FASHION / FALL IN THE CITY : Backstage Badges of Courage
What teen-age rock fan doesn’t dream of backstage access at a concert? One small measure of comfort to those who aren’t on the A-list is a fake backstage pass.
The badges won’t give anyone access to the inner confines of INXS, Marky Mark or Kris Kross. But the laminated cards, worn suspended from woven cords, are, if nothing else, a status symbol of sorts.
Most of them are worn as necklaces, but some of the badges have been transformed into pins and earrings. Or you might find them hanging in the “fuzzy dice” spot--draped around rear view mirrors.
The faux pass fad began with a small core of New Kids on the Block fans, but its popularity surged when Mike Myers and Dana Carvey wore them in the movie “Wayne’s World.” Now false passes are selling at a fever pitch at rock concerts. A variety of musicians--heavy metal artists, pop singers, rappers--have their images laminated on the passes. Stars of films and television shows such as “Beverly Hills, 90210”--a hot selling pass at Claire’s accessory boutiques--are also finding their way onto the passes.
The collectibles range in price depending on where they are purchased. Some music shops and mall stores sell them for as little as $5, while concert vendors sell them to their captive audiences for as much as $15, says Rachel Ruderman, general manager of Icons. The New York-based company makes many of the souvenir badges, and Ruderman says they often outsell T-shirts, the once ubiquitous souvenir for concert-goers.
“T-shirts fade, the printing cracks and (they) are often outgrown. Passes are flat enough to fit into a scrapbook and are durable enough for a lifetime,” says Ruderman.
Icons adds about five new artists per month to its badge repertoire. Current big sellers from Icons include Marky Mark and Hammer. The age of the average badge collector, says Ruderman, is about 17, but some Spinal Tap fans as old as--dare we say it?--40 have been known to don the souvenirs.
Icons plans to introduce a “Malcolm X” badge timed to the scheduled November release of the Spike Lee film, and passes featuring cast members and messages from “Star Trek” and “Star Trek: The Next Generation” are also in development.
Now Icons is mulling over a younger market.
“We are talking about 5-year-olds,” Ruderman says excitedly. But will older siblings be alienated by, say, a Barbie badge? “It’s not the same,” says Ruderman. “It’s the subject that changes everything.”
