Somebody has already posted a thread / comment (unless I dreamed it) but I couldn't find it so I've started this new thread.

Anyway, I got talking to someone who's connected with the music business and they told me that they had seen a USB thingammy with the Stones Tongue on it and its purpose was to allow fans the chance to watch the show they've seen.

They said it was because of the low quality stuff that's all over the Internet that can damage a band's reputation. Of course It will also make the band more money - no comment!

They didn't know much about the Stones nor did they pretend otherwise. I don't know what happens if the band puts on a below-par performance or about editing but, apparently that's the plan.

Maybe other bands are doing this already...

Really doubt this. The Stones can't even provide an audio recording after each of their shows--so a video is a huge leap. I have not heard of any band offering this at shows. The amount of costs for extra cameras and a descent sound recording would be way too much to even venture this idea...

The closest thing the Stones have put out on USB that matches your description is "Shine A Light":

[www.amazon.com]

in 2005 I went to see a performance by a great Canadian artist named Joel Plaskett in a small venue here in Toronto. As soon as the show was over, there was an announcement that we'll all be receiving a dvd of the show we just witnessed. Outside the venue there was a bus with the equipment inside to create these dvds. I was in line for about 10 minutes. Got home, popped it into the player and I was shocked at the production. Multi-camera angles, 4 to choose from. I've never heard of this happening anywhere else.

I would assume audio before video would come.
They have clearly nixed the thought of selling each of there shows as this is a 15 year old idea that they have never taken financial advantage of.

They want to control the output.

The Who, Black Crowes, Allman Brothers and countless other bands do this now and it's the way forward. The band make money, the fans get high quality recordings of the shows they want and it makes bootlegging redundant. What have they got to lose.

Even if they ever do this I don't see USB as a media for this. It's way more expensive than cd's and dvd's itself...

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Silver Dagger
The Who, Black Crowes, Allman Brothers and countless other bands do this now and it's the way forward. The band make money, the fans get high quality recordings of the shows they want and it makes bootlegging redundant. What have they got to lose.

You beat me to it . . . indeed the Who did it, and at least Pearl Jam provides an audio bootleg avaialable about a week after each show, been doing that since the year 2000, which means that 8 complete tours are available in soundboard, no editing, warts and all . . .

Umm I don't see our beloved Rolling stones ever doing anything remotely close to this . . .

No. The Stones won't allow audio of each show to be released. But each show is recorded. That's been well documented over the years.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-12-12 01:08 by skipstone.

Alice Cooper is now selling his shows on USB. Could be the latest trend from Live Nation/Signature Networks/Concert Online.

[concert-online.com]

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Silver Dagger
The Who, Black Crowes, Allman Brothers and countless other bands do this now and it's the way forward. The band make money, the fans get high quality recordings of the shows they want and it makes bootlegging redundant. What have they got to lose.

yes they do but not immediately after the show, especially for DVDs. And it´s almost impossible. maybe the joel Plaskett thing was planned and the venue wasn´t that big etc. but to do this with stadium shows each night I would say it´s impossible and not necessary, this will be for the hardcore fans and expensive, AND the stones aren´t Pearl Jam, they have a complete different policy on such things, thy allowed in 90ies to record their shows via soundboard

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skipstone
No. The Stones won't allow audio of each show to be released. But each show is recorded. That's been well documented over the years.

I think you are wrong. Its such an obvious thing for them to do, I would bet on it next tour

we had already speculated about audio before the last tour, I think technically video would be no problem either - and a USB stick is dirt cheap.

never in a million years would mick let this happen

Letitloose, I'm right. It's obvious. The only way the Stones ever think of an obvious thing to do is to open with Start Me Up. Their live albums don't sell for shit as it is now, why would it be an obvious thing to do for the next tour? Nobody will bother buying it. And they've never allowed such a thing anyway, hence the live albums.

skipstone or others

For the sake of argument only, don't concert attendees have a vested interest? For example, everytime after a major concert there has been an effort to find recordings on Youtube. Of course, there is always interest in reliving the moment. However, from a marketing standpoint, I'm not sure the rewards. Any thoughts?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-12-12 17:26 by Chris Fountain.

As other says, some bands allready do that. So, on a technical point of vue, it seems pretty easy and it wouldn't cost that much because the shows are allready filmed. I don't think they would make big bucks with it, but for sure they wouldn't loose money.
Bye the way, as far as i know, the Who don't earn money with those "officials bootlegs". The benefit goes to charity.

There's no reason this can't happen without too much extra cost for the production. They already treavel with a film crew to the big screen projections so that the people who paid $150 fo nosebleed seats don't feel ripped off. I think they have been doing that since the Steel Wheels tour. Why they wouldn't save that to milk the market in "the retirement" years is doubtful. I can see this coming to be.

KISS is doing this on their current tour, offering either a CD or USB of the show. I saw them in Vancouver a few weeks ago and it cost $35. With the USB, you got the first half of the concert loaded and then you had to go onto the net to download the second half. I'm assuming with the CD, you got a CD of the first half and then they would mail you the second CD or again, perhaps you download it and then burn it yourself. Either way, at $35 a pop, they're making some pretty good coin doing this.

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DGA35
KISS is doing this on their current tour, offering either a CD or USB of the show. I saw them in Vancouver a few weeks ago and it cost $35. With the USB, you got the first half of the concert loaded and then you had to go onto the net to download the second half. I'm assuming with the CD, you got a CD of the first half and then they would mail you the second CD or again, perhaps you download it and then burn it yourself. Either way, at $35 a pop, they're making some pretty good coin doing this.

$35 for a cd or a recording of the show. When you can usually find a bootleg somehere for free?

