Live Band Offers Legal Gig Downloads

by lkatulka on September 5th, 2007

Live Band logo Hands up if you’ve ever tried to record a concert, only to get home and find it’s a garbled mess? Well now, thanks to Live Band, there’s a legal way to get your hands on some great live recordings.

The site is only new, but it’s already got some great shows including Paul Kelly at the State Theatre and Luka Bloom at the Port Fairy Folk Festival. The site only features Australian shows at presents, but the company hopes to record overseas gigs in the future.

The idea of Live Band came to the site’s creator, Jamie McDonald, after seeing a show in Melbourne.

“I came out and thought ‘This is fantastic,’” he told The Sydney Morning Telegraph. “I bought all the band’s CDs, but it wasn’t what I wanted.”

What he wanted was a real concert recreation, with all the songs, chatter, and crowd participation often lost in official live recordings. Live Band offers this.

“It’s multi-track, mixed and mastered,” added Jamie. “It’s really high-quality audio. Long after the [tour] T-shirt has faded, they’ll still have this great memory of the gig.”

Through the site, fans can download the music to their personal computer, copy it to three CDs and transfer it to three portable music players. The site also provides downloadable CD art, performance photos, and track listings.

Live Band typically makes recordings available 48 hours after each gig. The average show costs $15, but they offer free downloads from time to time.

This concept is so simple, but what a great idea. Not only does it allow fans to relive their favourite shows, but it also helps those who couldn’t attend share the experience. Are you intrigued? Then try Live Band’s current free download, featuring tracks from the Hoodoo Gurus performance at the Apollo Bay Music Festival.

Image source: Live Band website