[Dante Hicks]

This sort of thing (whether it's wearing a wrist-band, or wearing a band/cult t-shirt / lapel badge) seems to be an easy way of advertising your interests to the world. It doesn't cost much (if anything) and is going to have a generally positive impact on social interaction. Especially if it's something like a festival wristband, it's not like people are going to come up to you in a pub and threaten to bottle you because you went to Reading instead of Leeds.

On the other hand, it does make social interaction slightly easier (if only for other people). Some people have some difficulty walking up to a stranger and saying "Hi, my name is..." completely out of the blue, whereas it's much easier to make a comment about a band the person is saying they like (or whatnot). 've lost count of the conversations that people have started with me because I was wearing a slightly obscure geek reference t-shirt, or some band. While some of the conversations I've had were not necessarily the greatest of my life, I'd have to say overall they've been positive. In another instance, I left my wallet on the bus and someone handed it in. I speculate that the person who handed it in was more likely to hand it in because he and I were both wearing punk t-shirts (you may dismiss this as absurd of course).

Given the general level of alienation/atomisation in this world any low-cost measure which can make communication between like-minded people easier is appreciated. (Among those of us who haven't made the strides towards constantly socially-comfortable Ubermensch that is).