>>>>>which I'm all for, providing it's a fair trade, seeing as how it's not money from the artist's/label's pocket)? Yes, it is money from the artist, who happens to be trying to pay for a very modest home in a run down neighborhood he just bought, who is trying to pay bills just like the rest of us! Who does not have a steroid-inflamed record label covering his ass and paying for whatever his desires are for any given day. My take as an artist, hmm. Here you go. I am highly flattered when someone tapes my show. I like it if they ask first. I like it if they give me a copy later. Who knows, there may be something I could use on a release, and if I were to do so, I WOULD PAY THE PERSON WHO TAPED ME, AND CREDIT THEM SOMEHOW. I am not in the same position as Todd, who is much higher on the food chain than I when it comes to touring etc. I have done many shows with him, and I am always amazed at the size of audience, their intensity and dedication. I think that is something I can only hope someday I will be blessed to know first hand. People pay to get into a show, I don't think it is fair to the artist for someone to bootleg the hell out of their stuff later to people who missed it. The guy did not specifically say what he was after, but I can promise you that stuff like this eventually gets into the hands of someone who is going to make a buck off it. Set aside the fact that Todd and I are buds, I hate to see any musician get screwed. Again I tell you that stuff like this ALWAYS GETS INTO THE HANDS OF SOMEONE WHO WILL EVENTUALLY MAKE A BUCK OFF IT. I got a letter in the mail with a check from a real nice guy in Idaho last week. He bought my CD off my web page, and then a friend of his loved it so much he asked for a CD bootleg. Floyd, the guy who originally bought it had e- mailed me a couple times about some of the tunes, and could not do it. He bought his friend a copy instead. This does not happen everyday, but it is nice to know there are some fans out there who have consideration for all that an artist trys to give to them. That's my take.
