T-Shirts play a vital role in the eyes (and on the body) of the average underground music fan. In an increasingly digital world, they are tangible, just as a concert is a tangible physical experience in a shared space. For musicians trying to make ends meet in a world where recorded music garners little to no financial pay-off, t-shirts and other merchandise are a vital source of revenue.  For many fans, purchasing these ‘tees’ is both a gesture of support and an important part of their identity. The right t-shirt worn in the right place will act as a beacon to the like-minded, drawing them in like moths to a flame ...  if moths liked to talk about riffs anyway.

For the past 25 - 30 years, Remfry Dedman (The Independent, Metal Hammer) and Simon Clarke (Heavy Blog is Heavy, The Monolith) have between them watched thousand ...