Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Vintage 1986 The Cult - Love Tour T-Shirt

file under: crowning jewel of my collection



ultra ultra rare original The Cult - Love Tour t-shirt
year: 1986
tag: screen stars
material: 50/50 cotton-polyester blend
condition: perfect vintage
value: $1,500.00
note: this t-shirt is so incredibly rare that when I discovered it earlier this year i almost felt like I had completed my collection (if that's even possible). for me the HOLY GRAIL of vintage rock t-shirts. *the back story: by 1985 punk was already a thing of the past for me having been a part of it's earliest days in Southern California as a teenager. there was a musical void for a couple years with nothing really generating the same kind of excitement i experienced in 1980 hearing bands like Black Flag, The Ramones or the Dead Kennedys for the first time. when seemingly out of nowhere this weird, new band from England arrived on the California airwaves. they looked and sounded so completely different than anything else going on at the time. i was immediately drawn in by the mysterious and dark vibe. their first american release "LOVE" didn't disappoint as i quickly became fanatical about the band. so imagine my excitement as a young man of 21 learning my new, strange and favorite band was coming to america. to this day that very first Hollywood Palladium show on April 26 1986 stands as one of the best live shows i've ever seen (and i've seen hundreds of bands over the years). for me this isn't just another vintage t-shirt in my collection but rather a real tangible representation of my youth and all the excitement that came with being young, in love and out of control. of course The Cult went on to huge success in the late 80's with big arena rock but it was those earliest rather naive days that will remain forever fixed in my memory as some of the best days of my life. CFFC!




The Cult promo photo 1985


An even early shot...possibly 1984


"She Sells Sanctuary"