Ongoing History Daily: Weird merch

February 1, 2023 Alan Cross 0 Comments

Selling merch and swag has become a very important revenue stream for artists. Sure you can buy a t-shirt or sticker or pin, but some performers don’t want to be that boring.

Eminem sold bricks taken from his demolished childhood home. Just $350—and you got a cassette of his Marshal Mathers LP.
Back in 1991 when they released the Achtung Baby album, U2 offered a line of condoms.
When Daft Punk released “Get Lucky,” they did the same thing: DP rubbers. Seems like a natural.
The Flaming Lips once had a Christmas ornament in the shape of a fetus. It was silver and shiny.
There was once a White Stripes sewing kit that came with peppermint swirl buttons.
And Canadian EDM star Deadmau5 came out with a line of headphones for cats in 2012 in tribute to his cat, Professor Meowingtons.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

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