Aaaar, Jim Lad!

Monday 27th April: Over the last couple of weeks, piracy has been quite big in the news. Somalian pirates seemed to cast their nets wider and, in at least one case, came off the worst after aggravating the United States and the founders of ThePirateBay were found guilty (apparently to their surprise) of some charge or other in their native Sweden. This latter story prompted BBC news, Radio 5 and the BBC news website (among others, probably) to allow experts and the general public to voice their opinions of whether music (and video) piracy was necessarily a bad thing.

It was while scanning through some of the vast number of comments left on the BBC website that I first thought of putting my thoughts down on "paper", but as a blog entry rather than a short comment. The BBC's actual question was actually something along the lines of "where do you buy/get your music from?" than the more blatant "do you think piracy is OK?" but you can probably guess that the people who answered "I download it illegally" are pretty much OK with the idea of piracy.

First off, a bit of a caveat. I'm not trying to upset, judge or p*ss off anybody, whether I know them or not. There may well be a groan coming from a regular reader... These are simply my own opinions. I'm also not that good at formulating arguments and, for the purposes of this entry, I have done very little research. (So what I'm saying may actually be total rubbish.)

Piracy, to me, is an almost complete no-no. I wouldn't walk into HMV, pick up a CD and walk out without paying for it (despite, in my opinion, HMV's poor pricing structure) so why would I download music from illegal file-sharing sites? If there was another shop, located just down the road from said HMV, which was giving away the same CDs, I would probably treat it with a degree of suspicion. Surely taking something that you should have paid for can only defined as stealing. Take another point of view - if you were an artist, would you want people paying for your output or getting a copy for free?

Of course, there is the argument that X have already made a bag full of money and that they get little revenue from CD sales, most of the cost of the actual product going to the record companies and, therefore, to fat-cat executives. But surely, without those fat-cat executives, the music industry as a whole would fall into disarray. That's not to say that I agree with the corporate set-up. There are almost certainly better ways of sharing the revenue than happens currently. However, I do believe that destroying major record labels would have an adverse effect on all aspects of the music industry.

But, at the other end of the scale, how can anybody reconcile sharing the music of artists who self-record, play small gigs and get little mainstream recognition? The problem (or one of the problems) with file-sharing is that it doesn't distinguish between successful and struggling bands. Anybody can take any piece of music and allow millions of people access to it for free, which can end up taking vital revenue to new bands.

What amuses (and annoys me) are the various reasons that people use to justify the fact that they don't purchase the music they listen to. I've already covered the corporate aspect, but what about:

I own too much music to have the physical disk - they take up too much room. That's fine, but you could reduce the room taken up by your collection (I use CD wallets) or pay for legal downloads.

Downloading my music is better for the environment - no waste and no production "costs". Again, pay for your downloads. However, it is currently unlikely that you not buying a copy of a CD is going to reduce the number that are created so you aren't really doing that much for the environment.

I already bought the music on a previous format, why should I have to buy it again? Now this one I can kind of see the logic in, but where do you draw the line? What happens if your copy gets scratched? Or lost? Or stolen? Of, if you have downloaded it legally, what happens if your hard-disk crashes? Until a crack-proof way of recording ownership in perpetuity can be found, there doesn't seem to be a sensible way of policing this. However, I do think that there is a valid case for setting something up. I bet the fat-cats don't.

CDs are really expensive. Again, I can see that. In some cases. However, the average cost of a CD bought by UK consumers has fallen to well below £10 (and is probably still falling). Shop around. Most albums can be found cheaper than on the high street and if you are downloading, chances are that you are savvy enough to use on-line shops. Oh yeah, and legal downloads are probably still cheaper than the physical thing.

Let's face it, the main reason people download illegally is that it doesn't cost them anything. And, in my opinion, the only difference between downloading and stealing from HMV is that you are unlikely to get caught doing the former. (And before anybody points out to me that downloading music isn't actually illegal and that it is the file-sharing that is, I know but I doubt the argument would be any different if it were.)

Of course, there are perfectly acceptable ways of getting free music that are supported by the artists involved. But, generally, these are ways that the artists choose to promote their own material. I accept that some of these free downloads are lesser quality but my ears aren't good enough to tell the difference (particularly since I mostly play downloads on my i-Pod as I cycle to work).

Going back a few paragraphs, perhaps for the people who don't want to support the corporate fat-cats, it would be an idea to think more about what music they buy and where from, rather than how much they pay for it. Bear with me on this, the point is coming...

I like having physical CDs. The tangibility means something to me, as does the little booklet containing the lyrics, pictures, credits and little messages from the artists. I like and buy a wide range of music from a wide range of artists - some will be well-off into their old age and probably don't need the small amount of revenue coming from my purchase. Others, though, probably welcome every sale. It is from these artists that I try to buy directly, either while at gigs of from the artist's own web-site. I would have thought that any artist would prefer the revenue to come directly to them, even if they have had to pay for the recording process and, possibly, copies of the CD in the first place. There are also some bargains to be had - 98Pages' debut album was just £5 at the launch gig. You don't get much cheaper than that.

