King Crimson, Gorillaz, Panchiko: The Band Tees We Love

Last Updated on 2026-11-02 by a-indie

Hello from the BELONG Media editorial team!

If you love music, chances are you own at least one band T-shirt. One bought at the merch table after a show, a gift from a friend, or one that has somehow stuck around…

Those shirts often soak up more than affection for the band. They can hold the scenery of the day you bought them and your memories from that time, too.

So this time, BELONG Media staff each brought their own “band T-shirt” to talk about. In Part 1, you’ll hear about a King Crimson show attended with almost no prep.

You’ll also find photos and stories of favorite T-shirts from Maririn, RAM and Nini, who couldn’t join us this time. Please enjoy it all the way to the end!

Participants: yabori, Takita, Wakiki; Comments from: Maririn, RAM, Nini

King Crimson With Zero Prep. Three Drum Kits on Stage?!

yabori

Alright, today’s theme is “band T-shirts we’re attached to.” Let’s start with Wakiki’s King Crimson one. This was the biggest surprise of all, honestly. Why King Crimson?

Honestly, I couldn’t find a live T-shirt that was clearly the one (laughs). Most of mine I wore once at the show and then tucked away in a drawer. So I picked this one, which I wear a lot over the summer. It’s from when I went to King Crimson’s Japan tour, in 2015 I think, so it’s been a little over ten years now.

わきき

yabori

King Crimson is such a seasoned, cool pick. They’re an English band formed in 1969, and guitarist Robert Fripp has been at the center the whole time. They’re one of the big names of prog rock.

I think I only really got into them after the show. I wanted to go to some kind of live show, so I was browsing online and happened to spot King Crimson’s Japan tour, and I thought, “Who’s that?” (laughs) So before going I just listened to their very first album, ‘In the Court of the Crimson King,’ and thought it was cool, so I decided to go.

わきき

Heading to the Show Knowing Almost Nothing

yabori

So you went in knowing almost nothing?

Pretty much (laughs). When I walked into the venue, there were suddenly three drum kits lined up, boom.

わきき

yabori

They play a show with three drum kits?

Yes. Three drum kits were lined up at the very front of the stage, and behind them was a slightly raised level where the bass, guitar and vocalists were. The rhythm section was incredibly thick. There were even moments when they made sounds with something I couldn’t tell was an instrument or what, the kind of thing that makes you think, “What is that?” and that was really cool too. Also, I was in my mid-twenties at the time, and everyone around me was…

わきき

yabori

Ah, was the crowd on the older side?

Yes, definitely older, and mostly men. I was shocked the moment I walked in, and the cheers during the show were so deep and booming that I was quietly laughing to myself.

わきき

yabori

The band members must be pretty old too, right?

Yes. The lineup has changed over the years, so some members were a bit younger, but they’re all veterans anyway. And at that show there were three drummers, too.

わきき

yabori

Three drummers playing together, that’s just bonkers (laughs). Has anyone seen a photo of that setup?

Let’s look it up. If we search “King Crimson live,” maybe it’ll come up.

わきき

There’s a photo on Wikipedia.

滝田

Sold on the Japan Show by ‘In the Court of the Crimson King’

yabori

What is that (laughs)! Anyway, it’s impressive that you went to see King Crimson when you barely knew them.

Well, I did listen before buying a ticket. What I liked was the first album, ‘In the Court of the Crimson King.’ It’s their debut, yet I thought, “This is music that sounds like the end of the world,” and I loved that. Also, long-running bands get billed as “the last Japan tour” practically every time, right? That one was no exception, and everyone was saying, “This is probably their last visit to Japan,” so I thought, “If I miss this, I might never get to see them.” And when I went, it was really good, and I ended up liking them quite a bit.

わきき

yabori

I found some live footage, so I’ll drop it in here.

The Merch Tee and the 2015 Tour

yabori

I see. When did you buy that T-shirt?

At the merch table after the show, and it was the one with the most left (laughs). I wanted to take something home as a souvenir, so I just bought it, but surprisingly I end up wearing it outside a lot in summer. At the show I saw in 2015, my impression is that the drum kits were blue overall.

わきき

yabori

The 2015 tour had multiple shows in Tokyo, stopped in Osaka, and went all the way to Takamatsu and Nagoya. King Crimson really is popular in Japan, too.

I wonder if a lot of the fans are from the same generation as the band members. I guess I just like the cool, seasoned stuff.

わきき

yabori

I see!

