Let's be real for a second - just you and I. We both know that at a certain point you've illegally downloaded something. We all have or at least know someone who has. It could have been a movie that happened to be just taken off Netflix, or maybe it was the newest Minecraft update. It could even have been this past summer's latest Stadium Jam that you can't get out of your head, but don't want to pay a dollar for to listen to on Spotify.
“We're all in debt so I guess I get it- But you mean to tell me you gave yourself a major Trojan just to listen to Taio Cruz's Dynamite for free again? Dude. It's not 2009 anymore.”
Regardless of your roommate's judgments upon you about musical taste, people most often don't think twice when you mention illegal downloads. Before Spotify became overwhelmingly popular, it was the only way to go.
“Lemme just burn this CD mixtape of all my illegal music quick, then we can go out. It shouldn't take more than 7 hours. Also please walk gingerly. I don't wanna damage the vital chorus-line to that phresh new Chris Brown single. Also my computer tower is going to sound like I threw a sack of pennies into a garbage disposal for the time being so brace yourself.”
What a throwback, right?
All jokes aside, nobody really used to bat an eye at that sort of thing – especially those CD burners that sounded like they were shredding your CD into a trillion pieces. Without having to deal with that hassle anymore, you'd think that illegal music sharing would be even much more alive and well but it doesn't seem that way. Many bands nowadays are even willing to let their audience listen for free by operating through websites like SoundCloud, or getting on YouTube for little to no compensation in order to make a name for themselves. While this can be good for the listener and can give a certain audience a very wide range of selection to listen to online and on the go, Live and touring music is different now than it ever has been.
What I am going to say next is unbelievably important.
When you listen to a band on the internet, you are getting the smallest sliver of the amount of work that truly goes into making their music. When you listen to a recorded song, you are often listening to hours straight – sometimes days, sometimes literally weeks of recording the exact same set of notes, in some cases LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF TIMES before it sounds just right. You are listening to a culmination of hours, days or weeks of not only songwriting lyrically, but collaboration between conflicting schedules of band-mates, mixing, the most careful listening imaginable, re-mixing, re-recording, fine-tuning (literally), lots of money to rent out recording space, and oftentimes blood sweat and tears.
“You know what? Can I hear take number 564 again? I really dug how it was perfect vocally but somebody's cell phone went off right in the middle of it. Yes Dave, I'm talking about you. I don't need your sass, Dave - get back in the booth.
And that's just recording. Many bands or artists are not only recording, but also attempting to gather a live audience.
Most of the bands that put their true heart and soul into what they do are local bands who are trying their hardest to gather loyal fans. When most people think of their favorite musical artist they think of people who are probably pampered, sometimes make-upped before they go onstage, perhaps a bit auto-tuned, and backed by some of the world's best in the music industry. Of course for them touring must be easier than others who are less fortunate financially.
Now I want you to picture a band that hasn't really made it yet. They may be locally known or still very small. They could be a band that you've seen at a house party once or twice or some hippies from your home town that just like a good old fashioned garage jam. If they are taking themselves seriously as musicians, imagine someone pirating their music online, or giving one listen to their awesome and original content then not sharing it or liking it - treating it like the next Drake single.
Now imagine them out on the road in two beater vans: equipment in one, passengers in the other. These soldiers of music give up time with family, sleep, their educations, their permanent homes, and for the most part healthy food for months at a time to try to gain a following, and it's all for the sake of their passion.
“McDonalds? Again? Eh, why not?”
Now imagine what it's like to be that band and having to play weeknights. You put on a show just to find out that everybody flakes or stays at home leaving the bars empty.
This brings me to my next big point.
Live shows give a group life.
A live show is more often than not the biggest way a group interacts with their audience. Led Zeppelin used this to their advantage in their heyday, as going to their show was just about the only way to connect with the legendary men from the UK. This gave an aura of mystery to them that was very enticing to the massive throngs of people that followed them religiously.
Moral of the story, if you like a local band that truly puts their all into what they create for you, the fans, go see them live, and don't spend the whole time recording them with your phone. This is a sidenote but it's honestly just annoying to everyone else around you who doesn't want to watch the show through the new IOS 10 update.
Guys, it's time to stop.
As for that local band, Buy their merch, buy their songs online, share their product on social media, and for god's sake don't share their stuff illegally. Their lives are hard enough touring, and being a musician and knowing that people truly enjoy your work is one of the only reasons those guys and gals can sleep at night, in the back of their van, or in a cheap motel on the side of the road. People always complain about pop music today, or about how music is all the same now, and then they turn around and follow the same old routines when they listen to music.
My challenge to you, the reader is to go out and see a new band - A band in real life. Go see a band that you've never heard of at your local bar or small venue because small gatherings of bands are the true breeding grounds of what makes live music culture so vibrant and exciting. Like an exotic animal that is only available in certain small pockets of the world, local and live music is a reflection of the area in which you live. Not only should you take the time to appreciate a band that really has a chance to make it someday, but you should also use the time to form a greater appreciation of your hometown or region and what makes it truly special.
