Analogman Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 Van Morrison, one of the most heavily bootlegged performers in Rock & Roll history (I don't believe that), seems to have had a change of attitude towards fans who record his concerts and disseminates them using concert file sharing sites. VTM, along with performers such as Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Bruce Springsteen, have had a uneasy and unofficially tolerated relationship with the hard core fans who seek out their live concert recordings and studio outtakes. However, the internet and digital recording devices have changed the way that this material is distributed. Recently, Morrison has taken unprecedented steps to curtail fans from recording and distributing his material. Bootleg recordings have been a prominent and colorful part of the rock music scene since the early sixties, when collectors started recording Bob Dylan's every twitch, and expanded to include every major act of the classic rock era and beyond. Live concert recordings were once made on bulky cassette players that invariably had the fidelity of a transistor radio playing at the end of a railroad tunnel. Pressed to vinyl, these records would be kept behind record store counters and sold to true believers willing to tolerate the atrocious sound quality. Bittorent file sharing sites and easily concealed digital recording devices have changed the underground ethos that bootleg collectors once shared. Looking at how recent Van Morrison concerts have made the rounds of his fans is an instructive way to observe the new paradigm. Morrison has kept an active live performance schedule, playing on average, six concerts a month, mostly in the U.K., Europe, and the U.S. Before bittorent, networks of fans would trade concert cassettes and later CD's by mail, a practice that Van had long ignored. But with the advent of file sharing, it is no longer just his most dedicated fans obtaining this material, it is readily available to anyone remotely curious with a fast internet connection. Today, it is not uncommon to find recent Morrison performances available at file sharing sites within hours of their conclusion in high quality digital sound. Dimeadozen is one of the most prominent of these legally questionable concert sharing sites. Unlike pirate websites that will allow anyone to post anything, dimeadozen has a strict policy of not allowing any officially released material, only permitting live concerts and unreleased studio recordings from artists who do not expressly prohibit their distribution. Once an artist or their representatives inform the moderators that they no longer want their music on the site, it is prohibited. Until now, this is a action that relatively few artists have taken.Recently, representatives of Van Morrison have requested dimedozen to crease allowing his material on the site and they have complied. This isn't the only step he has taken. Morrison will be performing at the Austin Music Hall during the SXSW festival and the GetTix website has this loud and prominent warning to any potential bootleggers: Filming,Recording & Photography are Prohibited!!! *Violators Will Be Subject To Ejection And Confiscation of Equipment* Whether these actions will have any effect on the distribution of concert material is highly doubtful. There are few roadblocks preventing fans from setting up websites like RustRadio, a Neil Young fan site that starts broadcasting his concerts almost as soon as the last note has sounded. A much better solution that allows artists to be compensated for their creativity and fans to quickly and cheaply obtain concert recordings is for artists to make them available at their own websites or on itunes. This will certainly not stop the bootlegging of concerts but it offers some benefits to both artist and fan. One thing that is certain: the file sharing horse has left the barn and will not be coming back. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hardwood floor Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 yank the shows from dime & they'll just show up at the traders den or eztree yank them from there & they'll show up on piratebay or somewhere else van can try to stop people from sharing his live music, but it's a battle that's impossible to win Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted March 2, 2008 Author Share Posted March 2, 2008 I've never seem a Van Morrison show at dime a dozen. Like a lot of people, I think he is confusing bootlegging with people sharing shows. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
laurie Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 I heard he was kind of a conservative politically, is that true? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 I have one "bootleg" VM show from a radio station broadcast. I never see VM shows around. Then again, I've given up on trying to learn torrents. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted March 2, 2008 Author Share Posted March 2, 2008 Of course, all those shops in Japan that sell what he is talking about, does not help ones view of such things. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 I heard he was kind of a conservative politically, is that true?I have no idea but I'm reminded of a classic Churchill quote: "Any man who is under 30, and is not a liberal, has no heart; and any man who is over 30, and is not a conservative, has no brains." Quote Link to post Share on other sites
markosis Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 Who in god's name would even want to see Van Morrison in concert these days, let alone download a show? His voice is shot. Go home to Ireland, old man, you're done. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jc4prez Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 well when he charges over 200 dollars a seat , this isn't to surprising. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 Who in god's name would even want to see Van Morrison in concert these days, let alone download a show? His voice is shot. Go home to Ireland, old man, you're done.VM's voice is still fantastic, imo. His last two albums (Pay the Devil and Magic Time) speak for this. Pay the Devil has some rough edges to his normally smooth-as-silk voice but it's basically an album of County classics. I think he's singing up to that on the album. Both albums received good reviews, if I remember. Both the albums I mentioned came out within the last 2-3 years, too. He played up at Red Rocks last summer to great reviews, as well. I'd have been all over it but ticket prices and previous engagements dictated otherwise. He's got a few U.S. dates coming up (still a rarity these days) before hitting other parts of the world as is his tendency. I'd certainly still pay to see him live if the prices were more reasonable. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TheMaker Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Yeah, Van's out of my price range, too, but his voice is still incredible. I'm looking forward to his new one in April. Or is it March? Ah, hell, like it matters. Whenever it leaks... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Yeah, Van's out of my price range, too, but his voice is still incredible. I'm looking forward to his new one in April. Or is it March? Ah, hell, like it matters. Whenever it leaks...I listened to Magic Time for the first time in a while today and for the most part you could spread most of the tunes onto any of his early 70s albums and you wouldn't know the difference in age. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TheMaker Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Yeah, he sounds really full throated on that disc. The songs aren't really great, but I like it as an album. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
solace Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 hmm... i watched his ACL from last year within the last week or two and didn't think his voice was all that great... he mumbles like a motherfucker now too, could hardly understand him. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wild Frank Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 Apologees in advance as I've had a couple of glasses of Red but.....damm Van Morrison has made some great albums. I'm sitting here in my garden listening to 'Veedon Fleece' with a bottle of wine and a pair of headphones. That album, especially side one, gives me goosebumps it's so good. Gonna stick on 'into the music' in a minute which is almost as good. Any love for Van the Man out there today? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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