My Life In T-Shirts

One life, hundreds of t-shirts

[mylifeintshirts]

HAPPY #wutheringheights DAY!!! 💃💃💃💃💃I This #tshirt is from the incredible 2014 London live shows, while this book is a gorgeous 1975 copy. I like to think it's the same version young Cathy Bush had back then. #emilybronte200 #katebush60 #heathcliff #cathy #beforethedawn

[mylifeintshirts]

HAPPY #wutheringheights DAY!!! 💃💃💃💃💃I This #tshirt is from the incredible 2014 London live shows, while this book is a gorgeous 1975 copy. I like to think it's the same version young Cathy Bush had back then. #emilybronte200 #katebush60 #heathcliff #cathy #beforethedawn

[mylifeintshirts]

HAPPY #wutheringheights DAY!!! 💃💃💃💃💃I This #tshirt is from the incredible 2014 London live shows, while this book is a gorgeous 1975 copy. I like to think it's the same version young Cathy Bush had back then. #emilybronte200 #katebush60 #heathcliff #cathy #beforethedawn

[mylifeintshirts]

HAPPY #wutheringheights DAY!!! 💃💃💃💃💃I This #tshirt is from the incredible 2014 London live shows, while this book is a gorgeous 1975 copy. I like to think it's the same version young Cathy Bush had back then. #emilybronte200 #katebush60 #heathcliff #cathy #beforethedawn

[mylifeintshirts]

HELLS YESS I've wanted this shirt for YEEEEARS!! Last night's @l7theband show at the Electric Ballroom was THE BOMB 💣⚡🤘☠🎸🖤🙌. L7 are QUEENS & we are lucky to have 'em! #icamebacktobitchtour2018 #shove #pretendweredead #l7 #lifegoals (at Electric Ballroom)

[mylifeintshirts]

When a surprise trip to NZ is majorly improved by your brother scoring you the newest freshest @flyingnun #tshirt in the universe! 💜🙏❤ 🇳🇿 #winning #newzealandmusic #flyingnun (at Wanganui, New Zealand)

[mylifeintshirts]

SUPERCHUNK

Late last century, I was a bright bleary-eyed young student-type, out at every gig my relatively teeny city could rustle up. And on Friday 14 October, 1994 (yes I did google that) the Best Little Capital City In The World [TM] Wellington, New Zealand, hosted a total banger. Three of the then-hottest names in indie-guitar-wiggery converged upon the non-glamorous setting of the Student Union Hall (”Mike’s Bar”) - Buffalo Tom, Superchunk and NZ’s own 3D’s.

All the floppy-fringed plaid-wearers in town had had their tickets for weeks in advance. Time does not recall how much they cost, but I do know that it was enough to make me extra-cross when a random mid-show fire alarm lead to the gig being evacuated briefly, after which any old passer-by could have come in for free. I can still recall my indignant anger. What a (soda) jerk.

In 1994 those three bands were basically peaking. Flying Nun heroes The 3D’s were the support band and they were throwing out casual stone cold classics like Hey Seuss and Outer Space. Insane. Buffalo Tom headlined, all lump-in-the-throat Big Tunes, a tear for every minor chord gulp. Taillights Fade  was the heartbreak hit, and most student flats I knew had copies of their Big Red Letter Day and Let Me Come Over CDs. But I was there for Superchunk.

Things Going For Superchunk:

1. Ace Album Titles (and again, every student flat I knew had most of them): No Pocky For Kitty, On The Mouth, Foolish - the new one they were touring. And ace collection Tossing Seeds 89-91.

2. They had a Cool Girl in their band. Uh, they still do actually, Superchunk are alive and kicking. This also counts for a point.

3. Their name is Superchunk.

4. Lastly, a HUNDRED ZILLION POINTS for having the dashed-off anthem of all anthems to sing - Slack Motherfucker. A song so slack that its verses are basically indecipherable mumbleshouts, and a chorus so joyous that once heard, you’ll sing it all day long. And probably get in trouble for swearing. Cool.

Social History 101 : 1994

Slackness was veeeeery zeitgeist. Richard Linklater’s Slacker movie had been out since 91 and was still doing a roaring trade in dubbed vhs copies. Beck had gone HUGE with Loser that very year, [insert your own Nirvana gamechanger-type pithy comment here] but Slack Motherfucker had been out since way back in 1989. Ergo, Superchunk totally invented the lucrative 90s slacker scene. So, props.

