Frontman to File-Sharers: Steal Our Album, Help Bury the Label
Written by enigmax on October 09, 2007Revolver Magazine called them part of “The Future of Metal” and they reportedly “destroyed” the second stage at Ozzfest. Now frontman of the band ‘Throwdown’ is calling on file-sharing fans to take action: “If you wanna really support a band, steal their album….help bury the label.”
For a record boss with piracy on his mind, it must be a nightmare. Rather than being able to bask in the glory of a record breaking punishment for a petty file-sharer for evermore, the very people the label claim to protect - the artists - turn round to the label and stick in the knife. Hard.
The frontman of hardcore band, Throwdown has done just that. According to Punknews.org, Dave Peters (seen here on the far left) wrote a letter to Santa Monica-based industry watcher, Bob Lefsetz. Peters told him:
“I play in a metal band. We have sold around 200k records across 3 releases. We’re not ‘huge’ by any stretch but do alright and live off (and ON subsequently) the road. Fans and friends ask me all the time how I feel about “stealing music.” I just told someone yesterday “I have a hard time seeing it as stealing…when I don’t see any money from cd sales to begin with.”
Bob Lefsetz, ex-entertainment business attorney and author of the “The Lefsetz Letter” email newsletter, covers important issues right at the heart of the industry, including the declines of the record label and physical music formats such as the CD.
As the world increasingly ‘goes digital’, some people still insist on using terms that only describe the physical world accurately. One such word used to erroneously describe downloading is ‘theft’, but clearly no-one has had their property stolen and Peters agrees: “What are they actually TAKING from me?”
Indicating his displeasure with the industry he goes on:
“If you want to squeeze an opinion on theft out of me, ask me about the dude that grabbed our tshirt off the table tonight in Detroit or better yet.. ask me about record contracts.”
..and a message to the file-sharers out there:
“I encourage our fans to acquire our album however they please. The philosophy I’ve adopted is that if you’re supporting disc sales, you’re keeping the old model around longer…the one that forces dudes like me to tour 9 mos/year if they want to make ends meet with a career in music.”
Ending with a final insult for the record business, Peters hits a sweet note that will likely resonate with many as they reflect on the record labels future usefulness:
“If you wanna really support a band, “steal” their album….help bury the label….and buy a tshirt when you show up at their show and sing every word.”
Throwdown’s latest album, ‘Venom and Tears’ came out in July and is, of course, available via BitTorrent.
Previously: BitTorrent More Popular Than Ever, Releases Triple in a Year
Next: Anti-Piracy Lobby Wants Pirate Bay Secrets from Swedish Police
54 Responses
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I would, if i was into metal …
Well, the honor goes to other bands and labels then. :)
copycats… I believe I read about NiN saying the same at a concert.. and that was a few weeks ago on slashdot…
Brilliant!!! Best point I have heard in a long time. It is no secret that the labels do not “share” their profits from CD sales to the bands that actually create the music on said CD’s. Support the bands by buying merchandise! That is where they make their money to live!
soon enough small bands and groups are going to jump onto this bandwagon of giving some of their shit away to get some publicity.
‘Headline - BandName gives away nth album away FREE’
It’ll be ‘buy our first album and get the second for free’ or something.
Well ill be downloading that.
http://digg.com/tech_news/Frontman_to_File_Sharers_Steal_Our_Album_Help_Bury_the_Label
when l release my dance/trance/electric music album/mix, that l was 100% Happy with,
very important to me
it was alwayz going to be via torrentz, haha into ppl’s homez
even b4 it could be in the shopz ! h@ll l’d even do the cover/cd art myself and include 2 jpegs lol so u could print at home lmao. l’d leave a statement that ‘IF’ ‘IF’ ‘IF’ they would like to send me some cash , then they can ! ha lol. any amount they want hehe ,& if not then so what ! omg l might fucking starve now , what fukcin shit is that!
l make toonz up for the enjoyment of,
purely & simply. not for da fukcing moneyz ! time they allz did the
S A lVl E !!!!!!
hell l could even call the album z fixation or some shiz !
what in the HELL did ^that guy just say? speak english, you incompetent twat. ‘z’ does not = ’s’, “da” is not a word, and for the love of god, you should never find yourself using the phrases, “lol” or “hehe” for the sake of your little masculinity remaining.
read a book.
I totally disagree with you wtf?. l give up with this mess is da roxorzsocks! wtf? is just trying to hold us back in the stone age… like the music industry.
Listen you wtf idiot , of course l can write competantely. ( had to lokk that up oops ! ‘look ‘ sry ) It means - in a competent capable manner.wtf we are not at school now ! l can write the way l fucking please. ok , l mean, like you are going to stop me, right ?
So sit down and be a good little boy/girl , you fool ! hahaha lol lol lmao. What the “Fuk” you are for a totaly Lamer and Noob?!? alwayZZZZ wanted to repeat that after seeing it somewhere !
@|-|4> l agree with you too !
[quote comment="184116"] l give up with this mess is da roxorzsocks! industry.[/quote]
phraZe !
Bah, punks’ve always been for music sharing.
[quote comment="184134"]Listen you wtf idiot , of course l can write competantely. ( had to lokk that up oops ! ‘look ‘ sry ) It means - in a competent capable manner.wtf we are not at school now ! l can write the way l fucking please. ok , l mean, like you are going to stop me, right ?
So sit down and be a good little boy/girl , you fool ! hahaha lol lol lmao. What the “Fuk” you are for a totaly Lamer and Noob?!? alwayZZZZ wanted to repeat that after seeing it somewhere !
phraZe ![/quote]
isn’t it past your bedtime?
oh please can l ? ! l wanna play longer,
l agree with mr fucking english lesson,
yours sincerely
what a mess this is
u-typez
I stole all their albums, but can I give them back. They weren’t very good.
[quote comment="184150"]Bah, punks’ve always been for music sharing.[/quote]
QFT
you signed the contract, didn’t you? if you didn’t like the terms, then why did you sign? there must have been some perceived value or you wouldn’t have signed!
Bah!
I think the person with the name of “l give up with this mess @ wtf” has been reading a bit too much I Can Has Cheezburger and it has all gone to his head.
kthxbye! …..
Artists feel free to post your music and bury your label here.
http://www.rocksites.com
@RIAA Soldier
I agree with you. I think you should sign a contract with me. You’ll get to fuck for the first time, and I get your soul. Deal?
Hey! Don’t bitch about it! It’s a perceived value!
eight year olds dude!
I got to say I’ve always loved naive statements by bands. So you have to tour 9 mos out of the year to make a living…thats your job!!! What makes you think anyone of us want to go to our 9 to 5 jobs 12 mos of a year while you party all day and rock out to people at night. Enjoy the fact that you can make a living like that you fucking ingrates. I swear I’m so tired of reading about bands that cry because they’re not making millions of dollars for writing a shitty record. Throwdown is not even Throwdown anymore seeing as how they can’t even find a surviving member from the original. Maybe one reason you don’t see anything from the record sales is because you spent too much money at the studio and haven’t sold a record to recover that. 200k record sales over 3 releases is pathetic and you should consider yourselves lucky you even have a label to call your home.
I’m torn between the kickass message and how much I hated this band when I saw them…
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