Back in September of 2021, celebrity couple Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian were spotted out on the town casually dressed in band shirts -- Travis in a vintage Cramps tee, while Kourtney rocked a '90s Cannibal Corpse long sleeve -- sparking the age-old "name three songs" drama once again regarding band merch that seems out of place.
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Chris Barnes, Cannibal Corpse's old singer, thought that they were both "posers" because of it and publicly stated so last year. The conversation drew a pretty diplomatic response from one of the offenders, Barker, in a new interview with Revolver. Travis, when asked about the controversy, explained exactly how the shirt ended up on Kourtney, and exactly why some people just need to chill the eff out.
"To speak on that, that's the lamest s*** ever," Barker said. "Obviously my fiancée doesn't listen to Cannibal Corpse, but I do. I grew up loving them. For [someone] to mention that in a negative light — f***ing lame, you know? She's wearing it because she's cold. She's not claiming she knows every song. But I do! I bought every album, and I learned how to play every album."
Barker added, "I grew up a punk-rock kid, [but] everything with punk rock — 'I'm more punk than you' — just f*** all that. Be stoked that people are into music. Music is beautiful! It changes people's lives. It creates the best memories. Just celebrate it, you know?" Barker then doubled down with a laugh, saying, "I have a gang of Cannibal Corpse t-shirts, I still love them. I have a gang of King Diamond t-shirts and rare Slayer shirts because I f***ing love those bands. I grew up on them. Even though I'm, you know, whatever the world wants to view me as — 'Oh, that's blink-182's drummer' — actually that guy was playing in a garage with a bunch of speed-metal kids listening to D.R.I. and S.O.D. I enjoyed every f***ing minute of it."
"In case you forgot," founding singer and brutal lyricist Barnes is also credited for designing the band's well-known, death metal-style logo, but was "dismissed" from Cannibal Corpse in 1995 due to personal differences, and has since helmed the band Six Feet Under. Guess that's why he spoke up about the fashionable use of his old band's fashionable merchandise.
Travis is right, it is pretty "lame" to pre-judge and bash someone for wearing your own band's t-shirt, whether you're still in the group or not. Fear Factory's Dino Cazares gets it. First of all, you'd be surprised at some of the musical choices people make, especially now that their chances for discovery are exponentially more accessible. Second, promotion is promotion, and these two are one of the most photographed couples... like, ever. But we're not even at that point in this conversation.
Travis, a well-established music nerd on many levels, gave his lady-friend a shirt to wear... Relax! Also, maybe she's just a really big Ace Ventura: Pet Detective fan... ever think of that? Everything isn't always just about you, Chris.
Excuse me, is Greg here?
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