So to set the record straight, I was a huge Metallica fan. I mean I knew every word, tried to learn as many songs as I could (and can still get my way through the opening parts of “One” with confidence), bought bootlegs, the boxset, even imports that no one had ever heard of. I thought they were king shit. Admittedly, my catalog included MP3s. Never burned them to sell. Never set up a website for profit. Never even so much as kept an MP3 instead of having the album. A used CD store owner had me on speed dial when weird Metallica stuff came in. Owned an Apocalyptica album. I was ankle deep in Metallica fandom.
And then they went after the downloaders…
I agreed with pursuing anyone who profited from downloading. That is stealing. I agreed with wanting a change to the medium where the artists get some input into the changing tide of online music instead of buying full $21 CDs. But suing? Over 600,000 people? Very Rock n’ Roll fellas.
I always said that downloading MP3s can do one thing very well: improve your fan base. Guaranteed there is at least one person at the Halifax concert who’s never once bought a Metallica CD/DVD/Bluray etc., but because this is their favorite band who never comes to Halifax, they are cheerily shelling out the $99 for grounds tickets; maybe the $199 for VIP backstage passes. Why would they? Because everyday for years at least one Metallica song springs up via their iPod and they fucking worship them.
I thought that my hate for the band would pass, but I admit I took the news of them coming to town much like my cat regards me when I arrive home: “M’eh”. Day late and a buck short guys. I don’t care. I am happy for them and their enormous success, as I am trying to make it in this industry myself. But the more I think back the ten-ish years when this all came to a head, it sickens me to give them my hard earned money more than ever.
In a video I quote many times, one from “The Charlie Rose Show”, where Lars Ulrich of Metallica and Chuck D of Public Enemy are interviewed, Lars is quoted as to say that the concern was that he wanted the control of his art, as he and his bandmates have lost the control of the music’s content due to the peer-to-peer company’s existence. But where are the lawsuits against libraries? Crackerjack teams hired by Metallica to prevent someone from lending a CD that they just bought to a friend? Pursuing legislation to have control over people bringing CDs to a kitchen party and playing them for a house full of people? Lars is quoted in the interview as saying:
“It’s really not, it’s not about the money, it’s about the control and about the future. The money that’s being lost in this revenue; it’s pocket change.”
And for what? Did this lawsuit aide in any way the control that they sought? Has the downloading of music gone down? Nope, instead it just made us all better at it. Thanks, Metallica.
So for all of those who are buying tickets, have fun and I wish you well. I myself will wait for the rebroadcast on my free Android app “TuneIn Radio” in a free streaming format. And even though they say that they support bootlegs and live recordings of their shows, here’s hoping I don’t get sued for listening, as for when it comes to Metallica, you never really know. —The Guy at the Metallica Concert Eearing a Napster T-shirt
This article appears in May 5-11, 2011.
you bring up interesting points….
and there’s also the time when they said they’d never ‘sell out to the man’ when music videos became more the norm…. then when they DID come out with videos, everyone (much like you did here) got their hate on…. but the vids were awesome… and kept getting better…
The only way I won’t be there is if I’m either dead or physically restrained by reinforced kryptonite in some fashion.
I try to keep the politics and the music separate. Not always successful at it but any metal-head has a whole host of their songs in permanent rotation.
Its been years since I watched this, thanks for the reminder.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIuR5TNyL8Y
Welcome back Z!! Hope you had a fantastic vacation.
(I will not be attending nor do I care enough about Metallica to read this bitch – cheers)
Why is it that some people think it is their godgiven right to be able to have free music and movies? You wouldn’t go into a store and steal clothing or steal a car from a dealer (well there may be some) but think it’s perfectly ok to download digital information for free when the proper fees haven’t been paid.
There’ll be the usual fans outside the barricades enjoyin ght music for free.
You can probably be over in Dartmouth & hear the concert for free !
Its not like Metallica’s mixer pulls back on the V O L U M E slider.
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/med…
And why should he, More? 😛 Just be thankful it’s not Motorhead. Their concerts get up to like 120 db. It’s fucking insane.
anti-piracy anti-shmiracy….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALZZx1xmAzg
I wouldn’t even go to this concert at gunpoint.
Metallica bores me to tears.
My attention span is too short to read a bitch that look over there!
I just know the sandman song. And one, though I don’t know how it goes.
