Every old band T-shirt comes with a story, and this can make them desirable garments even for non-rock fans. As part of Yves Saint Laurent’s “vintage” collection, you can now buy a Nirvana T-shirt for for up to $4,450.
With this in mind, we spoke music fans about their favourite band shirts and the memories they stir up.
‘I lost a shoe at the Smiths gigs’
I bought my green Smiths The Queen is Dead T-shirt after seeing their tour, and I saw them seven times all over the UK, mainly in Manchester and Salford. I first saw them live in 1983. I was 15 and they blew my mind. Morrissey and his balletic performance; Marr the king on guitar; Andy and Mike in the background but equally important. The atmosphere at their gigs was electric.I lost a shoe and my innocence at their gigs. This is my second Queen Is Dead T-shirt, which I bought in 2010 from Afflecks Palace in Manchester. I wore it coincidentally the day Queen Elizabeth II died. Over the years, I have fallen out with Morrissey due to his controversial views, but their music and rawness is forever etched on my soul and I wear their T-shirt with pride. Janet Sheppard, 55, France
‘I lived in my Led Zeppelin T-shirt from 1979 to 1985’
I bought my first real rock band T-shirt at one of the now legendary Led Zeppelin gigs at Knebworth in 1979. It was the famous Swan Song logo on white T-shirt with the band name. It was my first real big gig experience, with over 250,000 people in a field in Hertfordshire. I absolutely loved this shirt and even wore it to punk gigs I went to. I lived in this tee from 1979 to 1985, at which point an errant red sock found its way into the washing machine and turned it from white to shocking pink. Not such an easy look for a Sikh guy into rock music. My favourite shirt fell out of favour and eventually victim to moths. Attached is a photo of me wearing it on holiday in Mallorca in 1984. A classic tee that sells now for big money. Del Singh, 60, Peterborough
‘I’ve managed to not lose this Waterboys shirt in 30 years’
In 30-odd years, I’ve somehow managed to not lose this Waterboys shirt and, although not as vibrant as it once was, it has endured. This gig blew my 16-year-old mind, the Room to Roam album was peak diddly, the tour was peak rock, with bowed guitar playing action for good measure. I don’t know how I afforded this on my measly income, but I guess I’ve had a good return. Jane, Ovenden, Birmingham
‘I’ve had a late-start love affair with punk music’
I was never into punk music until 2010. My friend and fellow teacher at a tough west London school, Shaun, insisted we fly to Hamburg to see Social Distortion as they were not playing in London during their European tour. His complete fanaticism for the band convinced me to follow him there. I found myself at the gig shirtless, stage-diving, moshing and screaming my heart out. It was the start of my late-start love affair with punk music. Shaun and I have now been to countless punk gigs – but, my Social Distortion T-Shirt is a precious token reminding me that taking a risk can lead to a lifelong friendship and torn vocal chords, mosh-pit bruises and more lost phones than I care to think about. My T-shirt collection has grown considerably and all I think about is our next gig – and why isn’t everyone having this much fun? Richard Lamb, 43, Lewisham, London
‘I have 35 the Who shirts dating back to 1979’
Since the early 1970s, when my older brother first played me Who’s Next, I’ve been an obsessive fan of the Who, by far eclipsing my sibling’s modest interest. Sixty-two shows dating back to 1979, across multiple continents, have all led to my owning 35 the Who shirts. (And don’t get me started on posters.) It is a solid figure, considering that I never saw them with original drummer Keith Moon, who died when I was 16. I still have some ratty shirts going back decades and many that have – ahem – unaccountably shrunk over the years. My favourite is probably The Who by Numbers shirt (tan, lower right in the photo), which I found at a Californian shop in the 1980s. Since I’d never seen that design elsewhere, I’ve only worn it for special occasions. I would not be surprised if that it, too, has mysteriously shrunk. Tom Lawton, 60, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
‘An “if you know, you know” sort of tee’
My favourite is my the Churnups (AKA Foo Fighters) shirt, from this year’s Glastonbury. After everybody had figured out that the band dubbed the Churnups were in fact the Foos, we all made our way to the Pyramid stage to watch a super fun set with Dave and the boys on top form. I said to my friends the next day that they should do a Churnups T-shirt – and then a man walked past with one on, like I’d manifested it. I made my way to the merchandise stall and there it was. I love it. It’s unique; an “if you know, you know” sort of tee. So it’s not an old band T-shirt but it will certainly be with me for as long as it lasts. I’ve pretty much worn it every day since Glastonbury – and yes, it has been washed. Kate Gard, Southampton
