Sinister: Matt H's thoughts on B&S

[Nigel Turner]

Let's not forget that home taping is illegal too, boys and girls.  The argument here seems to be that it's ok for a few fans to swap tapes, but not ok for Tigermilk to reach a larger audience via bootlegged cds.  This seems to me to be somewhat hypocritical, and also rather naive.  I don't know what the group's reasons for not wanting to re-release Tigermilk are, but it's a simple question of supply and demand.  As they get more popular, greater will become the demand for the lp, and inevitably bootlegs will appear - there's money to be made, after all.  That money should go to the band, I'm sure we're all agreed, but, denied the opportunity to buy the record legitimately, I can't see too many fans wrestling with their consciences if the opportunity to buy a quality bootleg cd were offered to them.  I'd personally have no problem with this (I do own a reasonably well dubbed tape, by the way), although, I might add, that I would also buy an official lp, were it to be subsequently released.

David Kitchen said that by stopping bootlegging, they [Jeepster?] are trying to protect both us (the fans) and the band.  I could agree with this if the record was now or in the near future to be made officially available, but since Belle & Sebastian "continuously express an interest in NOT releasing Tigermilk again in the UK and only a mild interest in the US option", then somebody please explain how our interests are being protected.  By not making Tigermilk available, the band are denying this great music to their audience, and denying themselves the financial rewards they so richly deserve.  The presence or otherwise of bootlegs makes no difference to this equation (unless we are not being told the whole story).  I guess it could even be argued that in this situation, bootleg copies of the record might actually further the lp's reputation, as this is the only means by which most people can hear it.  Not that I am condoning the production of bootlegs, you understand..... 

Nigel
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