Gig Posters: The Visual Ying to our Aural Yang

[falang]

Any collectors in here? A great forum/resource is Expresso Beans if you weren't already aware. Post some pics of your most favourite/most wanted gig posters or art prints.

Here are a few I own and sit framed above my audio gear:

 

[steviebee]

That Neil Young is flat out wonderful. Who is the artist?

And I thought the art of the San Francisco ballrooms was dead...

Thanks for the link!

 

[Lamora]

My posters have all been relegated to a cardboard tube in a cupboard (none were perticularly exciting anyway. My walls have are now dominated by shelves instead.

 

[falang]

Quote:

Originally Posted by steviebee /img/forum/go_quote.gif That Neil Young is flat out wonderful. Who is the artist? And I thought the art of the San Francisco ballrooms was dead... Thanks for the link!

The artist is Todd Slater. The print is inspired by his song Cortez the Killer.

ToddSlater.net

 

[falang]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lamora /img/forum/go_quote.gif My posters have all been relegated to a cardboard tube in a cupboard (none were perticularly exciting anyway. My walls have are now dominated by shelves instead.

Time to get some new ones up and framed then! If you have the wall space.

 

[turtlee]

your collection is gorgeous....i've never been able to get my hands on gig posters....thanks for the site

rock on

 

[falang]

Quote:

Originally Posted by turtlee /img/forum/go_quote.gif your collection is gorgeous....i've never been able to get my hands on gig posters....thanks for the site rock on

Thanks! I love gig posters but now I'm starting to get into art prints. This is another evil hobby as it can get expensive. Not only do you have to buy the prints/posters but you also have to factor in framing costs (which can get expensive if you are interested in fully archival framing).

Popular bands and artists often sell out fast as most of their art prints/gig posters are in limited edition runs of 500 or less (most are at 200). However, you can usually find the print/poster you want in the secondary market if you're willing to pay the going market rates.

Expresso Beans is a great community for buying and trading prints from fellow members, and actually tracks and records the sales and recent market rates on thousands of prints/posters.

 

[monolith]

Gig posters are nice, but music is nicer. I only get posters when there is no music to get that I already have, or very little.

That said, I think I'd give an arm for an Aaron Horkey poster. Here's a good example, though it's for an incredibly bad band:

 

[falang]

I love Horkey! His art print Whale Bone Grove (the last picture in my first post) is my most beloved print. Here are some of his other great posters (however, like you, I don't like some of the bands, but metalheads will):

I want the Mogwai poster but it's a little too expensive (between $300-$400 on the secondary market; its original price from the artist was $30!) and my walls are crowded. Click on the Mogwai print for a better view.

 

[falang]

Quote:

Originally Posted by monolith /img/forum/go_quote.gif Gig posters are nice, but music is nicer. I only get posters when there is no music to get that I already have, or very little. That said, I think I'd give an arm for an Aaron Horkey poster. Here's a good example, though it's for an incredibly bad band:

You don't like the Arcade Fire or Wolf Parade? I wish Horkey did more indie rawk posters rather than metal.

 

[monolith]

Quote:

Originally Posted by falang /img/forum/go_quote.gif You don't like the Arcade Fire or Wolf Parade? I wish Horkey did more indie rawk posters rather than metal.

Wolf Parade I don't know very well, but Arcade Fire are god awful tripe.

That Shades of the Swarm poster is glorious, as is the Genghis Tron one.

My favourite work of his is a poster he did for the Sunn O)))/Boris album Altar. I've only seen a picture of it once, and since lost it.

I like many of the bands he does work for (Isis, Neurosis, Converge, etc), am indifferent to others (Genghis Tron) and demonstrably dislike others. Hopefully I'll have a chance to buy one of his works when I see Boris and Torche next month, as I know he's making up a poster for that. I think his work befits the metal bands he does more than the others. His work generally has a monolithic nature that perfectly compliments the monolithic nature of bands like Isis, Neurosis and Sunn O))). It seems totally at odds with stuff like Arcade Fire.

Other than him, the Malleus Rock Art Lab make some of the best posters (and album covers) I've seen.

 

[falang]

Sunn O))) Boris May Tour 06 Burlesque - Tour

Is that the poster?

Arcade Fire are by no means my fave, but that is indeed the style of tripe I'm into. 8)

 

[monolith]

No, that's not the one, though I have seen that one and it is excellent.

For the life of me I can't find a picture of it, though I did find a video of a guy silkscreening one:

YouTube - Wezz vs Southern Lord

 

[G-man]

any idea where i can get some of these at a reasonable price. i was thinking of buying around5-10, but small. would rather have many small than a large one. i might have one large one. i mean the uk, and apart from ebay (nothing against them, just want to check out other options).
BTW, soooooo nice. you got me drooling.

 

[falang]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gautam /img/forum/go_quote.gif any idea where i can get some of these at a reasonable price. i was thinking of buying around5-10, but small. would rather have many small than a large one. i might have one large one. i mean the uk, and apart from ebay (nothing against them, just want to check out other options). BTW, soooooo nice. you got me drooling.

So far the best site I have found for purchasing gig posters and art prints is the forum Expresso Beans (EB for short).

Lets say you are looking for gig posters of the band, The Decemberists:

Below are most, or, if not all of the gig posters ever made for them:

EB Art Search

Now, say you want this poster pictured below, which sold out quickly and is only available on the secondary market (when first released by the artist, this poster likely sold out the same day because it is a popular band, and the poster was done by a much loved/collected artist, Daniel Danger):



1. This link will show you the price history of the poster for the last 6 months:
Decemberists Cambridge UK 07 Danger - 1st

2. If you want to see which EB member has this poster up for sale or trade you need to click the For Sale or Trade tab on the top right of that page. Below is the the For Sale or Trade page for that particular poster:
Decemberists Cambridge UK 07 Danger - 1st

From the For Sale or Trade link you can see which users are willing to trade or sell. I find this a better place than eBay to buy posters as you can generally negotiate with multiple sellers to find the best price possible.


As for smaller gig posters, in the Expresso Beans (EB) search function, type the word: handbill. Here you will get a list of small posters that are based on larger gig posters. From that list, you can filter by poster artist, band, year, gig venue, etc, to find exactly what you are looking for.

EB is an amazing resource and is a little overwhelming at first, but using it becomes second nature quickly. Hopefully, this information will get you started! Be warned as this hobby can form a secondary addiction to your Head-Fi obsession - sorry about your wallet!