Tragically Hip
p2pnet.net News:- Tragically Hip was recently used by Big Music’s CRIA (Canadian Recording Industry Association of America) as an element in its spurious File Sharing Is BAD campaign.
The Big Five record labels must somehow get Canada to pass a law saying file sharing is illegal so it can start suing Canadians as well as Americans.
As things stands, file sharing is in strange space where it’s either legal nor illegal, depending on which side of which fence you happen to be sitting on.
However, in May, the Hip were in no doubt.
The group said between March 30 and May 7 there were more than half a million ‘unauthorized’ attempts to download their new single, Vaccination Scar.
“The grim economic reality aside, it shows how widespread the practice of downloading has become,” says the band’s Gord Sinclair.
But Hey! “Don’t get me wrong,” he went on. “Anything that gets people into music is okay with me, but at some point people have to recognize their role in the creative process. To me it’s an ethical question.”
Ethical. Yes.
Anyway, on Canada Day, says music industry site ChartAttack.com, “The Hip took the stage to thunderous cheers and launched into ‘Vaccination Scar,’ the first single from the newly released In Between Evolution. It’s still a bit amazing to ponder how five such unassuming-looking guys can inspire such patriotic fervour and devotion. But Gord Downie was on his game – strutting and posing, voice drenched in pure saliva-flying grit …
“…And so the night began.
And, “In the words of the 16-year-old kid who reached over and grabbed my hand, squeezing it and pressing a kiss to the back, before whispering in my ear with breath smelling of the mickey of rye he undoubtedly consumed before entering the venue, ‘It’s a wonderful night – a really wonderful night’.”
On the subject of teenagers, credit cards and file sharing, Chart Attack said recently, “[...] as record companies will readily inform you, the majority of illegal downloaders are young teens who, unless they’re spoiled little brats who get their own car for their 16th birthday, have no access to a credit card to access most legal download sites. Is it really a surprise that these young people, who are either not working at all or have some low paying retail job, are not rushing out to pay what they do make on music they can take for free?”
Was the 16-year-old with the mickey breath one of the above, one wonders?
July 6th, 2004 at 1:49 am
Well, I will no longer buy the Hip’s albums, wether they are good or not. Same goes for Metallica, or any other band that insults it’s consumer base by not being able to realize they should get paid for performing, and direct sales of CD’s.
Hey, I know, put the MP3’s and maybe the video’s on your CD’s and you’ll have some unique content that perhaps people will WANT to buy?
Get over yourselves, musicians. Many bands – the hip included – are doing just FINE even though people are LEGALLY downloading their music. Yes LEGALLY. This is just more LIES from big Media and I think someone needs to take them to court, or at least complain to the CRTC about their false advertising/propagandizing.
It’s crap, pure and simple. They should just shut up and play.
July 6th, 2004 at 8:56 am
I’m sure the ‘kid’, by buying a ticket to the show, put a hell of a lot more money in Gord Downies pocket than if he had bought The Hips entire collection. Not to mention that the ‘kid’ probably bought a t-shirt and a tourbook, adding more to Gord Downies bank account.
I wonder if Gord Downie is aware of that?