek rockers Weezer are to this day selling a “Realistic Fake Moustache Set” on their official website, for $10.00 a pop at that. The playful packaging copy reads that the stick on lip scruff is made “by humans for humans”, and that the product will help you “blend right in”.
deadmau5’s cat headphones
Crazy cat humans take heed – electronic music artist deadmau5 has likely outdone pretty much every feline fanatic out there when it comes to showing immense love for his furry companion. In a unique project with frequent collaborator Joshua Davis, he commissioned a set of exclusive and highly expensive headphones specifically designed for cats. These headphones came with a hefty price tag of $1,000, so evidently it’s only the best for deadmau5′ own fur baby Professor Meowingtons, pHd.
Alice Cooper “Whiplash Mascara”
While celebrity makeup brands in the present day are all too ubiquitous, this product release certainly didn’t purport to provide fans with a look as aspirational as Lady Gaga’s Haus Labs or Ariana Grande’s R.E.M Beauty. Famed rocker Alice Cooper’s unisex “Whiplash Mascara” would have undoubtedly been the perfect gift for anyone wanting to look downright dishevelled and not make it through to the next stage of that big job interview.
Lana Del Rey’s Heart Shaped Necklace
Several years ago, singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey introduced a dainty gold heart-shaped necklace as a part of her merchandise collection. Despite being discontinued for quite some time, the necklace has recently gained popularity online, particularly on TikTok, and is being resold for upwards of $1000.
The necklace itself features a rosary chain with a golden heart pendant that can be unscrewed to reveal a small spoon. Fans have drawn similarities between the piece and the cross-shaped necklace worn by Sarah Michelle Gellar’s character Kathryn in the 1999 film Cruel Intentions, in which it was used to store cocaine. It’s worth noting that Lana Del Rey has never explicitly referenced this connection, and her representatives did not respond to a request for comment from Insider. Nonetheless, the necklace has captured the attention of fans and social media users, generating a great deal of interest and discussion around its unique design and potential cultural references.
KISS x Hello Kitty
Combining the iconic Hello Kitty silhouette with the aesthetics and themes of other media franchises seems like a surefire recipe for success, especially those that deviate significantly from the realm of adorable animal characters doing cute things. One notable example of this was when parent company Sanrio produced Hello Kitty merchandise featuring the likenesses of each member of the band KISS.
Several years ago it was also announced that Sanrio had joined forces with KISS and The Hub television channel to bring fans Kiss Hello Kitty, an animated series that would reportedly revolve around “four Kiss x Hello Kitty characters” as they pursue their rock ‘n’ roll dreams and introduce an element of pink anarchy to every situation they encounter. However, the series is yet to be released, and a recent update is nowhere to be found.
The Flaming Lips’ “Trembling Fetus Christmas Ornament”
In 2009, a year in which The Flaming Lips contributed a whole lot to the indie rock zietgiest, from a great record, to an insanely over-the-top festival appearance and the NSFW music video to end all NSFW music videos, the band just about outdid themselves.
Announced in a hilariously ominous youtube video, the band made a shiny, silver, fetus-shaped Christmas tree ornament available for pre-order on their official website.
The KISS “Kasket”
As is evidenced by the Hello Kitty collab mentioned in this list – KISS aren’t ones to shy away from an out of the box merchandising opportunity. However it’s their series of literal funeral caskets (you heard me!) that takes the cake. There are two different, 20-guage steel options: a standard all black model with the classic four faces logo, and a deluxe model plastered in graphics and flames. There’s even a KISS branded urn up for grabs if you’re looking for those nearest and dearest to you to remember your unyielding love for Gene Simmons, even in death.
Check out our listicle of the best band T-Shirts of all time here.
