Illegal Downloaders Are 'Going to Hell' Says Elbow's Guy Garvey

Elbow frontman Guy Garvey has said that those people who are able to afford music but opt instead to download it illegally are "going to hell."

His comments came after being asked if he was worried about the follow-up to "The Seldom Seen Kid" being leaked online.

Garvey told BBC Radio 1's Newsbeat, "If you genuinely can't afford music then of course you're going to rip it. If you can afford it and you don't pay for it then you're going to hell and you've got your own room. Especially when it's a smaller band. There's no excuse."

He added, "Without the live side nobody's making any money."

With 20 years experience in the music business, Garvey understands how important having a supportive record label is. He said, "You come across people [record labels] who've dropped Elbow all the time. If you throw a rock in London you'll hit one. We're lucky to have a paymaster in the current climate. It's not lost on us."

As for the inevitable pressure that comes with following up a critical and commercial success like "The Seldom Seen Kid", Garvey doesn't believe it has changed the band's creative process. "We get asked a lot of whether the success of 'The Seldom Seen Kid' has put any pressure on us for this new record - I'm sure it has. We've never taken writing and recording records that lightly. I can't remember an album where we weren't concentrated on it for a long time. It's not like we're suddenly now thinking more about the numbers than we are about the music."

Thanks for the report to Spinner.com.

Comments

[leg end]

Haha I like this guy!

[Lapidus]

Never heard of him...

[Hamburger89]

I'm going to hell anyways.

[fede01_8]

Lapidus wrote:

Never heard of him...

he is in a poor's man radiohead

[EL2T]

Aww shit.

[baspvn]

I dont like heaven anyway ^^

[TheSilverBeatle]

Yeah, never heard of this guy. Sounds like he's upset at having a long and rocky career with little return. He's about the only artist I've heard say it's good to be with a label in this day and age. Want more money? Release your album independently and keep gigging. Bitching about something that isn't going to change doesn't help anything and makes you sound like more of a douche to people who have never heard you.

[gl.tch]

Doesn't hell have all the best tunes anyway?

But it's not that simple. I'm a student; I'm poor. As he says, I can't afford much music, especially when some labels are charging well in excess of £10 for an album. But that doesn't stop me saving what I can to see bands live when I can. If a band I like comes to Glasgow, I'll see them, even if my only copies of their music has been acquired through questionable means.

I think that a lot of people who rip and download music will retrospectively buy albums by them, but a lot of the time I don't feel like I get very much for my money. So many bands just crank out a record and then seem to forget about the artwork. Good artwork and good production justifies the price; I don't mind paying for artwork that someone's put a lot of thought and effort into to, but if it's just rubbish then I have no inclination to buy a CD.

If people are going to charge so much for CDs, then they need to put effort into more than just the music. If they're just interested in the music, then they should put their CDs out in a cardboard slipcase with the bandname printed on it and charge a fiver.

[randymeeks81]

fede01_8 wrote:

Lapidus wrote:

Never heard of him...

he is in a poor's man radiohead

love the description of Elbow. they are indeed the poor man's radiohead, but let me turn out my pockets, no money in there, and there's a family of moths living in my vacant wallet. guess this means i better play some elbow.

[gatechballer]

Okay, so define the line between able to afford and not.....Is it literally when all your money added up equals 96 cents? If you literally can't afford music, you can't afford a music player. Or a computer. Or internet. Define the line, buddy.

[100%guitarmad]

Good.

gatechballer wrote:

Okay, so define the line between able to afford and not.....Is it literally when all your money added up equals 96 cents? If you literally can't afford music, you can't afford a music player. Or a computer. Or internet. Define the line, buddy.

It's pretty blatant what is meant.

[Linkerman]

gl.tch wrote:

Doesn't hell have all the best tunes anyway?

But it's not that simple. I'm a student; I'm poor. As he says, I can't afford much music, especially when some labels are charging well in excess of £10 for an album. But that doesn't stop me saving what I can to see bands live when I can. If a band I like comes to Glasgow, I'll see them, even if my only copies of their music has been acquired through questionable means.

I think that a lot of people who rip and download music will retrospectively buy albums by them, but a lot of the time I don't feel like I get very much for my money. So many bands just crank out a record and then seem to forget about the artwork. Good artwork and good production justifies the price; I don't mind paying for artwork that someone's put a lot of thought and effort into to, but if it's just rubbish then I have no inclination to buy a CD.

If people are going to charge so much for CDs, then they need to put effort into more than just the music. If they're just interested in the music, then they should put their CDs out in a cardboard slipcase with the bandname printed on it and charge a fiver.

I completely agree.

There are some packages that i'm glad to pay good money for, like extended digipacks, with bonus DVDs, and stuff like that.
But for a simple CD, with a 2-page booklet... I think usually the shops charge too much.

[05McDonaldT]

gl.tch wrote:

Doesn't hell have all the best tunes anyway?

But it's not that simple. I'm a student; I'm poor. As he says, I can't afford much music, especially when some labels are charging well in excess of £10 for an album. But that doesn't stop me saving what I can to see bands live when I can. If a band I like comes to Glasgow, I'll see them, even if my only copies of their music has been acquired through questionable means.

I think that a lot of people who rip and download music will retrospectively buy albums by them, but a lot of the time I don't feel like I get very much for my money. So many bands just crank out a record and then seem to forget about the artwork. Good artwork and good production justifies the price; I don't mind paying for artwork that someone's put a lot of thought and effort into to, but if it's just rubbish then I have no inclination to buy a CD.

If people are going to charge so much for CDs, then they need to put effort into more than just the music. If they're just interested in the music, then they should put their CDs out in a cardboard slipcase with the bandname printed on it and charge a fiver.

I agree 100% with this comment

[OMGWTFBBQ?]

It's going to be crowded in hell..

[Jack Darkley]

I can proudly say I've never downloaded a song legally or otherwise. You know why? I got a job and could buy whatever music I wanted. I think it would be better if bands learned a bit of marketing and just sold their albums themselves. That and touring is pretty much the only way they can make money with the way record companies are nowadays.

[Dream Floyd]

Well they say people can go to hell for sodomy so I'm pretty much screwed.


...

[Axim Bassist]

well...i download illegally i guess its different since i cant afford it lol.

but anyways...just take a page outta the rappers books. start selling your shit in the form of ring tones which apparently do surprisingly well.

also they should invest so they can get some money from something other than music...

Rappers rarely do huge world wide tours. and even in the tours they do here in the states they sometimes don't even show up yet they still have millions of dollars to blow on gaudy jewelry, expensive cars. extremely lavish houses and makin it rain in strip clubs... they have learned to make their money work for them to some degree.

Also forming independent labels can be useful. and save a lot of money as well as allow musicians to make their music the way they want too not the way the record company's business model says they should.

[gatechballer]

100%guitarmad wrote:

Good.
gatechballer wrote:

Okay, so define the line between able to afford and not.....Is it literally when all your money added up equals 96 cents? If you literally can't afford music, you can't afford a music player. Or a computer. Or internet. Define the line, buddy.
It's pretty blatant what is meant.

Haha well I know he didn't mean what I said....but honestly, he is saying it's okay if you genuinely can't afford it. Where do you draw that line?

[Guitarbaddie]

If it wasn't for illegal downloading, half the bands I listen to now, I would have never of found out about.

But now that I have a job, I have not downloaded a single album, and instead, plan on replacing my illegal shit mp3's with good quality discs or vinylz.

[Tarsplitter]

Thank god I stopped with the illegal download shit.

[Nameless742]

Lapidus wrote:

Never heard of him...

exactly, who?
And besides, I can't afford it haha.
I need that money for booze!

[MC Lukesta]

Hahaha can't believe that he expects people to pay money to hear his shit music. Bands like Elbow and Oasis give Manchester.

[MC Lukesta]

ARGH! I meant:
Bands like Elbow and Oasis give Manchester a bad name!

[PRSfanatic]

Saif who? Who the heck is he...

I don't download, because it used to suck out the joy out of getting new music.

[jannick]

his opinion might matter when he's as famous as Lars Ulrich. this is like me saying "ALL FRENCH PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HELL!"... they are though

[mikko 9119]

"you're going to hell and you've got your own room."

good. i downloaded a crapload of music illegally, so i think i deserve my own room to blast it in.

[ScrewYouAll]

Hamburger89 wrote:

I'm going to hell anyways.

Race you! :P

[Seref]

What's Elbow?

Also, load of shit. Pirating a small band's music HELPS that band. Almost no one is willing to buy music from a band they've never heard of, so they pirate it. And then after they pirate, if they like it, the band now has a fan willing to spend money on them.

[zxxAACxxz]

I get my own room? Sounds reasonable. Can't be worse than my current one.

[JohnnyApplecore]

So what if you haven't heard of him? I doubt he's literally telling illegal downloaders to go to hell, he's just trying to convey that it's wrong to download something for free that an artist has worked on when you can otherwise afford it. That's like stealing. It's all a question of morality, which varies person to person. Omar Rodriguez-Lopez of The Mars Volta is the opposite. He's distributed a few of his side-project's albums as "name-your-own-price" downloads, meaning if you choose $0, you pay $0. Or if you say $100, you pay $100. And he's also said something along the lines of "Go get the album, even if it means you have to steal it." Things like this can show whether an artist is in it for the money, the art, or both respectively.

