Old subject I know but I was browsing and have thoughts to share
I personally find it extremely annoying and offensive to see some jerk off who barely knows the band displayed on the shirt he is wearing. Whether or not it is a band that I support it is very disrespectful to the artist and their fans to have their music and everything they stand for reduced to being a mere fashion statement by some Wanker who brought the shirt because it "Looks cool". I've seen shirts myself from bands I didn't listen to that I thought were cool but would never buy and wear it out of being respectful. The whole idea of band shirts in the first place is to publicly show your support for a band or artist, that seems to of changed these days with emo kids wearing them to look cool or to make themselves appear as a "Rebel" because their wearing a Manowar shirt or whatever. Not all bands but a lot want to be supported for their music first and foremost and aren't in the business to get as famous and make as much money as possible by conforming to popular social trends etc. The very act of people going out and buying shirts when they are not a fan of the band metaphorically spits on everything the artist stands for by promoting exactly what they are against.
Although the popularity of the music and Iron Maiden has been on a steady rise once more since 2004 after leveling off a few of years at the end of the 90's. Back in 2004 in the city I call home I was pretty much the only person I saw around wearing Iron Maiden and other metal bands shirts. These days I can't go out of the house and into the city itself without running into multiple other people wearing them also. Anyway yeah that's my views on why having non fans wearing band shirts is totally gay.