REAL theft from the bands

you know i've thought about what you've said too, and i know i'm guilty of buying unauthorized merch. A lot of bands encourage diy for their merch, but i don't think they'd be thrilled about others making money off it. I think about getting into screen printing, and I would like to get official permission first, and if not i'd still like to send a percentage to the band, or donate it to a charity in thier name or something. Definatly don't buy crass or punk stuff from hot topic. I've heard rumors they tried or did copyright stuff like the crass logo in thier own name

 

You may as well be. Only buy shit at gigs, or through the bands official webstore. It's the only way to make sure you're supporting the band.

The reason why theres no public outrage at this is that record companies ideally (although some now do) have no control over merch, only CD sales, so they're not losing any money out of the scam. As they hold the money, power, lawyers and marketing contacts, they need to be the ones to bring it to public attention.

Moral of the story: buy merch/CD's from the band. Download music and stick finger up at labels.

 

heard about david beckham wearing a crass t-shirt. I've seen this in the movie There is no authority but yourself, about crass.

 

Something to be said for buying bootleg shirts of bands long broken up, theres some really good ones.

As for downloading, record labels need to realize that they will never stop downloading and that the internet killed he record industry.

Now, theres alot of people like myself, who prefer to actually own LPs I really like.

If you stop pressing piece of shit CDs, you can effectively slow the downloading down because not everyone has the patience to rip LPs and make them sound good, and even then less than 90% of the population understands how to do it correctly to .WAV and not some piece of shit 128kbps MP3 without any coherent low end or high range frequencies.

Simple solution really.

 

bigcartel=free hosting of webstore. My band uses it and it's awesome. goes direct to designated paypal.

Ungovernable, some kind of communication breakdown, I'm pretty sure we're on the same page here. I have the belief that it's more punk to sign a major deal, and "turn the other cheek" (actively promote) to free mp3's and youtube so the record company pays for your cds, and gets no return while you make all the money off merch and concert tix.

Mp3's are about a bazillion steps backwards in terms of audio quality but, they do serve as great promotional tools to get people to gigs and in T-shirts, which can then pay for high quality recordings that can be purchased from side of stage or off the bands free bigcartel webstore. Although ideally we wouldn't have to pay for any of this...

 

Merchs a rip off and bands cud distro their own shiz to stores and not just big distros, get a list and send, do they owe us a living, those who know do but marketers have got savvy, how esle do you explain the 'stupid' spiked brigade

the net is just a sorta telephone zine sorta and files ar just tape trading

focus on destroying or changing a system through people and not being part of it and you won't even have an 'industry' of music and art but a symbiotic realationship as much you can between performer and audience ala punk rock

 

Buying from gigs is really the only way. But when im dead broke and i go to a show and the show is 10 bucks, and then the merch is 15+ i... cant support at that time.

And i agree for the de-funct bands. You can really only buy their shit from offline. Ex. I have a WARSORE shirt, that i got off ebay. I figured that no band with any members from this band would be in the US, and i didnt know of any stores who sold it so i got it from a distro in Baltimore, Maryland. At least im advertising the band to people! ive had some say "who is WARSORE" and now they listen to them. BUT STAY AWAY FROM BEZERKERWEAR.

 

Buying directly from the band is the only way to truly support the band. I've stopped buying new cds from record shops, I try to buy either from the band or used.

I loved used records shops.

 

i wont even walk into hot-topic i hate that fuckin store last time i went in there one of the guys working there had a misfits shirt on and i asked him what was his favorite song all he cloud say was "um... i dont know i like all there songs" hot-topic only breads posers and emos that wont stay in the scene untill thay find sum-thing better(then again thats an opion so nvm)

 

People, when your typing on a message board, or text message, or chat, SPELL YOUR WORDS CORRECTLY.

 

If you wanna talk about real theft....The person who Bootlegged the Chronic Sick records is a jackass...theyre getting reissued for real, and these bootlegs sound like shit.

 

On the plus side, when they leave the scene, maybe we will find thier former punk gear dirt cheap at thrift stores

I, for one a frequent second hand shopper. have found many great punk t-shirts over the years, including old tour shirts, records, and stuff, usually for no more then $1.99.

 

Ill give you that one....I picked up a Chronic Sick 7" for 15$ at the flea market....and A Cutest band In Hardcore EP for 40....Then sold my spare copies of each for 1700 to some dude in the UK.

Guess it helps being the bands roadie on thier most recent reunion tours, and living in the same town they were from. OG copies didnt stray out of the scene too much.

My best score was still G.I.S.M.s M.A.N. LP for 3$ in mint condition due to the guy having it saying "I bought it with a bunch of faggot glam metal shit a few years ago and hated it, they dont even speak english"

All I had to do was see that cover and knew I struck gold, Paid him the 3$ and went on my merry way.

 

dude me to man i do the same shit its so much better cuase its all old and brokin in and torn adds a bit more character to your look thats the one thing i love to have is character