NMA Merchandise Situation

[MaoLee]

When I recently went to an NMA concert, I was totally disappointed by the selection of merchandise. A hoodie with that horse that’s been popping up all over T-shirts and hoodies lately—and it doesn’t even have an NMA logo on it. A T-shirt with nothing but a list of concerts from the last few years on the back. Any random rock band could pull that off. It doesn’t even motivate me to keep looking longer or buy any of it.

One of the latest T-shirts didn’t even have a print on the back, even though it can’t be that hard to find a good two-line quote from NMA’s lyrics. Another one didn’t have the typical handwritten font like earlier shirts.

For me, the merchandise stand in particular was always a constant and very band-oriented gathering point with consistently interesting offerings. What on earth happened there? Even the NMA shop seems pretty neglected compared to earlier times.

Is it just me, or do others feel the same way?

[Guillaume]

One more reason to wait for the release of their new album so that the merchandising can be reborn!

[Master Ray]

Gotta say that I've not been terribly fond of NMA merch over the last few years... I remember the days when there were interesting designs on offer on every tour... not so much recently.  In fact I genuinely can't remember the last time I bought a t-shirt at a show... might even be pre-Covid times?

All of which is personal taste of course, maybe the merch in question work for others.  Whenever I go and see a band I like who are running their own affairs and don't have a big record label behind them I will always check out the merch and try and buy something,  But, at the same time, I've had a bit of a downturn in my finances over the last few years, I've been struggling a bit,  and I've haven't got the cash available to chuck away on something I don't really like.  I'll always stretch my cash to see NMA (with all the subsequent costs that it involves!) but a t-shirt with an uninteresting design?  Sorry, too much...

It's been said before on this Forum that we'd all love to have some classic and rare t-shirts reprinted but I guess there's some issues issues with copyright or something?

[huwcamden]

Mmm..not sure about this one guys...NMA are renoud for their extensive merch...there's a brand new Joolz design for every new album and sometimes even singles etc...the shop is doing 13 different t shirts 6 different hoodies..3 styles of hat and they've always had their own jewellery! (Which is virtually unique.. I've bought several items!) .. that's giving Kiss in the 70's a run for their money!...you are talking about the touring merch I realise but it seems ok to me..only thing I'd say is it.seems a little strange they aren't stocking it as much as the online shop as it's pretty much the only point of revenue for bands these days along with touring.

[MaoLee]

It's been said before on this Forum that we'd all love to have some classic and rare t-shirts reprinted but I guess there's some issues issues with copyright or something?

Reissues of older T-shirts would be a great idea. Ten years ago, there was a phase when they printed older designs on the T-shirts.

I recently saw some T-shirts with older designs on eBay, but I'm guessing they were just fakes because you can order them in all sizes.

[Master Ray]

It's been said before on this Forum that we'd all love to have some classic and rare t-shirts reprinted but I guess there's some issues issues with copyright or something?

Reissues of older T-shirts would be a great idea. Ten years ago, there was a phase when they printed older designs on the T-shirts.

Yup, those are dodgy fakes, to be avoided at all costs.

[Master Ray]

Mmm..not sure about this one guys...NMA are renoud for their extensive merch...there's a brand new Joolz design for every new album and sometimes even singles etc...the shop is doing 13 different t shirts 6 different hoodies..3 styles of hat and they've always had their own jewellery! (Which is virtually unique.. I've bought several items!) .. that's giving Kiss in the 70's a run for their money!...you are talking about the touring merch I realise but it seems ok to me..only thing I'd say is it.seems a little strange they aren't stocking it as much as the online shop as it's pretty much the only point of revenue for bands these days along with touring.

Fair enough but, as I said, the designs just don't excite me much anymore... now maybe that's a 'me' problem as opposed to an  'NMA' problem!  I still do buy an awful lot of band merch, half my wardrobe is made up of band t-shirts.  But I'm not going to buy merch if it doesn;t work for me. Sorry.   

[huwcamden]

The current t-shirts are definitely dominated by the horse artwork from 'unbroken'...that album is approaching 3 years old now (unbelievably)...time for a new album and some new artwork I reckon..edgy, off the wall and exciting on both counts would be marvellous.

[MickC]

I loved my NMA glow in the dark tee. God knows where that went?

[Guillaume]

only thing I'd say is it.seems a little strange they aren't stocking it as much as the online shop as it's pretty much the only point of revenue for bands these days along with touring.

Perhaps last year's vinyl reissues of "The Love of Hopeless Causes," "No Rest for the Wicked," and "Thunder and Consolation" brought in enough money that they don't need to release any more t-shirts for the time being? I'd be curious to know if they sell many CDs and vinyl records during their tours, when they do 50 or 60 concerts a year. I seem to recall that when a journalist asked Justin if sales of "Eight" were "good" in 2000, Justin replied, "Enough to fill the fridge!"

Whenever I go and see a band I like who are running their own affairs and don't have a big record label behind them I will always check out the merch and try and buy something

Likewise, when I go to see "indie" bands whose concerts I quite enjoyed, I like to buy one or more of their CDs. Recently at a festival, I bought all three CDs albums by Izo FitzRoy (a talented Soul artist), and I wanted to buy the latest CD by the band Yonaka, but incredibly, they had neither the CD nor the vinyl on their merch table! So I bought them a t-shirt (which was a bit expensive) with a design I don't like! 

I'll always stretch my cash to see NMA (with all the subsequent costs that it involves!)

I know this situation. It's the cost of train/plane tickets and hotel rooms that often prevents us from seeing all the bands we love!  It's very rare that the bands I really like come to play in the concert venues of my city (NMA only came to play in my city once...in 1995!)

a t-shirt with an uninteresting design?  Sorry, too much...

Then there's the "Surrounded" t-shirt which I personally like (I've even bought it several times to offer to friends). I wouldn't be against a reprint of the "Radio sessions 83/84", "The love of hopeless causes", "Strange brotherhood", "Eight" and "High" t-shirts.