The Alan Doyle 'So Let’s Go' tour. The road so far…

Alan Doyle@alanthomasdoyle “I am so grateful for this day. Thank you all for the love. Tour starts tomorrow. Yeha!” 20 January 2015

Alan Doyle@alanthomasdoyle “Just over 30 minutes to the first downbeat of the SO LET’S GO Tour. Butterflies and jitters, but excited to get’er going”. Thanks all. 22 January 2015

As the readers of my blog know I love reading the social media posts of Alan Doyle and the band and the fans who have attended the concerts throughout Canada and the United States. I love reading the fan stories, their anticipation and thoughts on the new album, those who write a thanks for a great concert, took photographs, made some bootlegged videos of some of their favourite new and old music, got a photo taken with their favourite musician or their merchandise signed.

I guess I am not only interested in the fandom, but I am also a bit of a collector of stories from the traditional media (television, radio and newspapers) from this group of actors and musicians, in particular anything a bit different or unusual. Over the last couple of years I have collected some interesting reviews and interviews about concerts, albums and relationships between them all and put them in a post. These posts are regularly visited by people wanting information about Great Big Sea, Alan Doyle and the band and of course Russell Crowe.

So I would like to put some of the highlights from the past couple of days of the So Let’s Go tour for my own record in a post. Some of the interviews and performances on television and radio have been difficult to load up because of where I live (however, there is never a problem with the commercials attached to these interviews though), the device I use or I have had bad links so I have only included those I have seen.

My favourite stories are always the Alan Doyle selfies and pictures of whatever he finds interesting from the road and those from the band. They are the personal touch and make a fan like me feel included and part of the tour, even when we can’t be there at a concert. Well, not just now anyway. The stories I really find interesting from this part of the tour are the wonderful blog post and photographs taken by Sean Sisk from the sold out Ottawa show, the National Post sessions and videos (So Let’s Go and Paper and Fire), the Canadian News on World interview where Alan Doyle talks about Newfoundland music and language and the CBC Radio Q interview and videos (I Can’t Dance Without You and So Let’s Go).   

From Twitter…another delightful and totally gorgeous Alan Doyle selfie from the road.

Alan Doyle ‘Holy Guelph. There’s gonna be a time tonight. 25 January, 2015 (no copyright infringement intended).

Alan Doyle@alanthomasdoyle ‘Wicked night at Brock U and quite possibly my Fav headline ever. Thanks all (no copyright infringement intended).

 Alan Doyle @alanthomasdoyle Wicked @siskphoto shots from Ottawa. Thanks so much. 27 January 2015.

Sean Sisk@siskphoto Thanks Alan ! Thanks for a great night. Cheers. (no copyright infringement intended)

‘An evening with Alan Doyle’by Sean Sisk 26 January 2015 Centrepointe Theatre Ottawa

Sean Sisk, a Canadian photographer was invited to photograph Alan Doyle and his band. He took some beautiful black and white photographs of Doyle roaming the halls getting ready for the concert and a one of the band circulated on Twitter. There are some lovely colour photographs of the band having a huge amount of fun and energy on that stage. Sean then goes on to describe Alan the gracious host and how he interacted with the fans after the concert taking pictures and signing autographs. The photographs are available on Sean Sisk’s webpage. 

‘The National Post: National post Sessions; Great Big Sea’s Alan Doyle is looking for something true to sing on ‘So Let’s Go’. 21 January, 2015, by Jon Dekel at nationalpost.com

An Alan Doyle quote from the interview…

“There are certain traditional music worlds that are very academic or fixed, but Newfoundland folk music has never been like that and I don’t think any folk music should be like that. Folk music is the music of the people and the people decide what it is, not the book or the university or the music teacher. There’s no better way to ensure the death of folk and traditional music than to tell people what to do”.

During the interview Alan Doyle shared his views on Newfoundland music tradition, the influence of the Internet and change. The Alan Doyle trio band created two beautiful videos, So Let’s Go and a cover of John Cougar Mellencamp’s Paper and Fire. This interview is available on the National Post website and was shared on my Google plus webpage.

‘Alan Doyle returns with second solo album’. News@NewsonWorldNews  28 January 2015.

