Sailing on the pirate ship

[Jase_to_the_Izzo]

So this friend called me up and asked me to tape a performance by Dave Gahan (of Depeche Mode fame) on the radio. The problem was, it wasn't going to be broadcasted. Not wanting to let her down (again), I hopped on the Metra train and went to the House of Blues. In my pocket was a digital tape recorder. That's right, I planned on illegally taping the concert.

Well, things didn't go as planned. I managed to outsmart the waiters and waitresses by constantly playing with my cell phone as I finagled with my tape recorder in my pocket. When Dave took the stage and I pressed play, I realized I had made a fatal mistake. I sat next to a drunken harpy who screeched after every lyric Dave sang. I mean every lyric. Here's a modest diagram:

DAVE: Words like violence, break the silence. Come crashing in, into my little world.
ANNOYING SCREAMING GIRL: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!

Even worse, when people told her to shut her hole, she responded:

ANNOYING SCREAMING GIRL: I DON'T GET OUT MUCH!!

and continued to harp like a banshee.

So when I escaped the House of Blues and listened to the tape, I heard a little of Dave's performance. Unfortunately, the screaming girl ruined the entire thing. Although "Enjoy the Silence" turned out pretty well.

The obvious moral to this story is: if you plan to illegal botleg a concert, make sure you sit away from the annoying screaming girl.

[BritishChris]

Haha! The joys of bootlegs

[Sheana_Molloy]

Reminds me of that woman who sat two rows in front of me at the Springsteen concert a few years ago.

I've actually heard some high quality boots in my time, that sound like professionally made deals. I think the audience was too drunk or stoned to really contribute much.

[Sheana_Molloy]

I'm going to a concert next weekend.

[fellranger]

I have to disagree about the quality of live albums (although I'm speaking strictly from a rock rather than a classical perspective). Although, technically speaking, the quality of the recording will not be up to studio standards, the songs often have a power and energy that does not come across in the studio. Added to that is the opportunity for different interpretations of the songs and for inprovisation. The results can often be far more exciting than what was achieved in the studio. Of course there have been some pretty ropey live recordings but there is also a lot of amazing stuff out there. The Zeppelin live recordings (and numerous bootlegs....), while being a little self-indulgent at times, have moments of pure power and genius. Some of the songs on Midnight Oil's "Scream in Blue" live album, knock spots off the slightly dull sounding studio versions.
Give live music a chance!

[BritishChris]

I know what you mean, most of the studio versions Guns n Roses songs sound very flat after listening to them live.