[kmd89]

Hamburger89 wrote:

I'm going to hell anyways.

Room for one more?

[SFosterS]

I saw this guy (elbow) open for a big band here in Toronto... I almost left the show before the band I liked came on... THAT'S how bad these guys are... Im talking THE WORST... Definately my least liked band. Actually ruined the show for me for the band I liked, that bad.

[snow...]

The amount of songs we want to buy would total up to thousands, it's not surprising people illegally download songs. If I could afford every single song I want, I would obviously buy.

[Tedward]

From that point of view it's completely understandable.

However I think that all the people who are making music and art a sick business and making intellectual expansion a luxury have a special hotel right beside Satans neverland in hell.

[Tarsplitter]

MC Lukesta wrote:

ARGH! I meant:
Bands like Elbow and Oasis give Manchester a bad name!

And people like you.

[Phantasmasaurus]

1.) i can't afford to buy music, so i really do not even begin to care.

2.) elbow is kind of good, nothing like radiohead.

3.) this guy is wrong, but i don't think he meant to be taken that seriously.

[Misfit-FTB]

Yes, I'm going to something that doesn't exist. He's in the wrong business if he's trying to get rich. Making good music is not a get rich quick scam douche. If you want me to pay for your music, it has got to be some inspiring shit. I just don't buy every piece of shit that comes out, especially from assclowns trying to make a quick buck.

So, I guess it's pretty clear he is not into the music for just making music, so he in turn is turn going to hell for being a complete fruity ass douchebag.

[MegadethFan18]

gl.tch wrote:

Doesn't hell have all the best tunes anyway?

But it's not that simple. I'm a student; I'm poor. As he says, I can't afford much music, especially when some labels are charging well in excess of £10 for an album. But that doesn't stop me saving what I can to see bands live when I can. If a band I like comes to Glasgow, I'll see them, even if my only copies of their music has been acquired through questionable means.

I think that a lot of people who rip and download music will retrospectively buy albums by them, but a lot of the time I don't feel like I get very much for my money. So many bands just crank out a record and then seem to forget about the artwork. Good artwork and good production justifies the price; I don't mind paying for artwork that someone's put a lot of thought and effort into to, but if it's just rubbish then I have no inclination to buy a CD.

If people are going to charge so much for CDs, then they need to put effort into more than just the music. If they're just interested in the music, then they should put their CDs out in a cardboard slipcase with the bandname printed on it and charge a fiver.

I have heard some bad defenses for why people download music, that is by far the worst even. I don't get why people don't just say "I don't care about the band and I don't want to pay for music" cause thats all it comes down to. Saying "The artwork wasn't up to par" is just dumb it's like saying "an album won't help me do my homework I don't want to pay for it"

[cobracarg]

Record sales have been dropping because we dont use cassettes anymore. Cassettes would always broke down, so people had to buy multiple cassettes of the same album. If you lived in that era, you know what I mean. Also each time you played a cassette, you decreased the quality of the audio, so sooner or later, you would have to re buy the album if you really wanted the audio to be decent.

Then when CDs came out, but record sales went down because they were alot more durable than cassettes. If you took good care for a CD, then the CD would last you forever. CDs were also breakable, you scratch a CD and next thing you know, the whole album starts to skip. So people used to re buy the album. Also people started to copy music on a blank disk too.

Now we have mp3s, where it is even harder to destroy or reduce the quality of the audio. Record companies thought it would be more profitable to sell individual tracks, than to sell the album as a whole, but this hurt the record companies like crazy. Of course illegal downloading plays a part on declining record sales but it is not the only reason why sales have dropped.

Due to the high costs to produce an album using the record companies studios, bands have started to use home studios and this also has decreased the profits of record companies.

Artists make the vast majority of their money on concerts. For example if KISS only depended on the record sales of their first album to make them their money, they would be in debt because they spent more money on distributing, producing, and gear than the money they received from the record.

[PBiddy]

Hell is listening to some artist whine about something that's not going to change! Yes, it does suck for bands in some respects but lets be honest touring is where the money is at. I'd rather have more people listen to my music and come to my shows.

[GHO5T616]

You say these guys are the poor mans radiohead,well the irony is that radiohead dislikes record labels.

[WyldeRyde]

"You come across people [record labels] who've dropped Elbow all the time." That is all.

[SmittyMan90]

Hes probably mad because nobody buys their records anyways. But illegal downloading is a problem

[SocialQuarntine]

Looks like heaven's going to be pretty ****ing empty.

[mike1990]

Why does he care? Bands make pennies per album sold, its not like us downloading it illegally is gonna take money away from him and if it does, itll be like 30 cents or so. Itll take money from the record label more than it would him, he makes the majority of his money off tours and such, so i think he should worry about people trying to sneak into concerts without paying then people stealing his music that will make him pennies per album.

Besides, I think hes just pissed that some bands can have more people download their album illegally then albums he's ever sold.

And until I hear Jesus say downloading music illegally will send you to hell, im just gonna count this guy off as a jealous, money hungry idiot.

[charles_ebarb]

It sounds to me like this guy wants to make music but is too goddamn lazy to actually do a tour. Long gone are the days when musicians actually wanted to play live shows. tsk tsk

[Iliekgitaz]

mike1990 wrote:

Why does he care? Bands make pennies per album sold, its not like us downloading it illegally is gonna take money away from him and if it does, itll be like 30 cents or so. Itll take money from the record label more than it would him, he makes the majority of his money off tours and such, so i think he should worry about people trying to sneak into concerts without paying then people stealing his music that will make him pennies per album.

Besides, I think hes just pissed that some bands can have more people download their album illegally then albums he's ever sold.

And until I hear Jesus say downloading music illegally will send you to hell, im just gonna count this guy off as a jealous, money hungry idiot.

Couldn't have said it better myself. I'm a follower of Christ, if you're a good person toward every living thing, study scripture, and spend time with God you'll go to heaven.. whether you download illegally or not.

[psorgatz]

Who?

[vIsIbleNoIsE]

heaven's music scene must be freaking boring

[adstr123]

Couldn't have said it better myself. I'm a follower of Christ, if you're a good person toward every living thing, study scripture, and spend time with God you'll go to heaven.. whether you download illegally or not.[/quote]

I hate flaming. I HATE it. But by **** that was the shittest comment I've ver heard on this site. And this site has the ****ing Pit, so that's hard to do.

[Vinson]

Iliekgitaz wrote:

mike1990 wrote:

Why does he care? Bands make pennies per album sold, its not like us downloading it illegally is gonna take money away from him and if it does, itll be like 30 cents or so. Itll take money from the record label more than it would him, he makes the majority of his money off tours and such, so i think he should worry about people trying to sneak into concerts without paying then people stealing his music that will make him pennies per album.

Besides, I think hes just pissed that some bands can have more people download their album illegally then albums he's ever sold.

And until I hear Jesus say downloading music illegally will send you to hell, im just gonna count this guy off as a jealous, money hungry idiot.

Couldn't have said it better myself. I'm a follower of Christ, if you're a good person toward every living thing, study scripture, and spend time with God you'll go to heaven.. whether you download illegally or not.

Check your old Testament "Christ Follower"
Thou Shalt not steal....it's in the top ten list of things you can do to piss God off.

[krvolok]

Its the 8th deadly sin,and the eleventh commandment.

[adstr123]

Vinson wrote:

Iliekgitaz wrote:

mike1990 wrote:

Why does he care? Bands make pennies per album sold, its not like us downloading it illegally is gonna take money away from him and if it does, itll be like 30 cents or so. Itll take money from the record label more than it would him, he makes the majority of his money off tours and such, so i think he should worry about people trying to sneak into concerts without paying then people stealing his music that will make him pennies per album.

Besides, I think hes just pissed that some bands can have more people download their album illegally then albums he's ever sold.

And until I hear Jesus say downloading music illegally will send you to hell, im just gonna count this guy off as a jealous, money hungry idiot.

Couldn't have said it better myself. I'm a follower of Christ, if you're a good person toward every living thing, study scripture, and spend time with God you'll go to heaven.. whether you download illegally or not.

Check your old Testament "Christ Follower"
Thou Shalt not steal....it's in the top ten list of things you can do to piss God off.

Exactly. And study sculpture? What an insult to the good things on this Earth. Why don't you try reading some of the bible and you might realise that there are a million more important things than study sculpture. I hope to Lucifer you were joking.

[Mayu!~]

whoever the **** that guy is, he probably wants more money

[SFosterS]

MegadethFan18 wrote:


gl.tch wrote:

Doesn't hell have all the best tunes anyway?

But it's not that simple. I'm a student; I'm poor. As he says, I can't afford much music, especially when some labels are charging well in excess of £10 for an album. But that doesn't stop me saving what I can to see bands live when I can. If a band I like comes to Glasgow, I'll see them, even if my only copies of their music has been acquired through questionable means.

