Retitle - Bootlegs and Tour News

[Carl Edlund Anderson]

> Maybe this is just my way of trying to salve a guilty conscience, but I
> think that the bands that we love and support should not be the losers
> in the bootleg game. I do support the bands by buying most all of the
> legitimate product I can
> Anyways, the only time that I have ever made copies of material that I
> own for distribution was to help spread the word about the band (i.e.
> Ozric Tentacles). No profit was made by me and a whole release was never
> copied. I like to think that I helped the band instead of hurting it.
> Whaddaya think?

    I have to agree.  First, I think free live tape trading is a great
boost to spreading the word about bands.  Many US bands allow and encourage
taping and trading of shows (the Grateful Dead were the best known example,
but far from the only one) knowing that this would spread the word and in
the end boost their regular album sales.  The success of such strategies is
born out by the recent success of bands like Phish who owe much of their
popularity to this sort of thing.

     I have often made sampler tapes of studio material for people in order
to introduce them to new music.  Given the high cost of CDs--especially in
the UK--people are unwilling to go out and buy things they've not already
heard.  Yes, I've made Hawkwind sampler tapes for people--and not a few
(including perhaps person(s) on this list ;) have subsequentlly become
hooked and gone out to buy their own Hawkwind CDs, thus generating revenue
for the band that they other wise wouldn't have had.
     I often get or make taped copies of others peoples music to check it
out.  And when I like it, I try to purchase it legitimately on the more
permanent and better-sounding CD medium :)
     Yeah, I own a few bought bootlegs.  It's a difficult situation or a
fan--I fully believe that the band should benefit from the fruits of their
labor (obviously).  I also hate to miss out on material I otherwise can't
get.  I haven't gotten any of the recent low-run CD-Rs, primarily since I
can't be bothered to spend money (which is in short supply) on anything
other than the legitimate releases!  I suppose if I was infinitely wealthy,
yeah, I'd buy it all :) and send a donation to the band.

    More importantly, I can always trade tapes with people and get more
music for the price of a few cassettes.  Maybe someday I'll be able to
transfer my favorite tapes to CD-R for my own listening pleasure.  Heck I
wouldn't mind _trading_ CD-Rs, but I don't like the idea of *selling*
bootlegs.  The bought bootlegs I own I've gotten as a last resort (and at
times when I was wealthier than now).  There's an oily feeling of
dishonesty, IMO, to selling bootlegs.
     (By bootlegs, I'm really meaning live etc. recordings, not illicit
copies of legitimate releases).

Cheers,
Carl