I totally love this interview. Alan talks about how music in Petty Harbour, Newfoundland brings people together for a celebration and his love of Newfoundland culture and traditions and sharing this with others. He shares some Newfoundland slang with the hosts. I was glad to see some aspects of Newfoundland language are as foreign to mainlander Canadians as they are to others around the world. The interview is available on the Newsheadlines Youtube site and was shared on my Google Plus webpage.

Q@CBCRadioQ So Let’s Go @alanthomasdoyle brings the who band by the studio; goo.gl/VXG&qd (Two songs and a feature chat) 30 January, 2015. (attached band picture) (no copyright infringement intended).

‘So Let’s Go: Alan Doyle performs live in the Studio Q’ 29 January, 2015.

Alan Doyle gives an interview about the So Let’s Go album and performs a full Alan Doyle band version video of the beautiful song I Can’t Dance Without You on Studio Q . There is a lovely group photograph of the band. While I had no trouble accessing the delightful studio video, the interview available on the podcast from the site was a bit more challenging. I have not heard the interview as I couldn’t download it from the site probably due to where I live and the equipment I use ie my mobile phone. Accessing interviews from CBC radio and their availability overseas vary from radio show to radio show. This story was included in my highlights because I just love the video.

Matt Dunn@mattdunn Also @alanthomasdoyle Made a DREAM come true for me my brother and my father. He invited us up on the stage to sing with him. Thank you Alan! 30 January, 2015.

Matt Dunn @mattdunn Me. My brother and my father went up on stage and sang with @alanthomasdoyle tonight. It was a dream…instagram. 30 January, 2015. (no copyright infringement intended).

Fan dreams do come true. For example, Alan Doyle made one happen for a family when they were asked to get up on stage and sing with the band in Burlington, Ontario Canada last night. I can imagine what a thrill that must have been for that family. Matt Dunn circulated a lovely picture on Instagram of the family and Alan Doyle singing on stage.

For someone like me interested in the fandom, I really enjoy reading about all these lovely interactions from the fans who share their concert experiences as well as those Alan Doyle share with the fans and traditional media. I hope you have enjoyed these social media posts, interviews and videos as much as I have.

“Is Great Big Sea kaput?” A fan’s response…

Today, for the top story on the CBC Newfoundland and Labrador Internet news site they decided to re-visit and re-hash the Great Big Sea hiatus. I will call it a hiatus because as most Great Big Sea fans know, there has obviously been a kind of an agreement between Alan Doyle and Sean McCann about what songs they will perform individually however, nothing else seems to have been decided, seriously. So why bring this up again, in particular when Alan Doyle is launching his new album So Let's Go today and beginning his tour which will take him and his band well into the middle of the year?

At the beginning of last year I wrote a number of posts about my feelings and my interpretation of the feelings of the fans about the extended break by the band members, and in particular Sean McCann to pursue other projects. As an interested fan and blog writer I collected and posted a range articles and radio interviews that allowed the band members to speak for themselves about the decision to go their separate ways for a while and what the future held not only for them, but what the fans could expect. I added a few comments.

They were published in posts at the beginning of 2014. My post, ‘The Great Big Sea Break Up. Some Reflections’ had over 700 hits, ‘Farewell Sean McCann’ and the three parts, over 500 hits and ‘Sean McCann Part 4 Endings and New Beginning’ over 380 hits. My blogger statistics tell me there is a steady interest from a range of sources in Canada and the United States about the past, present and future for Great Big Sea. So as a fan blogger I am feeling kind of responsible for some of the information journalists get and as a consequence the upset fans today.

My feeling amongst Great Big Sea fans (although I don’t speak for the fans) is they have adjusted to the separation and so have Great Big Sea. Any Great Big Sea fan who goes to see either Alan Doyle or Sean McCann in concert knows they will get a little bit of Great Big Sea, as well as their new music. And that is the beautiful thing about this music, is that no matter where and by whom it is performed it is still Great Big Sea. Music like anything else in culture and society shouldn’t stand still and be unchanging, no matter how much we love it. Music changes and grows like the performers and so does Great Big Sea music. New interpretations are always being created and loved by the fans.  

So what ever happens in the future for Great Big Sea and their fans, we will have to wait and see. But why waste time thinking about what the future holds when there is so much exciting stuff happening in the present? Today, as previously mentioned Alan Doyle releases his So Let’s Go album and tomorrow the So Let’s Go tour begins. Both Alan Doyle and Sean McCann are playing shows in February 2015 and I for one can’t wait to see both of them. That is their past and present music, anyway they feel interested in performing and sharing it with us the audience. 

