[email protected]
Sat, 18 Jul 1998 16:24:15 EDT
WARNING - This is a VERY preachy post - if you don't like to hear other
people's opinions, or can't handle it when someone thinks differently than
you, do not read this post!!!! It is also extremely long, I tend to get
ranting and can't stop.
I apologize in advance to those of you who disapprove of personal grievances
on Wire - but what follows is really meant to be seen by anyone claiming to be
a U2 fan and then stealing from the band by profiteering on the sale of
bootlegged material. Let me say up front - I collect bootlegs and trade for
them alll the time - to the point that my wife thinks I am nuts, but I never
try to profit from the practice. I have heard all of the arguments before
both pro and con, but this is a summation of of I feel about it. People can
justify things in all kinds of tortured logic and with all kinds of reasons,
but the bottom line remains this : If you did not write the music, play the
music or work for the band behind the scenes to help the musical sound (ie. -
back-ups singers, players, etc.), then you have no business whatsoever making
money off of what you have by rights stolen from someone else. Period. End
of discussion. I don't want to hear about wear and tear on your equipment or
how much you think your time is worth or that the market will bear it. That's
all so much eloquent bullshit that I want to retch everytime I hear it.
Copying tapes or burning CD-r's is a voluntary act of kindness to help get
the music of the band into other peoples hands. Asking for money over and
above what it costs you is wrong. I even find myself ashamed to admit that I
accept extra blank tapes from people when I trade, but those tapes are not
really the issue for me. Nor is the issue for me people like U2GreekGod, who
do make a bit of money selling CD-r's, but not anything obscene. (Marc- I
apologize for using your screen name in a rant like that, but I think you are
well-known enough on the list for people to realize its only an example. I do
not think that you are trying to gouge other fans, and in fact I have actually
bought things from you in the past and have been very pleased with the work
you have done.)
What really set me off on this little tirade was the person who posted to
Wire back in December 1997 or January 1998 talking about having the St. Louis
Popmart concert from the soundboard and then refusing to trade it because his
precious little demands were not met. I have since then tried on numerous
occasions to contact him. I have offered trades, help setting up trades with
difficult people, I even offered cash (which is something I'm not proud of),
but he will not respond. What follows are excerpts from a message I sent him.
I hope they clear up some oI am railing on about. If not, sorry about this,
but I had to get it off my chest.
Please do not clutter up the list with a bunch of "Re:MY Message" posts, if
you have a problem with what I wrote - e-mail me about it and I will respond
to you. But please do not waste everyone else's time trying to flame me, it
is childish, not to mention self-centered, to think that 4000+ people around
the world are going to care about YOUR response to MY ideas. Attempting to
score points off someone by bashing what they say is not necessary.
<< Subj: Re: U2 St. Louis - mixing desk trade?
Date: 98-01-03 18:28:38 EST
From: ERN2450357
To: MCDAH1
Hi
I am giving up on trying to trade this out. The people who have what I want
still will not give it up for this soundboard, and there is nothing out there
of interest besides that. In time it might make it out, but the time is not
now.
thanks for inquiring
ernie >>
Ernie -
>>You haven't responded to any of my previous inquiries, so I'm sure this one
will be no different. I've offered trades, cash, mediating >>disputes in the
Middle East - all to no avail, so I now must resort to the un-dignified
bashing in private. I don't even know if you are >>getting these messages.
Anyway, if you have the concert, why won't you trade it? Do you think that
YOU actually performed the >>music? Or wrote it? A true fan, or even someone
with a conscience, does not come across something that would be of obvious
>>value to another fan (ie. - anyone who was in attendance that night) and
then proceed to hold the fans hostage until their phantom >>demands are met.
I, nor anyone else I have contacted about this, even have the foggiest idea
of what you want for it.
>> What's the point? Do you really think that at some point you'll make
a huge amount of money for the tapes? You can go ahead and >>be offended or
angry or refuse to acknowledge my e-mails, but the fact remains that you must
be a pretty sick little puppy to deny >>other fans access to THE BAND'S WORK.
Next concert I go to, I'll be sure to look for you standing next to Bono on
the back-up >>vocals. You know, the more I think about it, the more I tend to
find you a very disagreeable person. I take it back, you ARE a very
>>disagreeable person. Since there is no way that you're going to respond to
me, and probably don't even read these requests, I hope >>you rot in
bootlegger's hell along side all of the other shameless thieves and artistic
rapists that populate your sick little universe.
>> I also think that took incredible nerve for you to even post the
information that you have the concert on a mixing board recording to >>a U2
fanlist. If you actually consider yourself a true fan of the band, I pity
you. People like yourself are the reason that society is >>heading for hell
in a handbasket. Greedy and ill behaved clods, such as you, are never going
to understand that it is not what you >>can get OUT of this life that matters
- it is what you can GIVE to this life. At the very end, when you are sick
and dying or dead, the >>only thing that lives on from you in this sad little
world is your reputation and the influence you had upon those still living. I
for one will >>always think of you, the person whom I will never meet, as an
example of how not to live. In a way I guess I should thank you for >>giving
me a clear cut example of the kind of person I do not want to be; and a
cariacature of humanity to use as a tool to teach my >>baby girl how not to
treat others. Maybe someday you will see the light, maybe your heart will
free itself from the grip of ill-will and >>greed, but until that point you
are never going to truly know the happiness that comes from knowing YOU are
responsible for making >>someone besides yourself happy. It is a reward that
lasts far beyond money or self-gratification.
>>Wishing you a better world view, but fully expecting nothing to change -
>>Dan Hruskocy
I apologize to those of you who have taken up your time to listen to me rant,
but I thank you for it as well. Its good to have a place to air these
feelings among other true fans, not just a group of people who like a few of
the bands songs. I know that somewhere out there, a few other understand what
I mean. And if you don't, e-mail me and I'll try to explain myself better.
Thanks for you patience,
Dan Hruskocy
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0b2 on Sat Jul 18 1998 - 13:27:13 PDT