Or, how about supporting artists who produce albums by asking for pre-payments? I have personally done this for Mostly Autumn and Panic Room (in both cases, getting limited edition copies of the output) but other bands use this method either independently or through Sellaband, arguably a much more structured way. I am supporting three artists through Sellaband and received the first of my "Believers" limited edition CDs today. I'll try to remember to post a review when I've had a chance to listen to it properly.

Finally, a few words about copying CDs. (This is where that groan I mentioned may appear.) I won't say how, but I often have the opportunity to "look after" (accept) "backups" (copies) of CDs. I turn them down for a variety of reasons. Among those reasons are:

• With nearly 500 CDs of my own, and my collection continually growing, I probably wouldn't have time to listen to them.
• As you will have noticed from the above, I believe that taking something without paying is wrong.

The prime reason, however, is probably that I'm a true Yorkshireman. Why should other people benefit from me spending my own money? If that sounds selfish, I apologise, but I do believe that everybody is entitled to their own principals.

And, if that sounds as though I'm a bit naive, I apologise again. I know that I have lent CDs to people and that they have copied them. I just have my own rules. I'm not sure I could clarify them, even to myself. Suffice to say, I won't copy any CD for anybody and I probably wouldn't lend anybody a newly-released CD, especially one that I had pre-paid for. I would, however, consider lending out older CDs, especially ones that I picked up really cheaply. How old would they have to be? I don't know.

I guess that last paragraph makes me both a bit two-faced and a bit hypocritical, doesn't it?

Squawk! Pieces of eight!

Harper's Bizarre

Monday 14th April: It's Easter Monday and time for a family visit to the cinema to see Monsters Vs Aliens in 3-D. The effects were amazing, much better than I remember from the 3-D films in the 80s. It's a shame,however, that Vue are charging £2 extra per ticket for something which, if the trailers are anything to go by, is about to become the next big thing in film.

Family duties out of the way, it's time for my fourth visit to The Duchess in eleven days. These days, most of the gigs I go to are pretty much a shot in the dark - local (and not-so-local) bands whose music, if I'm organised, I have only heard on their MySpace pages. Sometimes it works out, other times it doesn't. But, I have a wide taste and high tolerance level for music, so generally, I have a good time.

Tonight's gig was slightly different in two ways. Firstly, I was on my own. The rest of the group, presumably, were out at some point over the weekend and it will be worth checking out the link on the right to find out who they saw. Secondly, I relied totally upon the write-up on the Duchess's what's-on listing when I decided to attend. Well, that and the fact that Anne-Marie Helder was one of the support acts...

Before I talk about the acts, a few words about The Duchess itself. Normally, it's your standard small rock venue. Barriers in front of the stage, large standing area for the audience, "chill-out" zones at the back of the main room and in a little, separate side room. Tonight, however, it had been rearranged. The barriers were gone (actually, they were also missing for Jan Akkerman last Monday, but I forgot to mention it) and the odd assortment of chairs, stools, pews and tables had been moved forward. The end result was a more club-like setting and atmosphere and it meant that anybody standing at the bar (I had taken up my usual position - the bar is marble, and is, so far, resisting my efforts to create an elbow rest...) had a perfect view. It's a pity I forgot my camera... Tonight, the sport of Mostly-spotting was way too easy, with Brian, Livvy and The Judge all in the audience and Andy Smith working the lights. Also in the audience were various members of Freeway/Morpheus Rising.

First on stage was Cy Curnin, vocalist with New Wave band The Fixx but tonight just a man with a guitar and passionate songs. Think Billy Bragg, but with less politics and a posher accent (at least, that's what sprung to mind as I listened). The songs were catchy enough and appreciated by the audience, but nothing really stuck in my mind. There are tracks available on Cy's MySpace page but these appear to be full band (or, at least Cy playing multi instruments) so aren't indicative of tonight's set. There's also a podcast which reminded me a lot of one of my uncles, with his thoughts on the planet and economics. A pleasant start but not necessarily a stand-out one.

Next up was Anne-Marie Helder, taking a one-night break from supporting Ultravox and appearing solo in York for the first time. Anne-Marie is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, song-writer, current member of Mostly Autumn and Panic Room and is also working with Chris Johnson on his solo album. A very busy lady. Tonight it was just her, her distinctive voice and a guitar, belting out her own material, most of which has not been released. And this is where tonight's gig, for me, really started. Cy stood on stage with constant light around him. Anne-Marie arrived in darkness and sang her first song almost a cappella, simply accompanying herself by banging the soundbox of the guitar, with white lights alternately highlighting her from the sides, front and back. After that, it was more traditional guitar-playing and some excellent songs and a pretty good light show. At the risk of turning this entry into something more akin to a fashion-mag, Anne-Marie, apart from being incredibly attractive, has a style all of her own and, tonight, looked stunning in boots, leggings, crushed velvet top and shiny scarf. Sadly the thirty-minute set was over all too quickly.