Is Great Big Sea kaput? Séan McCann isn't holding his breath

CBC News Posted: Jan 19, 2015 8:00 PM NT Last Updated: Jan 19, 2015 8:00 PM NT

(no copyright infringement intended).

Has Great Big Sea stopped rolling for good? Co-founder Séan McCann admits he doesn't expect to see anything from the St. John's-based group any time soon, particularly with him on stage.

"I think it might be years before we even sit down again," said McCann, who announced his plans to leave the trio in November 2013.

Since then, Great Big Sea's remaining members — Alan Doyle and Bob Hallett — wrapped up promotion for XX, a retrospective of the group's work over two decades.

The group's website still exists, but it focuses largely on the members' solo projects, including Doyle, who heads out this week on a tour to promote a solo album.

Séan McCann says he doesn't see a reunion for him with Great Big Sea's Bob Hallett, left, and Alan Doyle in the near future. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press)

In a feature interview with CBC Radio's The Current, McCann said he felt he needed to leave the group, citing a lack of communication between the three members.

"We'd been on a bus for a year, and no one talked about it. We had all this time to deal with this issue — which is still not dealt with," said McCann, who retains a one-third ownership of the band's business.

McCann said he and the others have yet to resolve their differences.

"I don't think it's a priority for anyone right now," he said. "I was under the impression that they would try to deal with me fairly quickly … but I honestly think that Alan's busy, and Bob's busy, and I'm in a different direction."

Great Big Sea launched as a pub-oriented band that honed its Celtic-influenced style in St. John's bars in the early 1990s. Within a few years, it was touring the country — and well beyond — playing to a devoted fan based.

"The reason we were successful I believe, is because we were all pulling the sled in the same direction. We were very focused," he said.

"[But] we don't agree on so many things now. People have multiple priorities now. At the end of it I think we were held together by money … and if there's something I've learned, money can ruin a lot of great friendships, and money has never brought out the good in anybody."

McCann said things came to a head in late 2013, when he decided to put the brakes on the band, or at least his involvement in it.

"I literally wanted to say goodbye," he said of his decision to tell fans directly through Twitter and Facebook.

"I wanted the opportunity to say goodbye, and I took it, I suppose."

Alan Doyle and a 'So Let’s Go' album interview…

Alan Doyle@alanthomasdoyle Hey wanna sneak listen to some of the tracks on #soletsgo Go here allmusic.com/blog/post Love to hear what are your fav’s. 14 January 2015

The fans including myself have been listening to a copy of Alan Doyle’s new album So Let’s Go on allmusic.com. Recently on Twitter Alan asked which songs people liked the best. I have to say I loved Stay, 1, 2, 3, 4 and the Sins of Saturday Night got my dancing feet going. I was surprised at how different it was from Boy on Bridge which I absolutely love.

I always find it fascinating how Alan Doyle songs like Stay sound so beautiful when performed on stage with just Alan and Stickman or can be transformed into something so completely different with a band such as the version on the album.

I recently found this really interesting interview Alan Doyle did with Tara Bradbury for the Prince Albert Daily Herald where he talked about his new album released on 20 January 2015. I find content creator’s explanations of how their music is created and what influences them really interesting. I prefer to let people speak for themselves through the interviews they give.

I have started to collect some great interviews where Alan talks about the new album on my Google plus site. They have been distributed by the source, Alan Doyle and the fans on social media.

I am looking forward to buying the album and the So Let’s Go tour.

Marcus Tamm@umcMarcus Just arrived at this desk. On the shelves, as they say Jan 20 #soletsgo (from Twitter no copyright infringement intended) Jan 8 2015

Alan Doyle eager to showcase new album, down home talents by Tara Bradbury in The Prince Albert Daily Herald at www.paherald.sk.ca published 9 January 2015 (no copyright infringement intended).

It’s only a matter of time before Alan Doyle’s latest single gets picked up for a car ad or a tourism commercial, you can just tell.

It’s got all the needed elements: enthusiastic tune, tinges of culture and an energetic set of lyrics framing his rousing “So let’s go!” chorus (and that’s the entire chorus, as well as the song title; a simple, pure, call to fun).

