If we have learned nothing else from dandruff shampoo commercials we have learned that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Nowhere is this adage more true than onstage with your band. And unless you begin your set behind a curtain or are playing in an arena where there is complete darkness anticipating your set, your audience’s first impression will be based in part on what you’re wearing and not what you sound like.

     If you’re wearing a t-shirt, be careful. No audience is more critical of t-shirts than a rock club audience, and a bad choice can have your audience thumbing their noses at you before they even hear a single note. I understand that some performers don’t like to make a big deal out of their onstage attire and feel most comfortable wearing either a favorite t-shirt or the t-shirt that they happen to be wearing that day, but personally, I think that unless you’re in a touring band, wearing a t-shirt onstage is a wussy way out of making your own statement. You’re not onstage often, you should wear something you can’t get away with walking down the street. But if you want to be taken seriously as a completely original band, and you're not willing to strip tee's, here are a few suggestions:

DO’S

1. An ambiguous t-shirt is okay. The less sense a slogan on your t-shirt makes, the better. And if you, the wearer doesn’t understand it, even better. Mining thrift stores for t-shirts can uncover golden monikers like “Twisters, a whirlwind of fun,” “8 tracks, over 120 vehicles and 1 pair of gloves.”
2. A simple t-shirt that doesn’t make too much of a statement such as “Riverdale Youth Basketball” is fine because it’s slightly amusing, but not too over the top.
4. Make your own. Taking a customized design to a shop and turning it into reality is usually less than $20. Just look under “screen printing” in your local directory and get a few quotes.
5. A T-shirt with the design of a known band is tricky to pull off (see DON’TS rule #1), but my advice is, if the band on your shirt sounds nothing like your band, you can get away with it.
6. A shirt with an icon is okay, but make sure it’s from when the performer or performers were in their prime. A Monkees t-shirt might be cool, but not if it’s from the latest reunion tour.

1. Don’t wear a t-shirt of a popular band similar to yours. People in the audience will have no choice but to draw comparisons between your music and the other band’s music, which can be distracting from whatever is original about your band’s music.
2. Be wary of a shirt purchased at chain or mall-based record stores like Newbury Comics or Spencer Gifts. Chances are if you see a funny or cool shirt there, thousands of other people have seen that same funny or cool shirt there also.
3. An ironic and/or topical t-shirt is difficult to pull off these days. An N’Sync t-shirt might seem funny, but unless you sincerely like the group, the audience might question your sincerity throughout your set.
4. A sexually suggestive t-shirt can often just make the audience feel awkward or disgusted. I saw a hardcore band whose singer wore a t-shirt that said, “Visualize My Fist in Your Ass.” If you like to make the audience feel uncomfortable, mission accomplished, but if you don’t, you shouldn’t wear a sexually suggestive t-shirt. It’s just as simple as that.
5. A shirt with an “I’d rather” message is horrible. If you’d rather not be playing for these people, why would you think they’d not rather be watching TV? I once saw an “I’d rather be masturbating” t-shirt at Newbury Comics, and a few weeks later saw a bassist wearing it onstage. Strike three, you’re out!