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🇧🇪 Belgium /Culture & Society

'Fans are walking billboards': Today is the first 'Wear Your Merch Day'

From VRT NWS · (10m ago) Dutch

Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • 'Wear Your Merch Day,' an initiative by Live Nation and Belgian concert venues, encourages music fans to wear artist merchandise to support the music industry.
  • Merchandise serves as both promotion and a revenue stream, especially for smaller bands, though international stars generate significant income from it.
  • While merchandise can foster conversations and act as a souvenir, artists are cautioned about the administrative complexities and costs involved in production and sales.

Today marks the inaugural 'Wear Your Merch Day,' a collaborative effort by concert promoter Live Nation and various Belgian music venues. This initiative calls upon music enthusiasts to don apparel representing their favorite artists, thereby offering support to the beleaguered music sector. As Lukas Declercq of VI.BE, the support center for artists and the music industry in Flanders and Brussels, explains, merchandise functions as both a promotional tool and a vital income source. "People wearing a band shirt are essentially walking billboards for their favorite artist," he noted in a Radio 1 interview.

It is a way to show that artists and the music industry need support.

— Lukas DeclercqExplaining the purpose of 'Wear Your Merch Day'.

This is particularly crucial for emerging artists. While major international stars like Billie Eilish or Harry Styles can leverage large-scale production for substantial profits, local acts often rely on merchandise primarily for exposure. Declercq cautions aspiring musicians against underestimating the administrative burdens, including VAT, inventory management, and production costs, which can quickly erode profits if stock remains unsold. Certain genres, such as metal and hip-hop, have a stronger tradition of merchandise sales, with artists like Brussels rapper Zwangere Guy even venturing into unique items like ceramics.

People wearing a band shirt are essentially walking billboards for their favorite artist.

— Lukas DeclercqDescribing the promotional function of merchandise.

Beyond its commercial value, merchandise carries a social significance. A band T-shirt can spark conversations and lead to the discovery of new music, as Declercq experienced himself when his Whispering Sons shirt garnered attention in a New York museum. For fans, wearing merchandise is a declaration of allegiance and a tangible connection to an artist or a concert experience. While some fans use it to showcase their musical knowledge, others simply appreciate the aesthetic. The atmosphere at live concerts remains a prime time for sales, as fans, still immersed in the performance's energy, are eager to support artists and take home a memento.

For local artists, merch is often more a promotional tool than a major source of income.

— Lukas DeclercqHighlighting the difference in merchandise revenue between local and international artists.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by VRT NWS in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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