True though, stealing is wrong, but so were back-catalog LP prices and concert t-shirt prices.
check your facts, it ain’t the groups going after you, it’s the agents, managers and promoters that are the greedy fucks here. most artists are glad to have their shit played, in any form. it’s called exposure.
but you get a bunch of jar headed fucking douches, they want your cash.
Yeah it’s mostly the RIAA and such going after “pirates”.
I still buy CDs, believe it or not. I don’t even like to dowload off iTunes. I agree with Bro Tim on this one (gasp) Metalica (I used them as an example but you can substitute it with any artist) doesn’t just hop in the studio for 4 minutes and bang out a hit song. Music is painstakingly hard to make, it takes a lot of time, money, creative energy and perseverance to create even shitty music, let alone quality, timeless music. I agree that stealing music and movies is wrong.
However, artists have to adjust to what’s going on. Saying it’s wrong doesn’t make it go away. People aren’t going to pay for something they can get for free, bottom line. I mean they will, some artists do still go platinum, but they’ve sacrificed a lot to get that level. The real money is in touring.
It’s going back to the days before recorded music, with artists and groups becoming traveling acts.
And let’s not forget that the music and film industry ripped us off for years, buying a CD with 2 good songs on it for 20 bucks. You couldn’t hear anything but the hit singles so there was no way of knowing if the CD was any good. That’s not honest business. You had acts that were going multi-platinum that nowadays wouldn’t go double wood.
We’re making these guys earn their money now, and in 5-10 years the major label will no longer be needed for upcoming artists. They can record their own music (and keep the rights to it) release it, promote it for relatively cheap. Downloading is great for these up and comers. Many artists/groups have to make free music available for a long time before people trust them enough to part with their money.
All and all I think it’s a good thing because independent artists can keep more of the profits that are made from their art. They also own the rights so they don’t run the risk of recording an entire album and having the label deny its release. I mean can you imagine that? Pour your heart and soul into something only to not have the right to get it out there to the masses? It’s YOUR music. But it’s not, legally speaking. Fuck these record labels and film companies, bloodsuckers.
Good on you OB, stand up for what you believe in. I try to keep music and politics separate but some things are hard to ignore. There are also circumstances where I agree with an artists political stance, but don’t like their music. So it should be able to go both ways.
No artist likes the fact that their music is being stolen but you have to adapt and understand that there’s more money in touring and albums are more of a promotional tool nowadays than a money making endeavor.
also remember, a downloaded copy does NOT equal a loss in sales.
“I still buy CDs”
Moi aussi. Nothing feels better than holdin the hard copy in your hand. They’re getting more expensive each day though … 🙁
Technology is changing the way music is distributed, it’s happened a dozen times in the past. The musicians that adapt will do well, and those who refuse will be left behind.
Remember when HMV used to be a store……now it should be demolished and a condo put in it’s place. 🙂 Fuck paying $21 for CD. Woohoo internet.
lol pretty much summed up what I was just said in my 2 foot long post, snoop. God I’m long winded
I sometimes buy CDs, but I prefer downloading (free or paid). I find it much more convenient. With CDs I rip them to my computer and then they sit around collecting dust.
yeah, same Tron, but I like the quality of ripped CDs over downloaded MP3s and I like to have a physical collection to flip thru. People buying these expensive sound systems for their homes/cars only to listen to MP3s.. I shake my head.
really Donk? I thought they were getting cheaper, maybe for older albums but new ones are usually 10-12 bucks.
MP3 isn’t the only digital audio format out there, you know. Lots of digital music stores have several options, including FLAC, which I’ve heard has really good audio quality.
… Britney ain’t getting any cheaper son. I gotta shop where you do!
lol yeah but you gotta remember that’s her coke AND bail money, Donk. lol no shots
Nothing wrong with being long winded. Specifics and details have a lot of value, especially on the internet.
Also, I will usually only buy a CD if I really REALLY love the artist and/or if they are local/just starting out.
But if the artist is dead or extremely popular… I don’t give a shit if people download their music of not.
I often go to CD Second Hand stores like Taz, and look through those, never know what you may find. Liked South Park’s take on it. As for the concert, can’t afford anyhow.
lol thanks Snoop. I guess I’m not forcing anyone to read my ramblings.
I pretty much share your stance. Bottom line is CDs, albums whatever aren’t selling right now and the public has told the corporations that they prefer convenience over quality.
So artists need to look at better ways to make their money and maybe accept that there’s just not as much money in entertainment as there use to be.
This works for the real music fan to a certain extent because now people who want the big bucks will have to look outside of music. Only those who really love their craft will remain, eventually, hopefully.
