Metallica Seeking Help from Pro-File-Sharing Trent Reznor?

[DaBees-Knees]

http://www.zeropaid.com/news/85881/metallica-seeking-help-from-pro-file-sharing-trent-reznor/

Judging from a recent interview with the LA Times, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich may have finally started to see the handwriting on the wall. As the music world went digital, Metallica was front and center denouncing file-sharing and the changing music landscape, angering music fans who couldn’t understand why multi-millionaire artists were the most vocal on the subject. Last August it seemed Ulrich was starting to warm up to the idea of file-sharing and alternative forms of reaching Metallica’s fan base in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine. ‘We’ve been observing Radiohead and Trent Reznor and in twenty-seven years or however long it takes for the next record, we’ll be looking forward to everything in terms of possibilities with the Internet,” he said. Metallica then goes on to stress its “independence” by noting that its latest album, “Death Magnetic” is its last under contract with Warner Record, and that afterwards it intends to see how it can “embrace everything.” Now Ulrich seemingly intends to make good on that promise by telling the LA Times that during Metallica’s upcoming European summer tour with NIN he plans on seeking frontman Trent Reznor’s advice. “We’re doing a bunch of shows with Trent this summer in Europe,” he said. “I look forward to sitting down and talking to him about what’s on his radar.” He also takes a jab at record labels, pointing out that they are little more than banks, and that the success of Metallica over the years means that it no longer needs them. “Without offending any of the good people from the record company in the room, no,” Ulrich said. “Let’s cut to the chase. . . . The primary — not the only, but the primary — function of a record label is to act as a bank. When you’re fortunate enough to be successful and so on, you don’t need to rely on record companies as the banks.” Let’s just hope he listens to what I’m sure will be excellent advice from Reznor. Techdirt’s Michael Masnick recently used him as case study for exactly how to succeed in today’s digital music age. Trent Reznor has connected with fans (CwF) time and time again, having offered free album downloads, remixes, or even samples of an unreleased album. Masnick noted that buying an album is a voluntary transaction, and that it’s nonsensical for artists to think to “think that there is some sort of obligation to buy.” The sooner Metallica realizes that the better. Being that Ulrich, the original anti-P2P crusader himself, admitted to “illegally” downloading “Death Magnetic” a few weeks ago, perhaps he’s halfway there already.

It's better late than never I suppose, but we'll have to wait and see

[Trestor]

I was on the Napster forum before Lars started making a fuss. Until that time the labels expressed displeasure about p2p but did little or nothing about it. The actions of Storm Trooper Lars ultimately resulted in the failure of Napster as a p2p program, and set the tone of the unjust and ridiculous situation with the labels, which has been plaguing us ever since. Until Lars stuck his heavy foot in it, some saw p2p as good free publicity for many artists, and people who didn't like 128k sound quality limitations could go and buy CDs they would never have bought if they hadn't heard it first on p2p.

[Forested665]

gotta love trent.
only man who could ever skip on stage like a little girl and still look good doing it.