“We’re only here for so long,” Doyle sings. “We go and we go till we’re gone.”

Related stories:

Hear "So Let's Go," the title track from Alan Doyle's new CD, here: http://bit.ly/1BQBeUs

Read The Telegram's story with Doyle about his best-selling memoir here: http://bit.ly/1AwVZXQ

The whole song, in a style like something you’d hear on a Great Big Sea album, captures Doyle’s spirit and life philosophy, an attitude he says gets more reinforced as he ages.

“Time is short,” he explains. “You have to make the most of it in whatever way works for you, and this has become like a lifestyle for me. This is the only life we know that we have. I don’t want to be the guy who has the most money, and I don’t need to be the guy who’s the most famous. I don’t want to be the guy who has the biggest house, but I’d love to be the guy that lived the most.”

“So Let’s Go” is the title track of Doyle’s newest recording, his second solo album, set to be released Jan. 20.

This one was made in collaboration with some heavy hitters in the music business, including Tawgs Salter, Jerrod Bettis, Joe Zook and fellow East Coaster Gordie Sampson, who, between them, have worked with Katy Perry, OneRepublic, Willie Nelson, Keith Urban, Adele and Walk Off the Earth, among others.

There aren’t any co-writes with longtime collaborator Russell Crowe on this album (although some possible gigs are in the works for later this year, perhaps somewhere in Europe this time), but there is one with Scott Grimes.

The record is a perfect fit to Doyle’s bestselling book, “Where I Belong,” a poignant and often comical memoir of growing up in Petty Harbour, released last October.

“Writing stuff for this record was really driven by taking my own little Petty Harbour talents in folk music and Celtic music and bringing that to the music rooms where the most popular music is being made,” Doyle says.

“I wanted to have big productions, big pop songs and energy wrapped around a guy with a mandolin, whistling the way I do. I wrote songs with those guys and in those rooms that were focused on having my little piece of Newfoundland music be the centre of something worldly and enormous.

“It’s all part of me. It’s just another way for me to tell people where I’m from and how much I like it.”

Doyle — who just finished a whirlwind North American book tour at the end of November — will hit the road again in two weeks or so in support of “So Let’s Go,” bringing his music across Canada. Later in the year he’ll cross the pond.

Dates announced so far include a stop at Holy Heart Theatre in St. John’s Feb. 7, where fans will  be able to catch Doyle performing a range of material with his six-piece band, which includes Newfoundlander Cory Tetford.

They’ll do music from the new album and “Boy on Bridge,” his debut solo effort, as well as some material he’s done for TV and film and some songs from the Doyle-Crowe catalogue.

Of course, there’ll be some Great Big Sea tunes as well.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Doyle says. “It’s still the greatest blessing of my life and it’s such a wonderful thing to have that catalogue behind you and around you. It’s awesome.”

He’s eager to get on the road and onstage.

“I’d start tonight if I could,” he says. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

The Meet Great Big Sea documentary...

Sean McCann circulated a copy of the brilliant documentary called Meet Great Big Sea made in 1993 on Twitter and YouTube over the last couple of weeks. Just over a year ago Great Big Sea performed their last concert in Moncton on New Year’s Eve for a while.  

Darrell Power, Alan Doyle, Sean McCann and Bob Hallett talked about where they belong, the history of music in their family and community, the instruments they play, the music they play and the reaction to the audience of their music. Darrell shares his love of different instruments, Sean his family’s love of storytelling, Alan about how he goes about writing a song and Bob his love of Newfoundland culture.

The boys go on to discuss their love of traditional folk music, performing on stage and the diverse audience that come to see them. They discuss how they are working to ensure the traditional folk music and storytelling of Newfoundland enjoyed by the older generations stays true and alive, while being passed on in a way that is appreciated and excites a younger generation, not only in Newfoundland and Canada, but throughout the world. Twenty years on they have achieved that goal.

If you are a fan of Great Big Sea then you will love and appreciate this documentary and these links to Sean McCann’s YouTube site if you have not already seen it. I hope you enjoy Meet Great Big Sea as much I did. What a bunch of babes. 

