I'll admit to buying clothes with the names and logos of bands I like, but I feel its a good way of showing people what I'm into...its kind of a part of who I am, but i've always thought these things were made more for the sake of companies wanting to cash in on succesful bands. Sure the bands get some cash in their pockets but whats on the market is really there to manipulate fans into emptying their walets....I'm very guilty of it, but hell if bands didnt make money music would have a hard time surviving coz there arent many out there these days who are prepared to take up a career in it for free.

Take that example of Blackmore.....he can afford to do what he wants now. I doubt that when he was starting out he would have turned down money for the sake of playing exactly what he wanted to. He was one of the lucky ones who could do that and make money at the same time.

Maybe i'm simply biassed because I work in retail and I have to think like a businessman and then I go home and think like a musician....the two can get mixed up.