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Grateful Dead Bans Sharing, Commits Musical Suicide

Tuesday, November 29, 2005 | 04:59 PM

A Tuesday Tunes post: How astonishing is this: A band that built its entire reputation and fan base on freely recorded and shared live shows has now pulled the plug:

"Grateful Dead fans, perhaps rock's most dedicated bunch, are taking a stand against the band they love. Until recently, Deadheads could download countless live recordings of the band for free from third-party sites, including the popular Live Music Archive (archive.org), which once hosted nearly 3,000 Grateful Dead shows. All of the downloads were pulled last week at the request of Grateful Dead Merchandising (GDM), the group that handles official products for the band and is overseen by its surviving members.

Deadheads have answered in protest. In an online petition, fans have pledged to boycott GDM -- including CDs and concert tickets -- until the decision is reversed. (The band itself broke up in the wake of leader Jerry Garcia's 1995 death, but in recent years guitarist Bob Weir, bassist Phil Lesh and drummers Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann have toured simply as "the Dead.")

GDM recently began selling live music downloads through its online store. The sudden lockdown could be a simple non-compete strike, or it could foreshadow a long-rumored deal with iTunes that will make the entire Grateful Dead live vault available for purchase.

Fans were incensed that the policy change applies not only to official soundboards but audience recordings as well. Throughout their four-decade career, the Grateful Dead actively encouraged fans to trade live recordings and even designated a special "taper's section" at the concerts. In return, Deadheads largely respected the band's wishes that the concert recordings weren't sold for profit.

An official statement from the Grateful Dead camp is expected in the next few days. In the meantime, longtime band publicist and spokesperson, Dennis McNally, told Rolling Stone that he thinks "David Gans' comments were dead -- you'll pardon the expression -- on."
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Perhaps now that 1) Jerry is Dead; b) the free swapping of live recordings have ended; iii) most of the drugs have worn off -- we can all now admit that, excepting a few good songs, the Grateful Dead pretty much sucked . . .

UPDATE: November 30, 2005 8:46am

The NYT reports:

Dissent has been building rapidly, however, as the band's fans - known as Deadheads - have discovered the recordings are, at least for the time being, not available. Already, fans have started an online petition, at www.petitiononline.com/gdm/petition.html, threatening to boycott the band's recordings and merchandise if the decision is not reversed. In particular, fans have expressed outrage that the shift covers not only the semiofficial "soundboard" recordings made by technicians at the band's performances, but also recordings made by audience members.

Talk about your boneheaded marketing moves . . .
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UPDATE December 1, 2005, 6:54am

The NYT observes that

Downloads of the Dead are Not Dead Yet
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/01/arts/music/01dead.html

Source:
Deadheads Boycott Dead
Fans object to band's live recordings being pulled from Web
BENJY EISEN
Rolling Stone, Nov 29, 2005
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/8898045/thegratefuldead?
pageid=rs.News&pageregion=double1&rnd=1133300955290&has-player=true&version=6.0.12.1059

Deadheads Outraged Over Web Crackdown
JEFF LEEDS
NYT, November 30, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/30/arts/music/30dead.html