I think that a lot of people who rip and download music will retrospectively buy albums by them, but a lot of the time I don't feel like I get very much for my money. So many bands just crank out a record and then seem to forget about the artwork. Good artwork and good production justifies the price; I don't mind paying for artwork that someone's put a lot of thought and effort into to, but if it's just rubbish then I have no inclination to buy a CD.

If people are going to charge so much for CDs, then they need to put effort into more than just the music. If they're just interested in the music, then they should put their CDs out in a cardboard slipcase with the bandname printed on it and charge a fiver.


I have heard some bad defenses for why people download music, that is by far the worst even. I don't get why people don't just say "I don't care about the band and I don't want to pay for music" cause thats all it comes down to. Saying "The artwork wasn't up to par" is just dumb it's like saying "an album won't help me do my homework I don't want to pay for it"

Actually It's not "just dumb" because I started buying my new music on Vinyl because of the massive amount of artwork that comes with it. I feel ripped off when I pop my new CD in and go to read the lyrics along with the songs only to find a 2 page slip, I get more literature in my pack of freaking cigarettes for F@$K sakes!

[andyscoot]

I buy as much music as i can, i have close to 400 cd's on my shelf, but i'll be damned before i pay 60 quid for an out of print album. Downloading for me is to aquire the unobtainable or to try things out. Make a good album and i'll buy it, make a good album, and i wont.

[eloera1]

Umm...how does he know this...

[MegadethFan18]

Actually It's not "just dumb" because I started buying my new music on Vinyl because of the massive amount of artwork that comes with it. I feel ripped off when I pop my new CD in and go to read the lyrics along with the songs only to find a 2 page slip, I get more literature in my pack of freaking cigarettes for F@$K sakes!

Yeah I guess it is a little lame when you don't even get lyrics. I have never bought a CD and actually felt ripped off cause there is no lyrics. I buy CD's cause I want music anything else is a bonus.

[.Joker.]

Lol I guess I'll see 90% of the world down there with me...see ya soon guys

[schirripar]

I only buy music from local bands, bigger bands get a ton of money from tours anyway.

Besides... Vinyl is way better

[Gyoung1991]

Hell ain't a bad place, hell is from here to eternity.

Also it doesn't exist O.o

[ProgJazzMath]

He is pissed because no one buys Elbow albums. Frankly, I've never heard of them. Bands make the MOST money from selling their merch at live shows and the prices from tickets. Underground bands won't make as much money and that is just a hard fact you have to deal with. A real musician isn't worried about the money, but the music itself. The guitarist Misha "Bulb" Mansoor from Periphery, puts up his music on soundclick.com for FREE download.

[new_age_reject]

gl.tch wrote:

Doesn't hell have all the best tunes anyway?

But it's not that simple. I'm a student; I'm poor. As he says, I can't afford much music, especially when some labels are charging well in excess of £10 for an album. But that doesn't stop me saving what I can to see bands live when I can. If a band I like comes to Glasgow, I'll see them, even if my only copies of their music has been acquired through questionable means.

I think that a lot of people who rip and download music will retrospectively buy albums by them, but a lot of the time I don't feel like I get very much for my money. So many bands just crank out a record and then seem to forget about the artwork. Good artwork and good production justifies the price; I don't mind paying for artwork that someone's put a lot of thought and effort into to, but if it's just rubbish then I have no inclination to buy a CD.

If people are going to charge so much for CDs, then they need to put effort into more than just the music. If they're just interested in the music, then they should put their CDs out in a cardboard slipcase with the bandname printed on it and charge a fiver.

Deffo, I absolutely don't mind paying more money for a great case. I spent £50 on the special edition of Option Paralysis, it came with a freaking TV turner off-erer.

[Chronologo]

the bands make money from the gigs more than from the cds nowadays, anyway who is this guy? good way to gain some notoriety.

[sandman94]

To everyone saying touring is where the money is: Record companies are needed to pay for the touring because it's not cheap. However, if their albums don't sell, then the record company won't pay for them to tour. It's easier said than done to survive without the record companies.

[sfingers]

"Without the live side nobody's making any money."

This is bullsh*t, i've seen quarterly and annual fiscal reports and all the major record labels report year on year rises in profits, as well as increasing revenue year on year for their artists. All this information is in the public domain, do they take us for idiots?

[PcaKes]

What a terrible way to get fans.

[Cheerleah]

What about Beethoven? I don't think he made music for the money...

If an artist really wants to be heard, the means of mass communication shouldn't matter...it only matters if they want to make money, which is clearly what he wants.

If making music for the money didn't matter, most of the popular music of today wouldn't suck so hard.

[Anarchy_Ant]

That's ok then, I'm poor.

[nickcallear]

I totally agree that ILLEGALLY DOWNLOADING music sucks, But what about artist who steal other artist's music to make there music. Are they going to go hell i think not.

[Ultima2876]

Why is everyone saying "who"? Does it matter who it is? You're allowed to have an opinion even if you're not Eddie Van Halen. Hence all your posts... geez

[gl.tch]

MegadethFan18 wrote:
I have heard some bad defenses for why people download music, that is by far the worst even. I don't get why people don't just say "I don't care about the band and I don't want to pay for music" cause thats all it comes down to. Saying "The artwork wasn't up to par" is just dumb it's like saying "an album won't help me do my homework I don't want to pay for it"

I am fairly certain, old chap, that you didn't read what I wrote, but never mind. Saying 'the artwork is not up to par' is not just dumb, because I have absolutely no wish to pay through the nose for something that looks rubbish.

As someone else highlighted, this is why I buy vinyl so much - and that's more expensive than CDs! I want something that doesn't just sound okay, but looks fantastic. A band that doesn't care enough about presentation to take an active hand in making their sleeve and CD covers the best they can be are not worth my money, not when there are so many other artists who care about things like what sort of cardstock it's printed on. I want something tactile, not a cheap jewel case with a Photoshop abortion and some dodgy band pictures inside.

[acade365]

SmittyMan90 wrote:

Hes probably mad because nobody buys their records anyways. But illegal downloading is a problem

The Seldom Seen Kid did actually sell quite a few copies (and it's a really good album, you should give it a listen).

I kinda agree with him, but: most times I torrent an album and like it, I buy it as soon as I can.

Also, how are these guys anything like Radiohead? Would Radiohead write a song like this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdmwHljfN4Q

[metalgirl0]

lol I'd rather live my life the way I want it instead of walkking the straight line, with the fear of going to a place nobody has a concrete proof that it actually exists when I'm gonna die. Anyways xD I think if someone illegally downloads your music, it's because they probably like it, and who knows, maybe they'll be in the audience of your next gig.

[derpdragon]

Oh hey looks another untalented person who blames his bands success on illegal downloads.
I'm going to hell for a lot more things than a download.

[Jhachey22]

Could someone explain to me the difference between lending my buddy and album and file sharing? it's the same thing, only on a bigger scale. Are the record companies trying to stop people from lending people albums? Hell no, because that's how you learn about new music. If you really like the band, you go out and support them by buying the album and going to their shows. I'm so f*cking tired of these self righteous hacks who complain about having their music stolen. The majority of the people complaining don't really have to worry about it anyways.

[HavokStrife]

Ok, I'm going to hell.

But I still think the RIAA is doing a lot more worthy of going to hell than me.

[Baconfish]

MC Lukesta wrote:

ARGH! I meant:
Bands like Elbow and Oasis give Manchester a bad name!

What about the fact that it's a cesspit?

[12unknown12]

Nameless742 wrote:

Lapidus wrote:

Never heard of him...

exactly, who?
And besides, I can't afford it haha.
I need that money for booze!

+10000 weed is another necessity.

[vikingman369]

but what about those who really can't afford to buy music cds?

[burninfrets]

good bands arent hurting for money or support either

[FearOfTheDuck]

Downloading is acceptable only if you go see the band live, buy a shirt and support them that way.
I still buy CD's by new bands, but when i'm really low on cash Spotify is the way to go.

[Guano23]

Whats this guy bitchn about isnt new. Sounds like hes a bit behind the times. People have been downlowding or copying music "illegaly" since music was created. I remember copying tapes buy putting tape over the slot that made it unrecordable. So in essence people have been pirating music and movies for decades.

[Savage Animal]

I will never pay money for music again - it's a complete waste. but I make a point to go out and see my favorite bands live and then I'll usually end up buying merch at the show. that money will actually go to the artists. And I know that the record labels will want to see profits to continue funding these artists, but most of the bands I listen to are on smaller labels so that point is kind of irrelevant

[James_Het_Rules]

Awww D: the man is sad!

With that said, i'll see him in hell.

iTunes ftw. Cram that up your cram hole Mr. Elbow!

[EpiExplorer]

From experience on my music production course: Out of every £12 album a band makes, roughly 50p is given to the band. Out of every £20 ticket for a show, the band gets roughly £3. Record labels penalise bands because of the massive process chain involved. The band is at the end of the chain. Self releasing CD's means that you can set the price to whatever and make it as cheaply as 1 euro a CD. I guy I know sold 300 CD's at 5 euro each and made 1500 euro.