I like the way things are going now because instead of some unknown bum getting a record deal and being force fed to the masses, now record labels are only interested in offering you a deal if you’ve already built your own fan base. By that time, you often don’t need them. The one thing they do provide though is an opportunity to go on a big tour with lots of publicity.
Metallica was early to jump on illegal downloading, as were many other big acts. Had they been able to see the future they may not have been so down on it, but it was a hard pill for the music biz to swallow at first. They could have handled it better but it must have been some hard news to hear. “You mean they can get it for free now?” Panic mode.
I can sympathize with them. I think the fans win in the end.
I can’t wait to get my ticket tomorrow ! I love Metallica and can’t wait for them to rock the hill … I completely forgot about the hilarious Metallica cartoons… beer good haha
Didn’t Fred Flintstone go to the first Metallica concert somewhere around 1,000,000 BC?
Forgot this.
http://ts1.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.as…
Is that Lars Ulrock in the background?
THAT MOTHERFUCKING SITE BLOWS ASS CHUNKS….
you can’t pre-create an account… so it’s a mad dash to get your account set up before you can even GET the fucking tickets…
and now it says “there’s something wrong with your address/ZIP”
nothing else… not which field is wrong… even though it isn’t…
and VIP sold out in no fucking time….
I swear to god I’m going (though it’ll have to be a hard needs ticket I guess) but it’s now begrudgingly because that fucking useless piece of shit site is the most retarded piece of crap software EVER.
FUCKERS
Jesus christ BREATHE. I can see getting that worked up over, say, a NKOTB concert… but Metallica? PAH LEESE.
Reallllllllllllllllly Metallica … good Lord. Another flop.
Thank you, Donk.
So finally, after over 2 hours… I have my tix.
GOD DAMN I’m pissed off at that site… what utter BS.
FUCKING FUCK.
PK, this is the equivalent to me… the one band on my bucket list.
say what you want… I’m sure we all have one artist or performance we would kill someone in cold blood to see.
I know I know, and my GOD I was just teasing. Isn’t that what we do? Pick on each other? *shakes head* did you hit your head or something when you were in a far away land?
Also: aren’t you ALWAYS pissed off? I mean, way to state the status quo. 😉
Now say something scathing and mean to me — that’s how it goes. I know you’ve got it in ya! 😀
For sure…Like, I know for me it’s, like, totally Rebecca Black! OMFG she’s dreamy!%2
she’s better than that fucking ‘my jeans’ song…
it’s WAY worse than ‘friday’ IMO.
the fact that over a million people have downloaded ‘friday’ from itunes (effectively making her a millionaire since she makes 70 cents per download) is quite frankly… disgusting.
I can’t see it being too long before I kill myself to avoid the day when these ridiculous twat teens get out in the real world…and fuck it up in record time.
Idiocracy is merely a generation or two away people….
get out early while you still can.
That’s if the world doesn’t blow itself up in the next 20-30 year or so. Maybe sooner.
… and when that day comes I’m running out stark naked towards that mushroom cloud. Life after destruction would suck ASS:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZJnFfoi7gg
lol @ Idiocracy, awesome yet scary movie when you realize it’s true. Stupid people are taking over.
I will be one of the many at the end of the commons bobbing my head and squinting my eyes. ROCK ON!
all in preparation
http://grooveshark.com/#/playlist/Rock+The…
Well, SOMEONE has FAR too much time on their hands….
and if you look at who’s account it is… you’ll see who has the time to spare.
burn
I *did* notice who’s account it was. 😉
CDs are getting more expensive? Where? Since about 2004 or 2005, they’ve been getting less. New releases would often sell for $14.99 or $16.99 are now down to $9.99 or $12.99. With the exception of special or deluxe editions, if people actually buy those.
I also still buy CDs. But I also download music. For me, downloading mp3s was never a replacement for buying music. It was a replacement for sucky radio. If anyone had a right to sue, it was the radio industry.
I think the landscape of the music industry has changed obviously over the last 10-15 years to include the internet and you could take one of two approaches as a musician/artist. Whine, bitch and complain about how the internet is taking away your rights as an artist, or evolve and think of ways to use the internet to help your career. There are ways and its being done. Some people just prove they aren’t creative enough to stop living in the dinosaur ages.
PS: speaking of dinosaur ages. I also recently purchased my first vinyl player and am slowly building a record collection in addition to my 700+ CDs. None of them include Metallica (though not on principle. I just don’t like the music either).