Anyway where was I? Ah yes, 20 years old and hoarse from shouting, spending my last beer-soaked dollars on a giant white Superchunk NZ Tour t-shirt. How could I not? LOOK at it. It’s beautiful! It’s, like, a starry-eyed lady gracefully gesturing towards a New Zealand shape! What band ever made a cool shirt especially for little ole NZ? I was soooo impressed. Though not as impressed as I am that I’ve managed to hold on to it all these years. That’s just weird.

STATUS : HISTORICAL

BONUS UPDATE:

I was chuffed to hear this week that Superchunk’s singer Mac had gotten wind of this blog, and let it be known that it was he himself who did design this lovely t-shirt.  He passed on the fact that the newspaper text in the dress is “actually xeroxed from the sleeve of The Fall’s “Fall In A Hole”, the live album that came out on Flying Nun and was recorded in NZ”. Ooh I love a bit of attention-to-detail, don’t you? GEEK. JOY. 

[mylifeintshirts]

Picasso's " The Dream" on a shirt. I thought about it but... 😳🍆 #yesbutno #tshirt #picasso #tshirtsidontwant #isortofwantone (at Tate Modern)

[mylifeintshirts]

You know who's amazing? DOWNTOWN BOYS, that's who 🤘Victoria Ruiz leads & slays. Check out their LPs "Full Communism", & their latest "Cost of Living" on @subpop. A truly righteous band for our times, & how SWEET is this shirt? 🖤 #punk #feminist #anarchy #awallisjustawall #womenshistorymonth #neverthelessshepersisted

[mylifeintshirts]

Heading out to @c2cfestival LDN today to catch my faves @thewanderingheartsmusic & see what other country-style mischief I can get involved in🤠❤ #countrytocountry #thewanderinghearts #tshirt #cowgirl #americana

[mylifeintshirts]

To honour International Women's Day, here's a shirt from a favourite of mine - @amandapalmer 👊✊️🤘✌️💪 Lower panel shows the beautiful back print. Front art celebrates yet another woman's very special art... 🎨 👀 #stoppretendingartishard #iwd #amandafuckingpalmer #womenshistorymonth #neverthelessshepersisted ♥

[mylifeintshirts]

Yasuko Onuki's Melt-Banana have been surprising & delighting crowds since they sprung from Tokyo back in 1991. I first was blown away by their avant-noise shriekfest styles at Shellac's 2002 ATP Fest (Pontins Camber Sands, Rye, UK). Branded frisbees were throw, plastic pints were spilled, minds were melted. It was a mid afternoon show. It was INCREDIBLE. Maybe I got this lovely shirt that day - or maybe at The Garage in 05 (or ULU in 08?) - no one knows. Much like Melt-Banana themselves, this tshirt is bright & silly & incomprehensible & it brings much joy. Thank you for being you, Yasuko Onuki ✌ #meltbanana #noiserock #tshirts #yasukoonuki #alltomorrowsparties #womenshistorymonth #neverthelessshepersisted

[mylifeintshirts]

Rock on, gold dust woman... 👸🦄💫✨🌟 Oh Stevie. At her 2017 show in Hyde Park LDN (with Tom Petty RIP) there was only like 2 shirt choices (approx 7 zillion for Tom though!). So that's how I ended up with a shirt that appears to read "24 Carat Mold". 😂 Sigh. ANYWAY Stevie is the best & therefore so is this shirt. Rock on ancient queen. The End. #golddustwoman #stevienicks #queen #rocktshirt #womenshistorymonth #neverthelessshepersisted

[mylifeintshirts]

I bloomin LOVE this baseball style job from @sharonvanhalen . Picked it up at her gorgeous Nov 2014 show at St George's Church in Brighton, UK. She's amazing. #tshirts #baseballshirt #arewethere #womenshistorymonth #neverthelessshepersisted

[mylifeintshirts]

Getting into the #internationalwomensday spirit with this ace fresh swag from the awesome, lady-owned-&-operated, Australian label @milkrecords 🖤🎸🐨🤘 @courtneymelba @jencloher @hachikumusic @loosetooth_ ... 🙌 (at Brighton)

[mylifeintshirts]

Hmm, which shirt to wear on @thebreeders #allnerve release day??? ☺️ 💃🖤#toughdecisions #bestday #tshirts #thebreeders

[mylifeintshirts]

Living for this Ladies of Sci-fi tshirt from @illustratedmnd, art by @louisezerg #trinity #leeloo #rachaelrosen #sarahconnor #princessleia #ripley #furiosa