And yeh, complaining wont solve the problem, Guy..

[metal4life34]

LMFAO

he mad?

[MoreGilmourII]

What artists like this loser need to realize is that maybe if their music was complete utter shit, we wouldn't download it. I'll always buy decent music. But lets face it, this guy's sissy rant is the most coverage he's ever gotten for anything ever. Give it up.

[gl.tch]

EpiExplorer wrote:

And yeh, complaining wont solve the problem, Guy..

QFT.

What the music industry needs is to not have a music industry - at least, not in the sense it currently does.

[Hellview]

Lol who cares what this guy thinks who the hell is Elbow anyways?

[MoreGilmourII]

wasn't*

[slaveskinJACKET]

That's ok. We're no more likely to go to hell for stealing music than he is for judging us for it. So, that's alright.

But what the **** is that about if you can't afford it, it's ok? It's not like stealing a loaf of bread so you don't starve to death. In God's eyes, a sin is a sin, regardless of "severity" and motive.

I have no problem paying my hard earned money for a great album, but I'm not gonna spend $15 on an album that I know only has one or two decent songs.

Maybe if people would make albums worth paying for...

[MusicFiend2310]

Guy sounds like a dick. I know a lot of bands that encourage it, just for exposure.

[t21n]

i think henry rollins said it best: "i'd rather be heard than paid." these days, it's pretty common knowledge (and it has been mentioned in the comments already) that artists make money off of tours and merch, not album sales. right or wrong, i'm a firm believer that you should be able to listen to an album for free as many times as you want...then if you like what you hear, you can go see their live show and show the artist real support, instead of giving your money to their record label.

this guy sounds like a whiny 10-year old. i suggest he start dealing with it like a big boy and maybe make music that doesn't suck, then people will find a way to support his band

[partyawesomeska]

what a douchebag. don't play music if you're in it for the money. it's like becoming a janitor expecting to become a CEO. also this

gl.tch wrote:

What the music industry needs is to not have a music industry - at least, not in the sense it currently does.

[WhiteStripesIII]

Been a fan of Elbow for a long time (2003). Sad that very few people have heard of them, really talented bunch.

[scrymusic]

Lame... My hand basket is already to go!

[acade365]

MoreGilmourII wrote:

What artists like this loser need to realize is that maybe if their music was complete utter shit, we wouldn't download it. I'll always buy decent music. But lets face it, this guy's sissy rant is the most coverage he's ever gotten for anything ever. Give it up.

no facepalm smilie here? Read the two first paragraphs:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elbow_%28band%29

[flydth3bArbr]

Sound like a bunch of religious idiots. Jesus sucks

[scrymusic]

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO FIND GOOD MUSIC THAT IS OUTTA PRINT!!!?? Thanks to illegal downloading.. I am able to find such rare gems.

[lunchboxattacks]

There is no defense for illegal downloading but the simple fact is that the business model is changing and with any kind of progress there are those who adapt and survive ,and those who don't and die. It's an example that has been repeated countless times throughout history. To tell someone who enjoys what could well be the greatest expression of God's existence that they will go to hell for doing so, well, it's a bit of an overreaction to say the least and it would be equally fair to say that even really really really liking/loving a band.....Worshiping a band will also send you to hell. If such a place exists, that is. There are many moral and legal arguments surrounding this issue and there will continue to be until we are all viewing government sanctioned web pages from government sanctioned computer terminals.

[Raider76]

Hahaha... this is coming from one of the most impactless musicians in the industry.. Elbow?? really?? who the **** is that? maybe id give a shit if it was somebody who matters

[jesse1994]

hes just saying that only people who can afford to are going to hell. Like if your making less than 1,200 a year than your gonna rip it. But anybody who can afford internet can afford to buy a cd

[nalga_leprosa]

greedy people also go to hell
if i buy elbow's album i'll go to heaven?

[Revolution_87]

Well tough shit man, make better music and maybe people would buy your albums -.-

Most of the stuff i listen to is bought but i rely on downloading illegally to see if an album is any good, I'll listen to it 2-3 times and if i like it i'll scrape what little money i have together to buy it, Really hate guys who give it "Illegal downloading is bad mmmkay" He probably does it himself since the band are so frickin poor

[steveocky666]

Guess What Guy Garvey you douche there is no hell nor heaven nor god, so ya good luck with that bullshit story

[metalgod96]

Beer, sl*ts and metal!
What's not to love about Hell?

[WhiteStripesIII]

Wow.. the amount of people deciding that Elbow are crap before actually giving them a listen is ridiculous.

Go and listen to Bitten By The Tailfly, Not A Job, Switching Off, I've Got Your Number, Fugitive Motel and Fallen Angel.

[poiney]

firstly i dont think he has to worry about people ripping elbow albums he thinks of his band far too highly

secondly music is about making people feel something and wether ur music is being ripped or not u shud just be stoked that people are listening to it

lastly just watch south park episode christian rock hard and u will see my point

[Sean Duffy]

Who the **** wants to live the kind of life that'll get you into "heaven" anyway?

[Swannie]

artists see almost nothing of the profit from album sales... touring is what makes money

[EpiExplorer]

WhiteStripesIII wrote:

Wow.. the amount of people deciding that Elbow are crap before actually giving them a listen is ridiculous.

Go and listen to Bitten By The Tailfly, Not A Job, Switching Off, I've Got Your Number, Fugitive Motel and Fallen Angel.

We think the interviewee is an idiot, not the band. We think the band is a bunch of nobodies, however.

[harpy1976]

adstr123 wrote:

Vinson wrote:

Iliekgitaz wrote:

mike1990 wrote:

Why does he care? Bands make pennies per album sold, its not like us downloading it illegally is gonna take money away from him and if it does, itll be like 30 cents or so. Itll take money from the record label more than it would him, he makes the majority of his money off tours and such, so i think he should worry about people trying to sneak into concerts without paying then people stealing his music that will make him pennies per album.

Besides, I think hes just pissed that some bands can have more people download their album illegally then albums he's ever sold.

And until I hear Jesus say downloading music illegally will send you to hell, im just gonna count this guy off as a jealous, money hungry idiot.

Couldn't have said it better myself. I'm a follower of Christ, if you're a good person toward every living thing, study scripture, and spend time with God you'll go to heaven.. whether you download illegally or not.

Check your old Testament "Christ Follower"
Thou Shalt not steal....it's in the top ten list of things you can do to piss God off.

Exactly. And study sculpture? What an insult to the good things on this Earth. Why don't you try reading some of the bible and you might realise that there are a million more important things than study sculpture. I hope to Lucifer you were joking.

Are you serious? He said SCRIPTURE not SCULPTURE. Which is studying the bible. I'm not a religious man, but apparently you should learn how to read before making an idiot out of yourself!! And do you even know what Lucifer is? What a dope!!

[Apejack Cuba]

If I don't give a shit when Gene Simmons cries about piracy, why should I give a shit when some D-list nobody cries about it?

[ascendancy2]

Hell aint a bad place to be...

[The Spoon]

I think you guys are forgetting that recording an album on a record label costs a shit ton of money...as far as I know, the band has to pay off the debt if the labels don't make enough money.

Touring for most bands gives each band member about $10 a night after venue prices, and taxes, and such. That's all each member has each day for food...they have to get money elsewhere for van repairs and everything else.

if you really like a band, just buy the damn CD and go to the show. help a band as much as you can. just because the band doesn't directly get the money from a CD, doesn't mean it doesnt help them. Besides, it would help the shitty state of the industry to buy CD's that you like, because right now, all of that money is going to the shit that's on the TOP 10 list in iTunes, which almost giving permission to the music industry to make more of it.

Since I stopped downloading albums, I have thoroughly listened to the albums I already have, which is something I could barely do at the rate I was downloading.

[Nyhm]

yup i will seed his discography too without even listening to it once

[Rishwag12]

If you rip off music from a band that makes millions of dollars everyday, then God'll just be a teensy bit mad when you die.

If you rip it off from a small, struggling band, then you are going to be Satan's BITCH! That's like stealing from a homeless guy.

[MacFamousKid]

Wait, who from what band said this??

Exactly, if it wasn't for us illegally downloading and discovering new music, no one would know who the eff you are!

By the way, I still have no idea who this guy is.

[guitarnoobie]

I've never heard of Mr. Garvey or his band before, but I'm going to illegally download all his music.

[MacFamousKid]

Also, illegal downloading has been an issue for YEARS now. I thought, surely, every one has had time to moan and complain about the industry by now...but no.

There's no point in complaining. As long as there is that thing called the interweb, or whatever it is, there will be illegally downloaded intellectual property. We need to move forward and work around it. And I don't mean by means of DRM. I mean let's get creative here and think of ways kids WANT to spend money for music.

[MoreNoise]

What I can't understand is why most people here seem to feel so important and entitled that they assume they have more rights over a piece of music than the person who wrote, performed and recorded it.

It's not unreasonable for an artist to want to make some money from their works. Quit trying to justify stealing, and just accept that if a band wants to give you their music for free, then they can and will.

[trendkill-]

well considering most small bands albums are hard to come by i will continue downloading them till my local store carries them.

