I like Sugar Blue, but damn... the song above was a long ass song and boring as hell. If I had been there I would have walked out for a smoke break on this one or something. An audience's attention span should be respected. He went on way too long with this.
@toddlgreene-I have recorded Sugar Blue on numerous occasions-never asked or needed permission. I sat directly in front of him doing so-talked to him before and after the show,but he never told me not to record or to stop recording-
Hmmm, well, for whatever reason, he wouldn't allow it during his performance at HCH this year, which shredder eluded to. Glad to hear that isn't the norm;I think it's great free publicity. ---------- Todd L. Greene
You are placing a lot of trust in a person when they capture your image or performance and they place it on youtube or on the web. Sometimes people exhibit poor judgement. A performance they may think is great may not meet with the standards of the performer.
I can tell you that I have several performances on youtube that I wish were not there for a variety of reasons. Here are a few.
1. a performance captured is only as good as the weakest player in the band. there are videos of me playing blues at a jam where members of the band didn't gel. they weren't blues players.
2. video can be edited and often is for a variety of reasons.
there is a video of me that is cobbled together from three different tunes. none of the songs have a similar groove or feel. the transitions between the songs are abrupt. the video is not good.
another video of me has me performing a tune with a fantastic band. the person posting the video doesn't dig tunes with lyrics about spousal abuse. she cut out the offensive lyrics leaving a song and video performance that makes little sense.
3. some days we have a bad hair day and personal vanity raises it's head. there is video performance of me where the lighting isn't very flattering. there is video performance of me where I am dressed like a slob and wasn't expecting to be recorded.
4. video quality sometimes sucks.
Still photos are another story
Pretty much anyone that has a facebook page knows what it's like to have a photo surface that they simply do not dig. Now, when I go out, I dress like people will be there with cameras.
Regarding Sugar Blue, I've photographed him in performance and he didn't say anything. I do respect a performers wishes. I will not post an unflattering image of a performer. I have lots of them. Some of them are forum members. :-)
all of those can, indeed, be issues. when i record a performer, it is always with their permission in advance. and i make it clear to them that it is their music, and their call what gets done with it. nobody hears/sees it unless they want them to.
for audio, i generally upload to my site, in a password protected directory. for video, if they're not sure they want it released, i can upload to youtube, but make it unlisted, so nobody can see it without the url. if they decide to release, i just flip the switch to public. if not, i remove it. i do it this way because unlike audio, trying to find a video format that'll work on other people's computers is a total nightmare.
I believe that Blue's posting policy may be in state of flux. But primarily I believe that since there is no uniform video/sound quality in what is posted, the best thing to do is ask before posting out of respect for the artist. Or run a copy by them before posting. Doing so without permission shows disrespect.
so a gig may be good enough for me to pay and watch, but if it is free to others it may not be good enough?
most artists have to get a better understanding of their audience. folks aint going to youtube to be disappointed. same as a gig; folks go hoping to be entertained. they are going in with a positive outlook.
i dont search for performer's video so i can laugh at their hair, make cracks about the lighting, or complain about the choice of song. i am watching, and sometimes watching again, songs i enjoy. the other songs i leave alone.
and how many people search out sugar blue? okay- now eliminate the harp heads looking to see how a pro does a song and the low number of searches drops even more. the point being, the odds of someone stumbling onto a vid of sugar, finding the 1 or 2 bad ones, watching it thru to the end, deciding it is a weak effort and most likely an accurate rendering of his work and then making a point to never pay to see him or any event he is at or buy his cd is extremely low. the lions have a better chance of getting to the superbowl!
i would be more worried someone would post me stopping the show to complain about people shooting vid. or even discreetly shooting. if the camera is out then he has a chance to stand in better light, get the rest of the band on the same page...
and i dont even want to hear the argument about taking away from possible earnings because why would someone pay when they can watch the vids for free.
however, running the vid by the performer is the courteous thing to do. if only for a chance for them to be prepared for a drastic cut in earnings or the public humiliation out in public they are about to gonna have to deal with.
how about we reverse this and wonder about the performers that use a vid of them, that they didnt shoot or ask to use, for their own purpose and hope of monetary gain, without asking? i mean, many times there are other people in the vid; band members, dancers, waitstaff....
