We've all done it from time to time. What I'm referring to (all similes aside) is downloading music. This was brought on by Nick's little justification for slamming up some choones for you all to enjoy (mostly live stuff from the Hardcore days of yore). But his little "please don't shoot me for uploading" speech set the ol' cog's a-whirrin'.
Like I said, I think at least 80% (maybe more) have downloaded music at least once in their lives and we're not talking the iTunes 70p a song downloading. We're talkin' full, free downloads. I didn't for ages but since moving out and finding myself increasingly more budgeted (having bills to pay does that to you for those not in the know), I began to download stuff, at first it was stuff that was no longer available from the 70's and 80's, then it was to stuff that was OOP and I couldn't find in some small dusty distro in Sweden and then it was stuff I wanted but wasn't really sure I'd like. I make it a personal choice to go download anything by anyone HUGE because, although the bastards can afford to lose the sales, the wrath of the RIAA comes CRASHING down on you and not having the money for music becomes the least of your troubles when you cant afford to settle out of court or pay fine, and this face is far too pretty for jail.
Now like I said and probably like most people, I download music because firstly I cant afford to keep buying CD's/vinyl by bands Im not sure I'll like, and secondly because (in correlation to firstly) I want to check it out. I always do this with the express intention of at some point (when funds allow) to buy the "still active/music still available" bands stuff or in the very least pick up stuff by them when I see it (like new releases) so they can at least make money off me, and Ill go and see them live when I can. I suppose the problem is though, once I have the music (despite always preferring to own hardcopies for album art and lyrics sheets etc) I lack the incentive to later purchase the albums I've downloaded (usually no more then one album per band) which is a terrible thing, I mean, I do buy the later releases or releases I want that I see are about, but not ever to really get the actual release I've downloaded.
The thing is you don't even have to have Limeware, Kazaa or Soulseek or any other p2p networking torrent sharing software to download music. Google seem to have inadvertantly provided scores of places which can allow you to download music from its Blogs. Google's blogspots (while I sure google dont condone, but also dont stop such acts) allow its users to link rapidshare/mediafire etc etc websites with the desired content for download which indirectly makes Google a part of the problem.
The problem is this: there are a few honest souls out there (like myself) who download with the express and honest intention of getting money to the bands later (because if you're a Hardcore band of any merit you'll be small and poor, holding down a full time/part time job while you play or are claiming the dole) because they work hard to produce music that they enjoy playing and you enjoy hearing and its wrong to deprive them of this. And the various music bloggers always tell you to buy the stuff later. Hell! Ive even seen one blog that gives you direct links underneath the download clicky to buy the music (Hats off to them!). But the big question (and root of the problem) is how many people download music, but never buy? Id imagine its probably a little over half of that 80% download without any intention of funding the bands they claim to love (and Im being pretty optimistic when it comes that figure).
The fact is, the people in the bands work fucking hard to make the music, and to just take it without giving anything for it, is just kinda wrong. Ill agree that CD prices are too high (well, HMV, Zavvi and occasionally Amazon prices anyway) but we're talking the little guys! who are on the little labels on need that money to make more records, to cover the cost of pressing the records, printing T-shirts and for touring, not to just go with the rest of the money they make from the fat advance they get their label, a la Gallows (Yeah! we know you got a 5K advance, its all you talked about when you played UEA), so to deprive them of that money is a damn site worse then robbin' up Mary J Blige or P Diddy etc etc.
I suppose my big point is, if you worked for all week for your money and I then took a days worth of money out of your pay check it would suck, so don't do it the little bands you claim to support, if you're downloading their shit, which Im sure they don't mind because the fact of the matter is they probably do it too, at least go see them live and buy one of the albums/recordings they're flogging (also that way the money goes straight to the band which is a thumbs up) so they arnt going completely out of pocket.
J.W
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