[RockInPeaceDime]

If you buy millions of dollars worth of music you get to go to heaven!!!

lol @ people still trying to use the fear of eternal damnation as a fear-tactic to get people to do shit. sorry bros, that went out around the enlightenment. move on.

[MountApple]

But Rody Walker told me to!

[crazy8rgood]

This article is funny because I illegally downloaded one of these guys' albums last week.

Sorry, Guy Garvey.

[GigaSauce]

Think about this for a second. People who download music illegally are actually the people who find the real music talent in the world.

When a band's fan downloads their music illegally, it drives them to do more live shows, when they do live shows, people see their talent for what it really is.

It's a typical problem that some bands are purely studio bands in the sense that they are actually shitty live performers and rely on the heavy amount of production that went into making a digitalized album. When a musician can't reproduce their own music it shows that they don't deserve full credit for what they 'made'.

[Glpchase]

id rather die than go to heaven

[guitfiddleRR]

he has a point with the small bands, but it doesnt even make a dent with huge international superstars

[legato89]

Think im going to download the album and not even listen to it.

[zippidyduda]

You guys know that most bands don't make shit from touring, right?

[Metallicam]

I may get flamed for this, but technically, albums are the cheapest they've been in years if you buy on I-Tunes. You can find almost any album you like for 10 bucks or less.

[M3talHead]

At the end of the day you make music for it to be heard, if you want to make money become a banker, i hear their doing well..

and as for the whole going to hell thing, our society is based on capitalism which is essentially a sin so most the planets going to hell anyway

[anameofsomesort]

Doesn't hell have all the best tunes anyway?

But it's not that simple. I'm a student; I'm poor. As he says, I can't afford much music, especially when some labels are charging well in excess of £10 for an album. But that doesn't stop me saving what I can to see bands live when I can. If a band I like comes to Glasgow, I'll see them, even if my only copies of their music has been acquired through questionable means.

I think that a lot of people who rip and download music will retrospectively buy albums by them, but a lot of the time I don't feel like I get very much for my money. So many bands just crank out a record and then seem to forget about the artwork. Good artwork and good production justifies the price; I don't mind paying for artwork that someone's put a lot of thought and effort into to, but if it's just rubbish then I have no inclination to buy a CD.

If people are going to charge so much for CDs, then they need to put effort into more than just the music. If they're just interested in the music, then they should put their CDs out in a cardboard slipcase with the bandname printed on it and charge a fiver.

Dont agree with this it all. yeah, its nice to look through the artwork... for about 5 minutes, then never again. Who bloody cares about whats on the front, i want bands putting their efforts into creating some of the best tracks then putting them together for me to experience, bands deserve to make a living through the music they create, not the graphics and 'extra features' they put on an album. And how are CD prices that high? on the internet you can find most CD's new or old for under £10, hell even less then £5 for some of the best albums. Video games will cost around £40 brand new and most you wouldnt play for any more then 6 months, whilst my favourite albums ill probably listen too until im dead.
I assume you and most of the people that made this comment really just download music because its free and you probably listen to most music in mp3 format anyway... which i wouldnt have any problem with, but dont come up with stupid excuses pretending you dont think CDs have enough additional features.

[vans1170]

i'm pirating all his music right now

[Misfit-FTB]

gl.tch wrote:

MegadethFan18 wrote:
I have heard some bad defenses for why people download music, that is by far the worst even. I don't get why people don't just say "I don't care about the band and I don't want to pay for music" cause thats all it comes down to. Saying "The artwork wasn't up to par" is just dumb it's like saying "an album won't help me do my homework I don't want to pay for it"

I am fairly certain, old chap, that you didn't read what I wrote, but never mind. Saying 'the artwork is not up to par' is not just dumb, because I have absolutely no wish to pay through the nose for something that looks rubbish.

As someone else highlighted, this is why I buy vinyl so much - and that's more expensive than CDs! I want something that doesn't just sound okay, but looks fantastic. A band that doesn't care enough about presentation to take an active hand in making their sleeve and CD covers the best they can be are not worth my money, not when there are so many other artists who care about things like what sort of cardstock it's printed on. I want something tactile, not a cheap jewel case with a Photoshop abortion and some dodgy band pictures inside.

You want art? Then why don't you go join DeviantArt? Everyone knows you don't judge a book by it's cover, so why would we make an exception here? =/

[Killbait06]

John Lennon said "Music is for the people" nuff said. artists make a lot of money still on the albums that people do buy and the tours they have, not big enough to go on big tours? branch out ur music, get better.

[Fingers210]

Go cry to Cliff Richard.

[Cosby1]

Never heard of them, guess ill download some songs to check them out

[queenslander47]

Vinson wrote:

Iliekgitaz wrote:

mike1990 wrote:

Why does he care? Bands make pennies per album sold, its not like us downloading it illegally is gonna take money away from him and if it does, itll be like 30 cents or so. Itll take money from the record label more than it would him, he makes the majority of his money off tours and such, so i think he should worry about people trying to sneak into concerts without paying then people stealing his music that will make him pennies per album.

Besides, I think hes just pissed that some bands can have more people download their album illegally then albums he's ever sold.

And until I hear Jesus say downloading music illegally will send you to hell, im just gonna count this guy off as a jealous, money hungry idiot.

Couldn't have said it better myself. I'm a follower of Christ, if you're a good person toward every living thing, study scripture, and spend time with God you'll go to heaven.. whether you download illegally or not.

Check your old Testament "Christ Follower"
Thou Shalt not steal....it's in the top ten list of things you can do to piss God off.

Yeah but the Old Testament is irrelevant. When Christ came down and died for our sins he brought with him the "New Covenant" whereby all those who believe in him and repent for their sins will be saved.

So basically, download, repent, and you'l be sweet.

[S.D.M.F.]

I'd rather die than go to heaven

[vegetassj4]

I only buy an album if it's from a very small underrated band or composer that i found very amazing, or if it's one of my music gods. Which aren't that many.

[MWriff]

TheSilverBeatle wrote:

Yeah, never heard of this guy. Sounds like he's upset at having a long and rocky career with little return. He's about the only artist I've heard say it's good to be with a label in this day and age. Want more money? Release your album independently and keep gigging. Bitching about something that isn't going to change doesn't help anything and makes you sound like more of a douche to people who have never heard you.

Haah no return? elbow are one of the biggest bands of the UK

[AJSaw]

misleading title...

but I like this guy. I dont download stuff illegally, but whateve's

[MWriff]

S.D.M.F. wrote:

I'd rather die than go to heaven

You obviously get bullied or something

[matx33]

OoooooOOOOOoooooh I'm scared, Elbow.

For real, everyone has an opinion. He has his. He has a point. I buy small bands. I download download disbanded/big bands, because they're making enough. Small bands like the exposure anyway - at least some do, they've said it after all.
Probably having a bad day, this guy.

[Thr3Elevenstyle]

Save me a ****in seat yo

And to think, I was about to download a shit ton of elbow :/

[guitarist41]

I couldn't care less.

His band's shite anyway, so he doesn't need to worry about anybody stealing his music.

[Helloween4Ever]

"Especially when it's a smaller band. There's no excuse."
and what if you actually made a genuine look for their CD's (I hate legal downloads) and found nothing?

[barden1069]

Well I definitely couldn't afford all the shit I've downloaded, so I guess I'm good to go.

[RockInPeaceDime]

queenslander47 wrote:

Vinson wrote:

Iliekgitaz wrote:

mike1990 wrote:

Why does he care? Bands make pennies per album sold, its not like us downloading it illegally is gonna take money away from him and if it does, itll be like 30 cents or so. Itll take money from the record label more than it would him, he makes the majority of his money off tours and such, so i think he should worry about people trying to sneak into concerts without paying then people stealing his music that will make him pennies per album.

Besides, I think hes just pissed that some bands can have more people download their album illegally then albums he's ever sold.

And until I hear Jesus say downloading music illegally will send you to hell, im just gonna count this guy off as a jealous, money hungry idiot.

Couldn't have said it better myself. I'm a follower of Christ, if you're a good person toward every living thing, study scripture, and spend time with God you'll go to heaven.. whether you download illegally or not.

Check your old Testament "Christ Follower"
Thou Shalt not steal....it's in the top ten list of things you can do to piss God off.

Yeah but the Old Testament is irrelevant. When Christ came down and died for our sins he brought with him the "New Covenant" whereby all those who believe in him and repent for their sins will be saved.

So basically, download, repent, and you'l be sweet.

lmao here we have someone who doesn't understand his religion :O surprise, surprise.

[r0ckth3d34n]

Funny how the lead singer of Attila says almost the exact opposite.

He told a crowd to buy their CD, unless they torrented it. He went on to say "...if you torrented it, **** you, buy a t-shirt."

Then he told my friend to torrent their first CD since it wasn't in print anymore.

[Reynolds666]

AH shit he copied my band, its called knee...
My policy is people who bitch about illegal downloading have their music downloaded by me (if its not utter shit) and people who are more chilled about it, I will buy their albums

[SGofawesome]

Well apparently I'm going to hell for 1,286 accounts...hmm

[Masterofpirates]

There's no way us Americans are going to get the best obscure albums without downloading them.

