Quote:
Originally Posted by JennaG
The subject of bootleg recordings has been discussed numerous times and everytime it is discussed, only one thing is clear and that is that some people love them and others don't. Those that do will carry on looking for those recordings and advocating for them and those that don't like them will continue to respond against them.
Whichever way you feel, you're not going to change the opinions of the other side by goinng over the same points. That's the way life works.
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But in this case, Meat asked the question (and I believe he genuinely would like to know) why people would want to listen to them.
As Adje said, there are various reasons, and I think he mentioned most, if not all of them.
Some fans are completists, and just want to collect as many recordings as they can. Myself, I usually only seek out recordings of shows either that I have been to (as a souvenir), or which are remarkable in some way. I mostly collect Springsteen bootlegs, and the fact that his shows are all different is a big factor in that. I mostly collect audio recordings, of which the quality of some can be really pretty exceptional. I listen to them for enjoyment.
I don't typically bother with crappy cell phone videos, but in the case of some rare song or exceptional performance, I'm happy just to be able to see/ hear it. I think most fans are the same, and it's usually only big fans who are going to go through the trouble of recording/uploading/seeking out/downloading boots. There's little to no money to made from them anymore- it's fans sharing with fans for the most part. It's a labor of love, too, considering the work that goes into some of them.
As a matter of principle, I pay for any official releases, and with
very few exceptions (e.g. old vinyl), don't pay for bootlegs.