Most musician merchandise is resigned to t-shirts and tour posters. However, some artists get a little more creative. Over the years, rock artists have released their fair share of unexpected products. Revisit four of the oddest bits of rock band merch, below.
Videos by American Songwriter
Mötley Crüe’s Dr. Feelgood Stethoscope
While Mötley Crüe’s Dr. Feelgood might not be sanctioned by the medical board per say, their fans can look like the real deal with their official stethoscope. The band released this odd bit of rock band merch for the 30th-anniversary of “Dr. Feelgood.” We’re not sure what you would use this fully functioning stethoscope for, but we’re sure mega fans found an excuse to get a hold of this limited edition product.
Elsewhere in this merch drop were band branded scrubs, straight-jackets, guitar pedals, plates, footballs, and more. They seemed to have covered all of their bases while ideating on this re-issue.
Ozzy Osbourne’s Grill Tools
Given Ozzy Osbourne’s infamous winged diet, we’re not sure we want his name anywhere near our food. Nevertheless, he released his own line of grill tools as rock merch in 2021. With the help of his “Ozzy Rules” set, fans could flip, tong, and stamp Ozzy’s name into their food. Perfect for your summer cook-out needs, Ozzy decided to leave his dark persona behind for something a little more family friendly.
The KISS Kasket
There are many bands we would think of before KISS where a wrapped casket is concerned…Not that KISS isn’t bada** in their own way, but such a thing seems more suited for a goth rock group. Nevertheless, the band released what they coined “The KISS Kasket” in 2001.
While The KISS Kasket served the obvious purpose, it also doubled as a cooler. We can safely say no other rock band has ever released merch quite so absurd.
“It serves two purposes,” Gene Simmons once said. “You can have your last ride with your favorite band. But while you’re living, you can have a cold one.”
Alice Cooper’s Mascara
In the ’70s, Alice Cooper provided fans with the opportunity to get his signature eye look with a brand of mascara called Whiplash. Though the makeup product is more or less impossible to find nowadays, it was an officially licensed bit of rock merch from the icon.
Cooper attempted to bring back the mascara with a modern brand, but the collaboration ultimately fell apart, due to Cooper’s comments on the transgender community. “You’re still trying to find your identity, and yet here’s this thing going on, saying, ‘Yeah, but you can be anything you want,’” Cooper reportedly said. “It’s so absurd, that it’s gone now to the point of absurdity.”
Despite his scrapped makeup line, Whiplash was a big hit amongst fans in Cooper’s heyday. Just look at the video below…Who wouldn’t be inspired to layer on the eye makeup while watching Cooper bound around on stage?
Paul Natkin/Getty Images
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