[schirripar]

Killbait06 wrote:

John Lennon said "Music is for the people" nuff said. artists make a lot of money still on the albums that people do buy and the tours they have, not big enough to go on big tours? branch out ur music, get better.

this.
the music industry is adapting to everything that has been going on in the past decade. You see many bands that dont care anymore and put their music up for free downloads. That is rock and roll.. do it for the people.. do it for love of music

[Jmoarguitar]

i don't buy cd's that often because i'm 16 with a minum wage job that doesn't get over 15 hours a week and i donate a good chunk of my paycheck to charity for children who don't get equal chances as others. Sucks that i have to go to hell

[Killbait06]

schirripar :
Killbait06 wrote:

John Lennon said "Music is for the people" nuff said. artists make a lot of money still on the albums that people do buy and the tours they have, not big enough to go on big tours? branch out ur music, get better.

this.
the music industry is adapting to everything that has been going on in the past decade. You see many bands that dont care anymore and put their music up for free downloads. That is rock and roll.. do it for the people.. do it for love of music

thank you. I understand that illegal downloading hurts the artists, no matter how little or large the costs. but still is it so bad that we can go to hell for? i think not. If you make music just to make money, then your music is not worth listening to, or buying.

[SlayingDragons]

Personally, I'd rather go to hell. All the best musicians are in hell, while heaven has... umm... Christian hardcore bands?


I'll pass on heaven.

[thewhorock]

hell ain't a bad place to be

[cobracarg]

S.D.M.F. wrote:

I'd rather die than go to heaven

well i think you have to die in order to go to heaven

[postmortem2006]

Hahahaha oh wow, is this guy serious? Like his saying that is going to put the fear of shit up people an make them go 'Oh no! I don't want THAT to happen!'

[lul]

boring will be heaven.. with the likes of mother theresa and company,.. in hell i will be jamming with hendrix, hoon, dimebag hehe

[Delta_Mike]

Don't tell Guy but I read this article. And didn't pay.

[guitgrinder]

^ obscure ref. to Metalocalypse. Anyone seen the new epi's on adult swim? Little meh compared to seas. 2.

As far as d.loads, I recently got my computer and was able to... most of the stuff I did d.load was either stuff I already had, or I owned some of the artists work, but not certain albums and got to hear some great new songs. Some I never have owned, but I'm glad I did cuz I like the music, but can't afford ALL the albums I want. But anything thats gonna get major rotation, I want a hard copy if it's available, and I agree, they should maximize value. Good pkging is important. Gimmie a sticker. Or $5 off a shirt, or another album from another release on the same label. Something! Took like, 3 seconds for those ideas, y'know?

[thrashmonkey]

This dude needs to get a life. He must've bought into the "rock star" fantasy and is pissed that his "20 years of experience" in the business clearly hasn't paid off. I hadn't heard of him before this, probably the most coverage he'll ever get. Why bother complaining about something you can't change?

[XdeathcardX]

yea i am going to hell for not paying record company's 15 bucks for a list a mediocre songs. I pay for classics like

The Wall(pink floyd)
Nevermind(nirvana)
The Blackening(Machine Head)
Master of Puppets(Metallica)
Led Zepellin I-IV

you know something thats worth money
that the same o' pop bs we get in radio and tv.

[Vedicardi]

**** this guy

record companies suck

[rickyj]

Ninja Vampirate wrote:

What a ****, I think I'll download his discography and seed it for other people to get for free, and never listen to it.

You are the reason the music industry is shit right now.

[StilletoBoy]

The only thing I can say is, lol.

[RadioMuse]

XdeathcardX wrote:

yea i am going to hell for not paying record company's 15 bucks for a list a mediocre songs. I pay for classics like

The Wall(pink floyd)
Nevermind(nirvana)
The Blackening(Machine Head)
Master of Puppets(Metallica)
Led Zepellin I-IV

you know something thats worth money
that the same o' pop bs we get in radio and tv.

Way to pay for records that attained the status of "cash cows" decades ago... If anything those are the records you SHOULD find a nice 192kps or .flac download of... They've already made their money.

I understand where he's coming from on the level that you SHOULD buy records from smaller acts. If they're a group that just went national or has been crawling their way up through indies or without large-scale support and/or promotion they're not going to be able to continue making music as a full-time job without support.

I can't afford to buy half the music I'd like to; however, I still purchase cds from local and club-touring national acts because they actually need the support. I usually download an album or two from them first, admittedly, (after sniffing them out on YouTube or MySpace) because I don't want to part with cash for trash. But I've often downloaded an album, really dug it, and bought it a few weeks/months later. But I'm sadly a minority.

For what it's worth Guy Garvy and Elbow clawed their way up through the music industry over the course of a couple decades, and have been dropped by 2-3 different labels for various creative disputes and fairly poor sales (early on) despite doing all the promotion and leg-work that was asked of them. They've earned their place with sweat, blood, and tears... I feel like he's making a bit bolder of a statement than he should, but even then he's admitting that if it's not a realistic affordability, then you should be spending that $15 on some food rather than on his little band... What's so wrong with musicians asking you to value their craft once in a while? :-/

[The\m/]

People have been listening to music every day of there lives for thousands of years. To expect us all to buy every album we like even one song off of is just outright absurd.

rickyj wrote:

Ninja Vampirate wrote:

What a ****, I think I'll download his discography and seed it for other people to get for free, and never listen to it.


You are the reason the music industry is shit right now.

No u. There is nothing but corporate garbage on the radio being spoonfed to a stereotypical teenage persona. That is why the music industry is terrible right now. If there was more stuff of quality on the radio like there was in decades past...maybe more people would actually BUY the music like they did in the days before the internet.

I rarely hear the GOOD musicians complaining about illegal downloading. Because they make enough money of their record sales, touring, composing for film, tv, video games, teaching lessons etc.

Bottom line is if you really want to make money at music. Do more than just play in a band.

[jimishred]

The\m/ wrote:

People have been listening to music every day of there lives for thousands of years. To expect us all to buy every album we like even one song off of is just outright absurd.

rickyj wrote:

Ninja Vampirate wrote:

What a ****, I think I'll download his discography and seed it for other people to get for free, and never listen to it.


You are the reason the music industry is shit right now.


No u. There is nothing but corporate garbage on the radio being spoonfed to a stereotypical teenage persona. That is why the music industry is terrible right now. If there was more stuff of quality on the radio like there was in decades past...maybe more people would actually BUY the music like they did in the days before the internet.

I rarely hear the GOOD musicians complaining about illegal downloading. Because they make enough money of their record sales, touring, composing for film, tv, video games, teaching lessons etc.

Bottom line is if you really want to make money at music. Do more than just play in a band.

yes! if good music existed (im not talking about older bands like maiden,ozzy,metallica etc) today then it would be worth buying,anyway i prefer if a band goes on tour then doesnt go becuase there complaining that "people are downloading my music and want money" well if your good then you understand that people will see you live AND listern to you music,me i would prefer if more bands did group tours eg the big 4 toured the world that would be good,also you can buy bands shirts unless they go on tour (or you buy online if you can buy online then a tours the only way!

[Gary.Blizzard]

When you buy a CD you're not just buying the case, booklet, cd, etc. You're buying all the work the artist put into creating the content. They can't make more music without money, and not paying for their music doesn't help them any.

90% of the music on my computer is downloaded. However, I still have a massive CD collection. I still pay good money to see concerts. I spread the word. I contribute, I do my part.

And to whoever seems to think it's impossible to afford to buy every CD you want to hear, my father somehow managed to do it. He's imported over 300gb of CDs onto his computer, and that's only the one's he had time too, just a piece of his collection. Thousands. So don't say no one can afford it. Cause he bought them, and he isn't rich or even near wealthy.

[XxBassMan666xX]

Oh no! god forbid nads actually have to go out and play to make money D:

[eerfuk]

i only buy albums that are worth buying.rest of the music on my computer is downloaded.im just 15 and i don't earn money or shit and nor am i some rich wealthy kid..i wouldn't be half the guitarist i am if it weren't for the internet.bands just go around bashing people that downloading is a crime and shit but they wouldn't have half the fans they have if it wouldn't have been for illegal downloading.i would love to pay for bands like metallica,megadeth,iron maiden etc. but not for bands like alter bridge,creed etc. even although i am a fan them too.

[madnaz]

well...isn't live playing what its all about anyway? i mean, i thought album royalties and all that were secondary to going out and playing the music you slaved over to put out

[wheatking]

I'm 15, no job, what do you expect from me?

[PlectrumTheory]

Hell a lot of small bands are starting to release their EP's and stuff for free... Something about promotion... I mean the best way to get a fan base is to give them a taste of your music. If you give it free they are more likely to but your shit and see you live.

This guy is obvioiusly and idiot and angry that his band can't sell records...

[rechris06]

metalgirl0 wrote:

lol I'd rather live my life the way I want it instead of walkking the straight line, with the fear of going to a place nobody has a concrete proof that it actually exists when I'm gonna die. Anyways xD I think if someone illegally downloads your music, it's because they probably like it, and who knows, maybe they'll be in the audience of your next gig.