"It's just some friends of mine and they're busting down the door"

Let's get the 73 shows for sale - I would love to buy them.

I'm a BIG Allman Brothers fan and they have been providing sound boards for some time. There's little to no delay in providing them either. They were here in St. Louis recently and all we had to do is prepay for a copy and within 15 minutes after the show, they were handing them out. That's far superior to a bootleg and puts money in the right peoples hands THE ARTISTS! Unless a bootleg is a result of an inside job, the sound quality almost always sucks and you here talking, belching and farting. I do agree though, USB would add a great deal of cost to the end product. Unit cost are kept to a minimum with CD' s and DVD's, at least currently.

The Rolling Stones could easily provide this if they wanted. To date, the band has chosen not to. Whatever the media, this offering would be great.

They should do this, but start somewhere around 1966.

This has been debated for years. With all due respect if this was going to happen don't you think it would have already??!! The Stones probably have tons of live audio and video in the vault yet they continue to release the same mediocre overdubbed live albums for every tour.

But Sir Mick will never allow the raw soundboards to be released as long as he is alive. He wants every recording to be sanitized, overdubbed and perfect like the studio versions. Also Keef has commented in interviews that he does not have the time nor the interest to sift through old tapes. And based on some of the train wreck performances on bootleg videos from the BBT tour I own Sir Mick definately will not sell a video from every show....so we should not hold our breath......


This view has been documented in many iterviews with people close to the band and members of the band themselves.

Personally I am still dreaming of Albert Maysles releasing some of the 69 tour audio and video he claims to be sitting on. Imagine complete SB and videos of the MSG concerts which made up " Get Yer Ya Ya's Out" or a complete Altamont concert video. Those would be my Holy Grail!!



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 2009-12-13 04:44 by oldschool.

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oldschool

Personally I am still dreaming of the Albert Maysles releasing some of the 69 tour audio and video he claims to be sitting on. That would be my Holy Grail!!

+1

Altamont was but an unfortunate bookend to an otherwise standout moment of the Stones career. Madison Square Garden was only part of it.

The violence at Altamont was a tragedy for sure but I would be interested in seeing the complete pro shot video of the concert as I think it was a very good performance and for me the MSG shows were the best of the 69 tour.......



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2009-12-13 04:45 by oldschool.

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skipstone
Letitloose, I'm right. It's obvious. The only way the Stones ever think of an obvious thing to do is to open with Start Me Up. Their live albums don't sell for shit as it is now, why would it be an obvious thing to do for the next tour? Nobody will bother buying it. And they've never allowed such a thing anyway, hence the live albums.

You are missing the point. People will buy it. Its a momento of the gig you were at. People are suckers for that kind of thing. Totally different from a generic live album. Alice Cooper was selling the USB sticks straight after the show we saw in Glasgow. Technology has caught up with The Stones. I just can't see Mick missing out on the income stream next time round.

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letitloose

You are missing the point. People will buy it. Its a momento of the gig you were at. People are suckers for that kind of thing. Totally different from a generic live album. Alice Cooper was selling the USB sticks straight after the show we saw in Glasgow. Technology has caught up with The Stones. I just can't see Mick missing out on the income stream next time round.

People would certainly buy it, no argument there letitloose but with all due respect Mick will never allow the sale of raw soundboard USB sticks of the live shows. He is too vain to allow any audio which is less than perfect, in his mind, to be sold to the fans. Based on all I have read about Mick being a perfectionist and past history I don't think we will ever see the archive stuff until Mick passes on and his estate starts cashing in.......



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2009-12-13 06:54 by oldschool.

Instant Live is currently having a $5.00 CD sale. I even got a couple Phil Lesh shows that were 3 CD's...for $5.00

On curiosity, I bought a Hall & Oats from the Greek Theater. I can tollerate their music and for $5.00 for a 2 CD set seemed like a steal. Anyways, I was really surprised how downhill they sound these days. I understand that some artists change the key to accomodate their lower pitch singing since many cannot sing like they used to. Hall was really off key and voice was pretty bad overall. I guess you had to be there? After listening I would have no desire to see them live.

Even worse was an Instant Live CD from THE CULT. Bad playing, bad singing or just talking the words. Backup vocals were not even in the right key.

What does this have to do with Rolling Stones...perhaps a bad show once released is etched in their legacy?

yeah like many of the official ones lol

Few thoughts.

Firts of all, I think this is a logical step trying to make more money out of touring. A DVD of the show is a great souvenir with an usual t-shirt (and don't we have already too many of those?) As mentioned by someone, the live albums don't sell nowadays, so why to wait? Let the people buy their souveniers right a way. A perfect, logical step in moneywise.

Secondly, I don't think the famous and a bit strange 'perfectionism' favored so much by Mick and Keith is a problem anymore. They have released so much second-rate material from their last tours - and they need to know it! - that a bit over-dubbing and polishing does not really matter anymore. And seemingly, with LIVE LICKS they didn't even bother to do it themselves... I don't think they are so big control-freaks in qualitywise anymore. Now they just want to control the stuff released free in youtube etc. Get the cents from there too. (And in a long run, we need to remember that the holy YA-YA'S was released - at least partly - thanks to the birth of bootleg industry... They also wanted their cake of this new live albums business).

Thirdly, if they accept this new concept that can only imply that the shows are going be even more conservative, safe and sure packages. All the riskies of screwing big time will be delated. One can only guess what does that mean to setlists, guitar department, the amount and role of their 'assistant' musicians, etc. It's gonna be the mother of all Las Vegas Tours...

- Doxa



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2009-12-13 15:47 by Doxa.