bob vylan does what it takes on the brutal “merch stand”

Bob Vylan is back with some more unflinching realness for you. The punk rock duo’s music holds nothing back; brutally honest about what it takes to survive in a world that insists on dehumanizing you. The video, shot by frontman Bobby himself, is lo-fi and DIY to the core. He never blinks, pouring frustration out into the camera. “Old habits die hard / I’m selling dope at the merch stand” Bobby shouts out in a voice like knives. Because when rents increase every year and pay doesn’t, what else is a punk to do? You can only be squeezed so hard before you break.

The band describes “Merch Stand” as a song “about the hardships of staying on the straight and narrow path in a time where job opportunities are on the decline, pay for those jobs isn’t getting any better and rent is on the rise. It’s about the measures some take to make ends meet in such a time. We’ve been told over and over that the music or visuals are too aggressive or violent but why wouldn’t it be? Look around! The video is D.I.Y and uncompromising just like the genres we blend (punk and grime) and it reflects the nature of the song and features a cameo from Dave Baby, one of the last real artists alive. This man lives and breathes art and is sinfully punk and DIY and has been an inspiration to us from the day we met him!”