Hm... never thought about it that way... +1

[rechris06]

SlayingDragons wrote:

Personally, I'd rather go to hell. All the best musicians are in hell, while heaven has... umm... Christian hardcore bands?


I'll pass on heaven.

LOL same here... Lets jam some real metal in hell my brother..

[true_bacon22]

In other words BAAAAAW I'M NOT A RICH ROCKSTAR.

[Ramaloce]

I'll illegally download your songs to see if I like the band first, then if I like enough of your songs, I'll by your CD. Until [your music] wins my heart, my wallet, like my girlfriend's legs, is staying closed.

[michaeltheyoung]

Seems unlikely hell exists.

And while you should pay for music if you really enjoy it, fans AND bands alike are benefited by the free download structure. There are a lot of bands who have earned my $$$ only because I was able to do the "try before you buy" thing.

The future revenue sources for bands are likely to be numerous...but I don't see recordings as being a major part of that mix anymore. Smart bands are already finding other ways to customize fan experience and to capitalize, and are not sitting around waiting for iTunes to make them rich.

That said, copyright infringement is serious -- for legal reasons alone, it's not a good idea. Right now, it is cost-prohibitive for RIAA to bring suits against large numbers of downloaders. But that may change, and soon. Best to have clean hands.

[VinnyChinny]

I download to see if I like the album/band first. If I've stopped listening to them after a week or so, then that means it would have been a waste to buy in the first place. I like to buy CD's that I know I'll listen to for years. Besides..., we could probably youtube the shit out of the songs anyway and just have a playlist there. You should be grateful that we want the content.

[Gary.Blizzard]

Ramaloce wrote:

I'll illegally download your songs to see if I like the band first, then if I like enough of your songs, I'll by your CD. Until [your music] wins my heart, my wallet, like my girlfriend's legs, is staying closed.

Sorry to hear your girlfriend's legs stay closed?

[moth3R]

About %90 of the albums I download, and intend to buy aren't even available in the record store. So, I'm excused.

[deftools]

i don't know who this band is or want to, but i'm going to illegally download their album just to piss this guy off.

[NHECOS]

deftools wrote:

i don't know who this band is or want to, but i'm going to illegally download their album just to piss this guy off.

x2

[CoreysMonster]

I don't know who this band is or want to, and I'm not going to download any music of theirs, so I will never know what they sound like and they will never see a cent of my money one way or another.

Idiot.

[Evilize]

I dont remember "downloading" being one of the 7 deadly sins! Nor one of the 10 comandments. Seeing religion is a crock of shit snyway i'll keep on downloading just not this morons band

[OXL]

I say the music industry is evil, just look at the last VMA's. I mean, I listen to some evil shit but all of that doesn't compare to the evilniss of artists like gaga, rihana, kanye west, jay-z and so on. The industry has to die now, download don't buy. Fuck the system, you must bring it down!

[gl.tch]

anameofsomesort wrote:


Doesn't hell have all the best tunes anyway?

But it's not that simple. I'm a student; I'm poor. As he says, I can't afford much music, especially when some labels are charging well in excess of £10 for an album. But that doesn't stop me saving what I can to see bands live when I can. If a band I like comes to Glasgow, I'll see them, even if my only copies of their music has been acquired through questionable means.

I think that a lot of people who rip and download music will retrospectively buy albums by them, but a lot of the time I don't feel like I get very much for my money. So many bands just crank out a record and then seem to forget about the artwork. Good artwork and good production justifies the price; I don't mind paying for artwork that someone's put a lot of thought and effort into to, but if it's just rubbish then I have no inclination to buy a CD.

If people are going to charge so much for CDs, then they need to put effort into more than just the music. If they're just interested in the music, then they should put their CDs out in a cardboard slipcase with the bandname printed on it and charge a fiver.

Dont agree with this it all. yeah, its nice to look through the artwork... for about 5 minutes, then never again. Who bloody cares about whats on the front, i want bands putting their efforts into creating some of the best tracks then putting them together for me to experience, bands deserve to make a living through the music they create, not the graphics and 'extra features' they put on an album. And how are CD prices that high? on the internet you can find most CD's new or old for under £10, hell even less then £5 for some of the best albums. Video games will cost around £40 brand new and most you wouldnt play for any more then 6 months, whilst my favourite albums ill probably listen too until im dead.
I assume you and most of the people that made this comment really just download music because its free and you probably listen to most music in mp3 format anyway... which i wouldnt have any problem with, but dont come up with stupid excuses pretending you dont think CDs have enough additional features.

Hi there.

[a] Unlike you, I do care what's on the front. I don't just look at it for for five minutes, I look at it every time I play the CD.

[b] I download because I love to listen to interesting music, but I am very poor. I support my favourite bands by seeing them on tour.

[c] Those cut-price CDs you see? By them, and even less money goes to the artist. Believe me when I tell you I cannot even afford to buy those, were I to try to buy all the music I want to listen to.

[d] I listen lossless formats almost exclusively, be it FLAC, APE, WAV, CD, or vinyl.

[e] It's a shame you feel the need to call me 'stupid' for wishing that bands paid more attention to the case the music comes in. Music is more than just an auditory experience for me, and apparently for others, too.

[gl.tch]

Misfit-FTB wrote:

You want art? Then why don't you go join DeviantArt? Everyone knows you don't judge a book by it's cover, so why would we make an exception here? =/

Don't be asinine. Firstly, it's not unreasonable to judge a book by the amount of care and consideration that's gone into the cover. If it looks cheap, it's probably going to read cheap. I prefer to listen to bands who treat music and presentation as hand in hand - an intellectual edifice, if you will - because, well, that's my personal taste. I'm not going to turn down a band simply based on the cover, but I am far more likely to spend my money if a band takes the time to produce something that looks well-made.

[OXL]

"Doesn't hell have all the best tunes anyway?"

Well, if I believed in hell I'd say no. I mean, suppose you like metal, I'm pretty sure satan would play R&B to you 24/7 while tickling your feet with a blow torch ;.

[TheNeverNever]

All I see here is people illegally downloading in spite, having religious arguments, buying CDs for the artwork and some guy who's not getting any from his girlfriend.

Win.

[TheNeverNever]

gl.tch wrote:

Misfit-FTB wrote:

You want art? Then why don't you go join DeviantArt? Everyone knows you don't judge a book by it's cover, so why would we make an exception here? =/

Don't be asinine. Firstly, it's not unreasonable to judge a book by the amount of care and consideration that's gone into the cover. If it looks cheap, it's probably going to read cheap. I prefer to listen to bands who treat music and presentation as hand in hand - an intellectual edifice, if you will - because, well, that's my personal taste. I'm not going to turn down a band simply based on the cover, but I am far more likely to spend my money if a band takes the time to produce something that looks well-made.

Two examples of album covers that look 'cheap' could easily be Metallica's Kill Em All and Pantera's Cowboys From Hell. Album art doesn't detract from or improve the CD.

[OXL]

I've been purchasing CD's for a long time and I don't play any of them anymore. I've converted all of them to high quality mp3's and only play music from my media server. I don't care for artwork, just music. I'm not saying I don't appreciate a well crafted album cover but I don't see any added value in that. I'm really not sitting around looking at a cover while playing the album or anything like that.

[ChokingOnBile]

Cry me a river
Blow me a sea
These ****ing *******s aren't afraid that the music industry will collapse. You know what they are afraid of? They're afraid that soon they won't have those millions that they have now. They're afraid that they will have to start working like regular people.
FUCK THEM!

[FerretBob]

To go to hell, hell first has to exist. I'm with Mr. Lennon on that one.

No hell below us, above us only sky.

[Jøhnny]

Hell yeah! Against all expectations, I'm going to Heaven!

[gabrielr]

Never heard of these guys before... Guess I should go download their albums and see what the fuss is about!

[everjump]

baspvn wrote:

I dont like heaven anyway ^^

Lol

[jimmy_neutron]

checked

[plakkert]

Good thing downloading music is not illegal over here in Holland, so suck it Guy.

[Mayu!~]

who cares if some dipshit says the whole world is going to hell. how the **** would he know anyway. nothing to get worked up over

[Tarsplitter]

michaeltheyoung wrote:

Seems unlikely hell exists.

And while you should pay for music if you really enjoy it, fans AND bands alike are benefited by the free download structure. There are a lot of bands who have earned my $$$ only because I was able to do the "try before you buy" thing.

I've always thought that this argument was bullshit. Youtube, anyone?

[-[NiL]-]

brb, dl'ing Elbow's discography.

[slasher2169]

emmm i suddendly have an urge to download all Elbow's material and share it with all my frineds haha what a twat, hes just pissed cause hes going to have to tour to earn a living, your living a dream mate that most people would kill for, ****in live with less money

[sinterpol]

Hahaha! FACE!

harpy1976 wrote:

adstr123 wrote:

Vinson wrote:

Iliekgitaz wrote:

mike1990 wrote:

Why does he care? Bands make pennies per album sold, its not like us downloading it illegally is gonna take money away from him and if it does, itll be like 30 cents or so. Itll take money from the record label more than it would him, he makes the majority of his money off tours and such, so i think he should worry about people trying to sneak into concerts without paying then people stealing his music that will make him pennies per album.

