Popular Aussie hiphop Hilltop Hoods band released its first DVD, The Calling Live. Partway through the disk, the band breaks off to call its fans thieves, and to promise that future musical releases will have DRM to protect the band from its listeners. Pete, a big fan of the band, has written an open letter in response:
Anecdotally, if I hadn't downloaded Left Foot, Right Foot in 2001(?), it is quite possible that I would have never purchased it, or The Calling, or The Calling DVD. It's also unlikely that I would have purchased tickets to several Hilltop Hoods shows. The same goes for my sister, and the several friends for whom I've burned copies over the years. If I had not discovered the joys of the Hoods, I may not have sought out (and purchased) music by the likes of Layla, Drapht, Downsyde, Clandestein, Hunter, Fdel, Pegz, the Herd, Bliss n Eso, After Hours, Funkoars, Art of War, Bias B, Lazy Grey, Mnemonic Ascent, Reason, Plutonic Lab etc etc etc….
So Suffa, I absolutely reject your accusations of theft, and am hurt that you reject me as a fan. I thought you were cool, and that you understood. Now, I'm not so sure…
(Thanks, Pete!)
Update: The band responds:
Our only problem is with people who download mp3s, like the music, and don't follow it up by supporting the artist (and this only applies to people who can afford to). These people are effectively stealing our music. This music costs us money (studio equipment/promotion/lawyers/accountants/blah blah blah) and time (a couple of years of our lives per album) to make. We are independent artists and whether you agree with me or not I can tell you for a fact that music piracy has hurt us financially. Don't get me wrong, I'm not crying poor, the album did well and for the first time in my life I am able to make a living as a musician (and trust me, this is an amazing feeling for me as I've spent most of my life working in factories). But if you think we're 'rich' from this shit you'd be mistaken as well.
