This is the history behind your favourite band t-shirt.
[This was my weekly column for GlobalNews.ca. – AC]
Days before Oasis rolled into town last month, a pop-up store opened on Queen Street West selling tour-related merchandise. When I rolled past, lines snaked around the block in two directions, with fans gobbling up everything from posters (a bargain at $35) to T-shirts ($65) to Oasis-branded Adidas gear ($155 and up).
At the show at Rogers Stadium on Aug. 25, it seemed that half the crowd had come wearing Oasis kit, while the other half was lined up at the many merch stands.
The supply chain logistics for Oasis merch must be as complicated as the tour itself. Even then, many items sold out quickly. Bucket hats have been especially popular. The group will reportedly rake in a minimum of 20 million pounds just from selling swag this year.
(Fun fact: Another report says that Oasis fans drink so much that the band was able to strike a deal to grab 4 pounds for each 8-pound pint that was sold at their gigs in the U.K. That must have been a staggering sum.)
Oasis isn’t the only band reaping windfalls from merch. Metallica and The Who recently sucked in millions with pop-up stores. At his touring peak, it’s been said that Justin Bieber pulled in $300,000 a night in merch sales.
There’s more. Lots more. Keep reading.
