"Collecting Mechanics" - A brief look at some of the band’s memorabilia.

Oh where to start? Well I guess the most obvious place is with the recorded output of the band. As you can see from the features elsewhere in this edition, Mike and latterly, the Mechanics have given their fans plenty of collectable items, singles, digi paks etc.. Some collectors collect singles for their sleeves which in some territories different entirely from their more staid UK versions. There aren't many Mechanics items in this category which re truly rare or hard to find so a little perseverance will get you a long way…and a decent collection!

Promotional items such as photographs, press kits etc are harder to find as they have a limited shelf life promoting the item they were produced for and are usually produced in limited numbers for a specific audience. Press releases also fall into this category and are quite hard to find but worth it if you can locate them as they often contain historical info…release dates, tour dates etc which anoraks amongst us (myself included) find very useful.

Items such as tour riders (these are the documents specifying everything from technical requirements at gigs to the food/drink requirements in the dressing room after gigs) are very much harder to find as their audience is strictly within the band and its management.

The same goes for tour itineraries, these list details of gigs, dates, venue, hotels and much other fascinating detail. Originally printed as manuscripts on A4 paper, they are now more usually produced as nifty little ring bound booklets and issued to band and crew members. These are highly sought after.

One area which has generated a large body of collectable items is bootlegs. These recordings made by members of the audience at gigs and augmented by the occasional radio or TV broadcast have become staples for collectors. Fortunately, as you can see from the illustrations, there are numerous items both on CD and also DVD for you to whet your appetites on.

Of the more mundane items a fan can collect, one of the most interesting is the tour programme. The Mechanics have been generous in this aspect with virtually every tour they have done producing some form of commemorative brochure from the postergramme in 1989 for The Living Years all the way through to the beautifully packaged brochures for the Let Me Fly and Out Of The Blue tours. Each contains much of interest and none of them are particularly hard to find so completing your collection should not be too much of a challenge.

Then we come to what can only be described as the odds and sods, those more ephemeral items which are sometimes produced to wrest an extra penny or pound from your pocket whilst perusing the merch stand. These can include button badges, which have always been a staple of merch at gigs.

Of more recent vintage the presence of coffee mugs, Tote Bags, scarves and even souvenir key rings and bottle openers have appeared along with souvenir VIP lanyards - lanyards are more usually worn by members of the band, management and crew. On the most recent tour there was even a scented air freshener for your car!

Among this category however can also be found items which are harder to find. Things such as photo and guest passes issued for specific locations and purposes. The much sought after AAA passes which are worn by band and crew are highly sought after too.

Then there are the truly unique items such as one which is currently in the TWR Archive. This is a 25 foot long canvas banner designed to advertise the first gig of the 2015 tour in Rhyl. Unfurled it looks a lot like the Bayeux Tapestry.

Same goes for tour posters. Some are mass produced for tours and can be found in displays at venues. Some are unique to an individual venue and these are harder to find than the generic ones and of late, these have been on sale at gigs usually signed by the band. Smaller versions of these, usually A5 sized can be found at gigs where they are mass produced and easily found for your collection.

So there you have it, a brief run through some of the areas of collectable items that any fan of the band may indulge in. It's a fun hobby but it can be an expensive one! Happy hunting.