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Written by Administrator
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Monday, 29 November 1999 19:00 |
There is much debate over the direction music and the music industry will take in the next few years. People demand a lot more for their money these days when they spend those entertainment dollars, especially since they can access so much for free over the internet at sites like Napster.com.
They are also very weary of the sneaky ways of companies like Seagrams with their hostile takeover of Universal, and the verminous ways of companies like ticket"Masta" who charge a handling fee of over $10 per ticket, and work with professional scalpers to jack ticket prices.
Music Festivals are getting bigger and better. After that Disaster up in woodstock, real fans were worried that it might be the end of giant music festivals. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy the intimate setting of small clubs and ganja filled bars, but there is nothing like camping out and seeing all your favorite artists perform in the same day or weekend.
The tragic news for this year is that there is no mountain aire festival out in California.
But Fests are springing up everywhere, and the lineups are great.
New Orleans Jazz Fest is getting bigger, and taking over more of the city every year. If you can help it, its a must see. Just remember to rest up before you go, because there is no time for sleep while your there.
This year, Gathering of the Vibes will be held June 29, 30 and July 1 on a 500+ acre farm in Red Hook, New York, 90 miles north of New York City. The farm features green fields, lush meadows and a spectacular view of the Catskill Mountains over the horizon.
17th annual Camp Creek (or MaxCreek.com) will be held July 27, 28 and 29 in the scenic countryside of Duanesburg, New York, 18 miles west of Albany.
Phil and Friends are on a giant tour this summer, as is the Horde. I miss a BIG Phish party. Those shows like LemonWheel and The Great Went were some of the greatest gatherings of all time.
Come and get it while its hot! On the home front, We as fans have never had it so good. Online file sharing communities like Napster and OnShare have really put the record companys up against the ropes. Even my father is hooked on Napster, who after years of riding me about being on my 'puter for so many hours, searches headlong for Greek music and burns CD's.
You don't even need special encoding software anymore. Any burning program worth a lick of spit has it built in. So dear ol' dad can just drag and drop mp3's to make audio CD's. And better hardware technology means almost 0% error rate, resulting in less useless coasters.
Its not like people stopped buying music, quite the opposite actually. @sshole bands like Metalicca have been practically black balled due to their aggressive stand against napster, but they still sell in the stores and on the radio. Its just that the record companies just have to invest a little more time into their product. Though mp3 sound quality is much less than studio mastered .wav, consumers are buying up products like no skip mp3 players that will hold 6 gigs of mp3's at a time for sports like snowboarding, or even in your car.
Fan Clubs and band forums and message boards are filled with special offers for the fans and rewards for those who are faith full to the bands. And its a great way to stay in tune with other fans, and those are the bands that are most successful today.
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 01 April 2009 17:49 |
