I did something last week which I moan about others doing all the time. I admit it, I am a hypocrite.
I downloaded the Jezabels album, Prisoner from one of those snidey sites. I am not proud of this fact and it did leave a horrible taste in my mouth but there are mitigating factors.
Firstly, when I went to see the band the other week I fully expected to be able to pick up a copy of the album as it was to be released the following week. I thought that they would have advanced copies for sale but when I asked the guy at the merchandise stall why weren't selling copies I was informed that it wouldn't be available in the UK until February next year, what the fuck is that all about?
Secondly, I will buy the cd, vinyl would have been better but alas, not to be, when it becomes available here. So it's not as if I really am taking something for nothing, is it?
But you have to wonder about the not making the album available for purchase at the same time globally or even a couple of weeks later in the UK, not five bloody months later. How many sales are they going to lose out on just from people doing the same as I have done and by next year having lost interest in the album not purchasing it when it is legally available?
What would you have done?
The album is very, very good by the way.
The Jezabels - Catch Me
2 comments:
I think record companies often know what they're doing with these phased release schedules - they know that the 'leaks' from one 'territory' to another act as teasers, work their way onto blogs, generate word of mouth - and that with bands like this with relatively small, but very loyal, fanbases most people (like you) who would have bought the album will do so anyway, and a few other people (like me) who might not have done may be persuaded to having heard the material all over the place for months.
That said, 5 months does seem like a very big time lapse and touring the UK so far ahead of the album's release here does seem a bit bonkers. Maybe there's been a legal wrangle/cock-up of some kind.
Hope you've managed to escape the hotel and conference room a bit in Budapest.
It's a tricky one, and the record companies don't seem to help themselves sometimes. Just wondering-would you have felt less guilty if you'd managed to buy a promo copy off ebay for a quid?
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