But it was all top-class players playing together, so it was incredibly cool. The power of the playing and the energy of the audience’s cheers were both amazing.

わきき

Favorite T-Shirts From Maririn, RAM and Nini, Sent From Abroad

yabori

Alright, from here we’ll go through the favorite T-shirts of Maririn, RAM and Nini, who are overseas and couldn’t join us this time. First up, Maririn sent us a photo of a T-shirt from The Vines. Do you two like them? Or rather, do you even know them?

A friend of mine was into them back in high school or college, and I forget the song title, but I listened to just one song like crazy.

滝田

yabori

Just one song? (laughs) How about you, Wakiki?

I don’t know them.

わきき

yabori

They’re an Australian band that emerged in the 2000s. I used to listen to their 2008 album, ‘Melodia,’ a lot. The songs are short, and plenty of them run around two minutes. The songs are really great, and vocalist Craig Nicholls was so highly rated that people called him “the next John Lennon.”

Right. Their live shows had a pretty emotional feel too, and it takes me back. Oh, the song I kept listening to was “Get Free.” It’s a good one, isn’t it?

滝田

yabori

“Get Free” is an early song. It’s on their 2002 debut album, ‘Highly Evolved.’

Nini’s Pick, Gorillaz

yabori

Next up, Nini. Looks like Nini loves Gorillaz! Wakiki, you saw the photo too, right?

I did. It’s a Noodle T-shirt. Gorillaz are so cool, aren’t they?

わきき

yabori

Noodle is the character who plays guitar in Gorillaz. Gorillaz is a music project made up of animated characters, after all. Noodle appears in the music video for “Feel Good Inc.” too.

yabori

This Gorillaz T-shirt also seems to be Nini’s number one favorite. It’s not only because it’s a beloved band, but apparently Nini also likes how it looks when worn (laughs). Here’s Nini’s comment.

RAM’s First Purchase, The Stone Roses

yabori

Next is RAM. RAM got excited about it, saying, “Great theme!” and “T-shirts that get worn out usually get demoted to pajamas, right? (laughs)” Here’s RAM’s comment too.

yabori

“The first T-shirt RAM ever bought was The Stone Roses. Of the songs on their first album, “Made of Stone” is a particular favorite, and RAM has always thought that album’s artwork was cool. RAM doesn’t know where the shirt is now, but found an image of the design online and sent it to us.”

Oh, that’s stylish. It looks so cool.

わきき

yabori

The Stone Roses are a Manchester band who released their debut album, ‘The Stone Roses,’ in 1989. The cover is apparently influenced by the paintings of Jackson Pollock. I’ll drop in some live footage too.

A Birthday Gift From a Friend, The Beatles

yabori

There’s also a Beatles T-shirt that a friend gave RAM for a birthday. The friend reportedly said it was “just a little joke,” but RAM didn’t get what the joke was (laughs). Even so, RAM loves that T-shirt and apparently wears it everywhere. RAM wore this T-shirt to see Paul McCartney live in 2024, too.

The Mystery Anime T-Shirt Turns Out to Be Panchiko

By the way, what is this T-shirt with what looks like an anime girl on it?

わきき

yabori

Huh, what is that? It says “death metal,” but is that “death metal pachinko”…? (Pachinko is a Japanese pinball-style gambling game.)

No idea. The character looks like Rei Ayanami from ‘Neon Genesis Evangelion’ one moment, and then not…

わきき

yabori

I looked it up on Bandcamp, and there’s an English band called Panchiko, and it looks like they have a work titled ‘D>E>A>T>H>M>E>T>A>L.’

Oh, sorry, it doesn’t say “pachinko,” it says “Panchiko.”

わきき

yabori

Not pachinko but Panchiko (laughs). I see. According to RAM, this T-shirt is very tight, so it isn’t worn much these days, but it holds some memories. Here’s the rest of RAM’s comment.

Editor’s Postscript

So, what did you think?

Many of you may have nodded along when RAM said that “T-shirts that get worn out usually get demoted to pajamas.”

Whether it’s one bought at the merch table at a show, one received as a gift, or one found on the street, we felt that as we wear them, T-shirts quietly become part of our own memories.

What kind of T-shirt is sleeping in your closet?

In Part 2, look forward to Takita’s “so frustrating I can’t stand it” story, and the tale of Summer Sonic 2007 (a major Japanese music festival), which still remains a mystery to yabori to this day. Stay tuned!