Attend any live show today and at some point you’re bound to be faced with a sea of people holding up their camera phones trying to capture a moment that they will inevitably then miss out on experiencing in real time themselves. But the act of unofficially documenting a show has been around long before the likes of the iPhone became an everyday gadget.
Indeed, the art of concert taping first began in the late 1960s when fans of stoner-rock pioneers Grateful Dead were actively encouraged to record the band’s live shows and trade the results with like-minded fans. Of the 2350 shows that the group played during their career, an incredible 2200 were taped, most of which are available online today.
But far from missing out on an embarrassment of riches, the group actually benefited from the word-of-mouth practice. Indeed, according to David Meerman Scott and Brian Halligan, the authors of Marketing Lessons From The Grateful Dead: What Every Business Can Learn From The Most Iconic Band In History, the allowance of tapers was widely instrumental in increasing their fan base and despite a notable lack of airplay, they remained one of the biggest-grossing live bands on the US circuit up until the 1990s.
Unlike bootleggers, who illegally profit from secretly recording bands without permission, tapers aren’t interested in or indeed permitted to earn money from their work. Instead the choose to pursue their hobby merely for the satisfaction of spreading the word, initially through the post and more recently on download and bit-torrent sites. This is despite the fact that the cost of expensive audio equipment can set back the hardcore taper the cost of a small car.
But realizing that their more obsessive fans are prepared to promote their music for free, many artists have followed in the Grateful Dead’s footsteps by officially announcing their positive stance on taping. Like many advocates, Dave Matthews Band posted a message on their website stating that they recognize the uniqueness of each show, even going so far as to designate a special area for those who wish to recreate the live experience.
Smashing Pumpkins went one further by actually hiring many of the tapers who used to organize their community’s mailing list. While Radiohead, who of course are no stranger to the concept of fan freedom with their innovative In Rainbows policy, once edited fan footage of a gig in Prague with an official recording, later making it available to download.
But not everyone is on board with the whole idea. One taper’s expensive audio equipment was destroyed by a security guard at a Bob Dylan show in the 1970s, many tapers have been denied access to the venue of the show despite possessing written proof that the artist in question has agreed to being recorded, while several high-profile artists are said to insist on militant anti-taper regulations when performing.
Of course, the Internet has made it much easier for the whole process with the likes of the List of Tape-Friendly Bands at Archive.org and BTAT (Bands That Allow Taping) offering advice on which artists and locations are taper-friendly. But many seasoned tapers are now resigning themselves to the fact that the likes of soundboard recordings, illegal downloads and general fan apathy has slowly eroded the tradition.
The music business itself has never really appeared to treat the art of taping as a damaging force. However, several industry consultants believe that it should be doing more to keep the practice alive and that artists should collaborate when they can with their super-fans, who largely consist of a figure around the hundreds compared to the multi-millions who illegally file share.
Indeed, with touring, rather than album sales, making up most of an artist’s income in today’s market, it would seem that the act of taping is always more likely to benefit rather than hinder their career when it comes to the live stage.
How The Music Industry Has Reacted To The Art Of Concert Taping
Attend any live show today and at some point you’re bound to be faced with a sea of people holding up their camera phones trying to capture a moment that they will inevitably then miss out on experiencing in real time themselves. But the act of unofficially documenting a show has been around long before the likes of the iPhone became an everyday gadget.
Indeed, the art of concert taping first began in the late 1960s when fans of stoner-rock pioneers Grateful Dead were actively encouraged to record the band’s live shows and trade the results with like-minded fans. Of the 2350 shows that the group played during their career, an incredible 2200 were taped, most of which are available online today.
But far from missing out on an embarrassment of riches, the group actually benefited from the word-of-mouth practice. Indeed, according to David Meerman Scott and Brian Halligan, the authors of Marketing Lessons From The Grateful Dead: What Every Business Can Learn From The Most Iconic Band In History, the allowance of tapers was widely instrumental in increasing their fan base and despite a notable lack of airplay, they remained one of the biggest-grossing live bands on the US circuit up until the 1990s.
Unlike bootleggers, who illegally profit from secretly recording bands without permission, tapers aren’t interested in or indeed permitted to earn money from their work. Instead the choose to pursue their hobby merely for the satisfaction of spreading the word, initially through the post and more recently on download and bit-torrent sites. This is despite the fact that the cost of expensive audio equipment can set back the hardcore taper the cost of a small car.
But realizing that their more obsessive fans are prepared to promote their music for free, many artists have followed in the Grateful Dead’s footsteps by officially announcing their positive stance on taping. Like many advocates, Dave Matthews Band posted a message on their website stating that they recognize the uniqueness of each show, even going so far as to designate a special area for those who wish to recreate the live experience.
Smashing Pumpkins went one further by actually hiring many of the tapers who used to organize their community’s mailing list. While Radiohead, who of course are no stranger to the concept of fan freedom with their innovative In Rainbows policy, once edited fan footage of a gig in Prague with an official recording, later making it available to download.
But not everyone is on board with the whole idea. One taper’s expensive audio equipment was destroyed by a security guard at a Bob Dylan show in the 1970s, many tapers have been denied access to the venue of the show despite possessing written proof that the artist in question has agreed to being recorded, while several high-profile artists are said to insist on militant anti-taper regulations when performing.
Of course, the Internet has made it much easier for the whole process with the likes of the List of Tape-Friendly Bands at Archive.org and BTAT (Bands That Allow Taping) offering advice on which artists and locations are taper-friendly. But many seasoned tapers are now resigning themselves to the fact that the likes of soundboard recordings, illegal downloads and general fan apathy has slowly eroded the tradition.
The music business itself has never really appeared to treat the art of taping as a damaging force. However, several industry consultants believe that it should be doing more to keep the practice alive and that artists should collaborate when they can with their super-fans, who largely consist of a figure around the hundreds compared to the multi-millions who illegally file share.
Indeed, with touring, rather than album sales, making up most of an artist’s income in today’s market, it would seem that the act of taping is always more likely to benefit rather than hinder their career when it comes to the live stage.
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