And so, the great applause, Nick Harper took to the stage. Another musician that I had no previous knowledge of, Nick is the son of Roy Harper (the singer/songwriter, not the DC superhero known variously as Speedy, Arsenal and Red Arrow - I'm sorry, I slipped slightly into geek mode for a second...!) and has turned out to be a pretty damned excellent folk rock performer himself, blending superb guitar-playing and vocals with what can only be described as a caustic wit. "Targets" tonight included Tim and Michelle's move from Fibbers to The Duchess, "It's the first time I've been here. It's a nice room. Keep moving up the street and you never know..."; his father (and, presumably, his reputation), "My father told me something the other day. I have a sister. I'm now not the eldest child"; "Most of you know me through my Dad. He might even have sh*gg*d... No."; and, quite irreverently, Easter, "People tell us that Jesus died for our sins. What they don't say is, two days later he changed his mind..."

In between these witticisms, Nick treated us to some cracking songs, some with a political bent, others more personal, all accompanied by brilliant guitar-playing. He wandered about the audience and played while standing on two particularly wobbly tables, causing some people to grab for thir drinks and others to steady the table lest he fall off and prematurely end the set. Particularly impressive was the fact that he managed to break and change a string during the "final" song (the incredible and incredibly long Love Is Music) without stopping singing - something which Morpheus Rising guitarist Pete Harwood was incredibly impressed with and may have caused him to retire before Morpheus gets fully off the ground... Unconventional to the last, he also made fun of the traditional "encore" system by announcing "this is where I pretend I have finished," just before playing Love is Music and then staying on stage for two more songs.

I find that I'm running out of superlatives for this gig. As you can tell, I enjoyed it immensely and will certainly be looking out for Nick again. Highly recommended.

I ended the evening with a reasonably long chat with Anne-Marie Helder, during which we covered whether Panic Room would play York in the future - they hope to; Details of the writing of Firefly, from Panic Room's debut album - Jonathan Edwards gave it to Anne-Marie as an instrumental and she wrote the words to be about his wife and him returning to her after touring; Her roll in Chris Johnson's band - Chris asked her to perform on the album but she doesn't know what is happening with the "band" as an ongoing thing; And how she finds time to fit in all her projects - in a nutshell, it's not easy. She was incredibly charming, attentive and open, even explaining that she had given up supporting Ultravox at Newcastle City Hall tonight as The Duchess was a prior engagement. A nice end to a very good evening.

Focusing On Good Music

Monday 5th April: What's this? Another trip to the Duchess? That's three in four days!!!

Tonight's first act is Geoff "Hurricane" Watson, a local(ish) singer/songwriter and man-with-a-guitar. His website says "high energy, deep reaching songs on a bedrock of driving original guitar work" and his live performance doesn't make a lie out of that statement. All but one of the songs were self-written, the only cover being the Stones' Paint It Black. Geoff plays the guitar with gusto, almost as though he's possessed, and it's easy to understand why parts of it show a high degree of wear and tear. The man himself, by the end of the set , was more than a little damp in the forehead area, after putting heart and soul into his performance. An entertaining and, I believe (from Roj's comments), technically excellent opening act.

We were really here, though, for Jan Akkerman, Dutch guitarist and former member of 70's (although still going strong) prog-rock group Focus. And I could have told you none of that a few weeks ago... A work-colleague, seeing me checking out the Duchess's What's On list almost jumped out of his chair when he saw Mr Akkerman was playing. "You've got to see him. He's brilliant!" he said and launched into one of his potted histories of groups that he knows I would like.

In this case, though, I can vaguely remember having a copy of Moving Waves, Focus' seminal 1971 album, on tape back when I was at school. I seem to think that a classmate had either given it to me or lent it to me because he didn't like the yodelling. That's all I can remember, though. Focus as a band had slipped from my musical memory some time ago.

But never one to pass on prog rock, I duly bought a ticket, on spec, for tonight's gig. And am I glad I did??

Back in the days when I started getting into music, the band members were quite a bit older than me. Obviously, after all I was about 14. Nowadays, the bands I tend to see all seem to be half as old as me. Tonight was different. Jan is 62, nearly half as old again as me, but has obviously kept himself in shape and has lost none of his dexterity, playing some tremendous tunes.

Only two tracks rang any bells with me - one was Hocus Pocus, from the Making Waves album (which, again, only vaguely rang any bells and maybe only because it had lodged itself in my subconscious so long ago). The other was the encore, Paul Weller's You Do Something To Me, which both Roj and I had, bizarrely, mistaken for a Clapton song. The rest were intricate, soaring, instrumental tracks with a distinct lack of vocals. Indeed Jan himself barely spoke throughout the whole two-hour set, making this one of the best value gigs (music-wise) I've ever been to. It's often said of good guitarists that they can make their guitars talk. I've often wondered why that makes them so good - surely it would be more impressive if they could make them sing. Jan certainly managed that.

The rest of the band were excellent as well. Coen Molenaar's relaxed air on keyboards belied the type of stuff he was playing, Wilbrand Meischke on bass guitar provided a solid base for the act and Marijn van den Berg played the drums like a demon, including possibly the best solo you are ever likely to see on just four drums and (I think) five cymbals...

Overall, an excellent evening and an early contender best original gig of the year.