Besides, I think hes just pissed that some bands can have more people download their album illegally then albums he's ever sold.

And until I hear Jesus say downloading music illegally will send you to hell, im just gonna count this guy off as a jealous, money hungry idiot.

Couldn't have said it better myself. I'm a follower of Christ, if you're a good person toward every living thing, study scripture, and spend time with God you'll go to heaven.. whether you download illegally or not.

Check your old Testament "Christ Follower"
Thou Shalt not steal....it's in the top ten list of things you can do to piss God off.

Exactly. And study sculpture? What an insult to the good things on this Earth. Why don't you try reading some of the bible and you might realise that there are a million more important things than study sculpture. I hope to Lucifer you were joking.

Are you serious? He said SCRIPTURE not SCULPTURE. Which is studying the bible. I'm not a religious man, but apparently you should learn how to read before making an idiot out of yourself!! And do you even know what Lucifer is? What a dope!!

[TextOnTheScreen]

I'm going to hell? I'll see you there, Garvey. *thumbs up*

[HoddiDarko]

I download most of my music, but I buy there best albums. And I always buy albums by small bands, local Ep's and records.

[Seref]

Religious or not, as long as downloading music is illegal it is technically wrong to do it.

But then again the RIAA are asshats and I'd do anything to **** them over.

[jeowy]

the concept of intellectual property is scientifically invalid.

I go out and buy a CD, this is perfectly legal
i copy the CD (which i own and should be able to do with as i please) onto blank media, i've commited a crime.

What about purchasing music second-hand? if its illegal to get it for free because the artist isnt getting the money they "deserve", shouldnt it still be illegal if money is changing hands?

people need to start realising that knowledge and digital data arent "products" that are finite and can be controlled via supply and demand. They are infinitely abundant and can multiply as much as necessary.

[TisPyon]

uhm.... so who is this guy again?

[dweb23]

dont know who he is but hell ye! well said!

[ihavenoname93]

what hes saying seems to go against what ive heard from just about everyone in the music industry in the past 5 years.

this guy is just bitter methinks

[MrSir4]

RockInPeaceDime wrote:

queenslander47 wrote:

Vinson wrote:

Iliekgitaz wrote:

mike1990 wrote:

Why does he care? Bands make pennies per album sold, its not like us downloading it illegally is gonna take money away from him and if it does, itll be like 30 cents or so. Itll take money from the record label more than it would him, he makes the majority of his money off tours and such, so i think he should worry about people trying to sneak into concerts without paying then people stealing his music that will make him pennies per album.

Besides, I think hes just pissed that some bands can have more people download their album illegally then albums he's ever sold.

And until I hear Jesus say downloading music illegally will send you to hell, im just gonna count this guy off as a jealous, money hungry idiot.

Couldn't have said it better myself. I'm a follower of Christ, if you're a good person toward every living thing, study scripture, and spend time with God you'll go to heaven.. whether you download illegally or not.

Check your old Testament "Christ Follower"
Thou Shalt not steal....it's in the top ten list of things you can do to piss God off.

Yeah but the Old Testament is irrelevant. When Christ came down and died for our sins he brought with him the "New Covenant" whereby all those who believe in him and repent for their sins will be saved.

So basically, download, repent, and you'l be sweet.

lmao here we have someone who doesn't understand his religion :O surprise, surprise.

Here we have people who can not keep personal beliefs to themselves and are willing to have religious debates with complete strangers over the internet on a website for guitars. During these debates they will even do what they can to impose their beliefs on the opposing speaker. I am Christian, but unlike you guys, it is no mystery to me why people do not take Christianity seriously enough to actually learn about it. I just want to say, good job guys, way to fulfill God's bidding

MegadethFan18 wrote:


gl.tch wrote:

Doesn't hell have all the best tunes anyway?

But it's not that simple. I'm a student; I'm poor. As he says, I can't afford much music, especially when some labels are charging well in excess of £10 for an album. But that doesn't stop me saving what I can to see bands live when I can. If a band I like comes to Glasgow, I'll see them, even if my only copies of their music has been acquired through questionable means.

I think that a lot of people who rip and download music will retrospectively buy albums by them, but a lot of the time I don't feel like I get very much for my money. So many bands just crank out a record and then seem to forget about the artwork. Good artwork and good production justifies the price; I don't mind paying for artwork that someone's put a lot of thought and effort into to, but if it's just rubbish then I have no inclination to buy a CD.

If people are going to charge so much for CDs, then they need to put effort into more than just the music. If they're just interested in the music, then they should put their CDs out in a cardboard slipcase with the bandname printed on it and charge a fiver.

I have heard some bad defenses for why people download music, that is by far the worst even. I don't get why people don't just say "I don't care about the band and I don't want to pay for music" cause thats all it comes down to. Saying "The artwork wasn't up to par" is just dumb it's like saying "an album won't help me do my homework I don't want to pay for it"

What? That is the worst analogy for an argument I have ever heard. So somebody who enjoys the artwork as much as the music also wants the album to help it with its homework? fail

And although I wouldn't necessarily use it as a defense to download illegally, I do understand where you are coming from. Artwork is, in fact, as important as the music. It sets the mood and the general theme of the album, and it is what comest to mind when you listen to it. Also it shows that the band takes pride in their productions and it shows how creative they really are.

[ThatOldMixtape]

Just another reason to go

[Rimfrost]

TheSilverBeatle wrote:

Yeah, never heard of this guy. Sounds like he's upset at having a long and rocky career with little return. He's about the only artist I've heard say it's good to be with a label in this day and age. Want more money? Release your album independently and keep gigging. Bitching about something that isn't going to change doesn't help anything and makes you sound like more of a douche to people who have never heard you.

But one could say the label works as a safety net. If you release an album and it turns out to be a disaster, it could end your career if you´re independent, how would you be able to collect money enough for another recording? With a label they take the blow but they might be willing to give you a second chance if they see a potential in your music.
I don´t think labels are evil, they might even be neccesary if bands are to release more than 3 albums.

[Ancient-Mariner]

if you buy a loaf of bread and its mouldy then you can take it to the shop and get your money back. if you buy an album and its shit can you do the same? no. If the music industry started to take responsibility for the consistent quality of their products then i'd be happy to take responsibility for the legal aquisition of that product.

[chox]

Cheerleah wrote:
What about Beethoven? I don't think he made music for the money...

actually, he did

[brad_butcher]

im canadian so who cares my country pays royalties so i can download, and besides i like the hot weather

[Rimfrost]

Ancient-Mariner wrote:

if you buy a loaf of bread and its mouldy then you can take it to the shop and get your money back. if you buy an album and its shit can you do the same? no. If the music industry started to take responsibility for the consistent quality of their products then i'd be happy to take responsibility for the legal aquisition of that product.

If a movie or a game is shit, you can´t do anything but sell it again. Does that give one the right to steal it?

[Rimfrost]

What if it isn´t shit, but just doesn´t suit your taste? Does that give one the right for a refund? if you buy a loaf of bread and you don´t like it, because you hate bread, you aren´t entitled to get a refund...

[badsanta]

is that you Lars, huh? You made up a funny name, Guy Garvey, you rascal..

[BurntGerbil]

I've said this about other things, but it remains relevant in this situation:
If, on the day of my judgement, downloading music illegally is cited as the sole reason for me not getting into heaven, I think it's safe to assume that God isn't nearly as attentive as we were all made to believe.

Also, this quote:
"Without the live side nobody's making any money."
Is ridiculous. Income from live entertainment makes up for 70-80% of most bands' total revenue streams. If anything is a "side," in this discussion, it's music sales.

[simpsonofadown]

Selling Cd's are no longer the main source of money for artists. Many artist get their profits from various merch such as clothing and accessories. Another way is through touring and playing shows. When an album is sold very little of the profit goes back to the artist.

There have been studies that show that people who illegally download end up spending more than those who do because they end going to more shows and buying more merch in the long run.

That all being said the artist that truly deserve the money are the underground unknown bands, not big time mainstream bands. If a band tours around the world every year of their music career then they obviously have enough money where record sales wouldn't affect them.

[Thr3Elevenstyle]

Hell doesnt exist anyway. you'll just die forever. True stpry bro

[Hellview]

Im gonna illegally download all of this guys music and distribute it on the streets for kicks.

[Sir Foo]

There's a lot of really dumb people on this forum! Firstly all that Guy is saying is that if you can afford it i.e. you have a reasonable job then you can afford to pay for his album. I don't think that's unreasonable. By all means listen to the album first before paying for it or download it and if you still like it then pay. I've seen Elbow live and they were amazing.Guy was an extremely good frontman really making the crowd feel that were part of something special. A few other points...just because a band has not made it big in america (or anywhere else for that matter) does not make them rubbish and finally I've got radiohead and elbow albums in my collection. I like some of radiohead's stuff but prefer elbow. Looking forward to the new album released on March 7.