It doesn’t matter if you’re a metalhead, punk, goth, emo, etc… there are certain problems that cover the whole alternative spectrum no matter where you fall. The deeper you find yourself in an alternative subcultue, the more likely you are to relate.
1. Running out of room for band shirts
Ok, so this first one really hits home. I kinda am running out of room for my band shirts and I’m looking to get more… I don’t have a problem… I swear… it got to a point when this girl I was seeing for a bit last fall offered to give me some of her hangers since I commented I was running out of closet space. Once you start on band shirts, there’s no stopping my dude. Doesn’t matter the subgenre, you have to have them all.
2. Not being able to make it to the concert you’ve wanted to see for years
This one stings. There’s a band you love, but they almost never come to your area. Then the tour gets announced, and… they’re finally coming! Woo!!! Now you can get– crap… it has to be on that weekend? Of all the times they could have come, you already have plans. That sinking feelings sets in, and you know you’ll probably have to wait another three years before they even consider coming back. At least you can still listen to their new album even though you can’t see them live.
3. Finding a “new” band you like only to find out they broke up five years ago
If you’ve spent any time looking for new music, you know the feeling. You find a song you love, decide to check out the album, see what else the band has, and when you look for their next tour… they broke up. Sure it might not be exactly five years, but it sucks when you find a good band, but are deprived of seeing them live or anticipating for new material. The best you could hope for is if they started seperate projects or a possible reunion.
4. Merch is expensive
Have you looked at the price of a band t as of late?! Damn! I though I try and get a shirt at almost every concert I get. It does add up. Also, if the band offers patches, I’m starting to collect those too. They’re like a quarter of the price and just as cool. I’ve never been huge on posters, but there are some nice ones out there. If you’re wantning to get merch, go ahead, just pre-game it so you can save on money.
5. Getting confused for another Alt subculture
Insert South Park goth kids vs vampire kids vs emo kids here. This does happen on the occasion. If you’re dealing with someone not familiar with the multitude of alt subcultures, they may confuse you for something you’re not. They see a black shirt and assume it’s all the same. If they really don’t know, just shrug it off. We can’t expect everyone to know every little difference, besides, they have their own thing going on. On the other hand, if they’re being jerks… still shrug it off. Unless it’s getting to the point of harassment or physical harm, then some action might need to be taken. In the past, things used to be far worse for those of us invovled in our respective scenes. Elder Alts will probably know this unfortunately, but most of the time these days its just an eye roll.
5 Problems All Alternative People Can Relate To is marked with CC0 1.0
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