Beware the scene killers

In the last year people in our scene have been ripped off by Paul Teutel, jr (Falcon), Full Throttle Saloon (Born Free) and Levi's Strauss Signature (Ardcore Choppers/Nate Spainhower). I expect a certain amount of larceny from people with big budgets and small imaginations. After all, what are we gonna do? In a way it is flattering, but also heartbreaking at the same time.

After being involved in several different music scenes over the years I have felt the glow of living through the salad days and the golden age. But things always have a way of crashing back down to earth, usually at the hands of someone seeking to exploit the passion of others for their own benefit, ie "Scene Killers".

Take for example this shirt for sale on Chop Cult by Omega Red, aka Mike French:

It seems innocent enough, the song title of an old S.O.D song reprinted on a t-shirt meant to appeal to old punks who ride v-twin suicide machines with a hint of Frankie Goes To Hollywood. Cheeky.

But dig a little further into his classifieds and you see he is selling his copy of the recent Street Chopper which featured this shirt by Loveless 68:
Not to mention the designer was giving out "Kill Yourself" stickers at Born Free 3. This isn't a faceless, greedy corporation cherry picking the ideas of a little guy. This is outright theft for personal benefit and reflected glory, cheap, dirty and low.

I hate this shit. It is what kills scenes; petty thievery leads to choosing sides and disintegration. It is the opposite of brotherhood and inspiration. There really ought to be no room for this, or maybe this is the beginning of the end. Ugh...