As BBC Radio 6 Music gears up for this year’s annual T-Shirt Day, the station’s presenter and DJ Matt Everitt joins Headliner for a chat about the iconography and tradition of great artist merch, its role in helping sustain independent artists in today’s industry, and the evolution of the BBC’s music content as the organisation celebrates its 100th anniversary…
On Friday, November 4, 6 Music celebrates its annual T-Shirt Day, whereby music fans, artists and people from across the industry are invited to wear their favourite band t-shirts to work and share pictures of their most prized garments on social media. And to mark the occasion, Steve Lamacq, the man behind the T-Shirt Day phenomenon, will be hosting a full programme of content on 6 Music covering everything from the importance of t-shirts in helping independent artists make the money then need to survive, the impact of the cost of living on sales of band merchandise, and why these items represent so much more that just a t-shirt.
Joining Lamacq to discuss these matters is fellow 6 Music presenter, former Menswear drummer, and perennial T-Shirt Day participant, Matt Everitt.
We managed sit down for a chat with the man himself about all of these matters and more, including the 100thanniversary of the BBC and his current book tour with Blur guitarist Graham Coxon. You can listen to an extended version of this interview below.
Thanks for joining us, Matt. How are you and whereabouts are you joining us from?
I’m good thanks, I’m sitting outside, overlooking Brighton Beach.
We last spoke just before Glastonbury, when you were planning on visiting each and every one of the festival’s stages. How did that go?
Ah yes, It was a good year wasn’t it! People were just so appreciative that it was taking place. So, yes, I did this stupid thing where I was going to try to reach every single stage at the festival. I thought there was about 120, but there’s actually about 140. I managed about 89 over the three days, so it was pretty good going. My pedometer went completely doolally. Next year I’m going to try and hit all of them in 24 hours… It’s doable!
For those unfamiliar with the phenomenon, what is 6 Music T-Shirt Day?
It’s been going for about 15 years now, and Steve Lamacq came up with the idea: You wear a band t-shirt to work; you take something that represents a lot about who you are, what you love, your life, and you wear it to the fullest extent in your workplace, which isn’t normally known for expressing oneself in such a way. And it struck a nerve with people, because people’s relationships with their band t-shirts is a wonderful and complicated and sophisticated thing. You might have an old Iron Maiden t-shirt you wore when you was 15, which you may not wear anymore, but was sit was such a part of you at that age, so it’s about proclaiming that love once more. It allows you to show your colours and display the bands you like. And it can be any band or artist, big, famous, small, or new.
A lot of famous people have got involved in it, too. Kate Moss did it, which we weren’t expecting, and a whole host of other musicians and artists have got involved on the social media side as well, which is brilliant. And it links people together, like, I love that band as well. I was part of that tribe.