Meet Great Big Sea: http://youtu.be/EBk6VPbumZ8

Meet Great Big Sea .2: http://youtu.be/PYe9oGfHIRU

Meet Great Big Sea (part 3): http://youtu.be/Ed3kcYATEDY

Meet Great Big Sea (part 4): http://youtu.be/Np8w3ci45Hk

This photograph was taken in 1994 the following year after the Meet Great Big Sea documentary was made. The photograph belongs to Bob Hallett. 

From journal.hil.unb.ca (no copyright infringement intended)

Alan Doyle and some thoughts on the 'So Let's Go' album...

I am so looking forward to Alan Doyle's So Let's Go tour and making my annual fan pilgrimage to the glorious city of St. John's, Newfoundland. I am also looking forward to hearing what the fans have to say and share their experiences on social media.

The fans recently circulated an exclusive interview with Alan Doyle by Centre in the Square. I really enjoyed all the questions and answers about how the new album came about and in particular about working on an episode on the television series with Allan Hawco and Republic of Doyle.

From the Centre in the Square webpage at www.centreinthesquare.com (no copyright infringement intended)

"Q: What has been your inspiration behind So Let’s Go?
A: My inspiration was to marry the music I grew up with in Petty Harbour like the piano, accordion and mandolin, with the most contemporary song writers and producers making Canadian music right now. I really wanted to push the boundaries between my traditional influences and wrap it in contemporary sounding music.

Q: How is So Let’s Go different from your first solo album, Boy On Bridge?
A: My first solo album was really a journey outside of my comfort zone. I wanted to concentrate on learning new things. I went to different places and this was as much a physical journey as it was a musical journey. I just wanted to learn to make music the way my friends made music, so I consciously didn’t have a lot of my traditional music influences on that album.

On So Let’s Go, I tried to include my earliest influences with the new stuff I’m learning too – it’s an extension of my first album and it’s more inclusive.

So how has it been touring as a solo artist compared to touring with Great Big Sea?
A: Touring with Great Big Sea is at my comfort level because I have the backing and support of a twenty-year catalog. The exciting thing about touring with a new band is getting to play music that is not all folk based. It’s nice to hear new instruments and new voices and variety is such a great thing. The new band is amazing and they’re some of my old friends: Kendel Carson, Cory Tetford, Kris Macfarlane – just a gang of really awesome musicians that are open to playing any kind of music.

Q: What can we expect at the concert?
A: You can expect a great mix of songs from my two solo records, songs from the Great Big Sea catalog, stuff that I’ve done from movies and TV shows, and music that I’ve done for other people’s records. It’s just a great review of the music of my life. I’m looking forward to coming back – I’ve had lots of great nights in KW".

One of my favourite totally gorgeous Alan Doyle selfies taken this year...









AlanDoyle@alanthomasdoyle Happy New Year. Skating on the Loop in St. John's. Yes B'y January 1 2015

Russell Crowe and the debate about women in the movies…

As the world awakes from the Christmas and New Year holidays there have been a number of responses to Russell Crowe’s comments about women in Hollywood made in The Australian Woman’s Weekly this month. Most people who responded forget Russell Crowe is flogging a movie and in order to create attention for that movie he has to say something controversial to get people’s attention. This time he has chosen mature aged women and acting. Reading his Twitter highlight feeds the comments seem to have got him a mention in every major newspaper and magazine around the world. It is an interesting topic that has created a lot of discussion. 

One of the most interesting blog posts I read was titled “Russell Crowe Says Older Women Don’t Get Movie roles Because They Refuse to Act Their Age” by Amanda Marcotte published in Slate.com. The blog post makes some interesting comments about women in Hollywood backed up by research. I absolutely agree with these opening comments “The usual explanation for the divergence is plain old discrimination, with the men who run the studios and make the majority of movies assuming that audiences don’t want a bunch of aging women in their epic tales of elderly men performing feats of strength”. It is the studio in most circumstances that develops, funds and produces movies. They determine the roles and the quality of the scripts for mature age actresses. If mature age women wish to work and get paid they follow the job description as any employee does.

The article quotes Russell Crowe “Meryle Streep will give you 10,000 examples and arguments as to why that’s (crap), so will Helen Mirren, or whoever it happens to be,” he said. “If you are will to live in your own skin, you can work as an actor. The article continues “He continued, citing the two women who are tasked with playing all women over 50 that are allowed to be on screen (Meryl Streep and Helen Mirren)”. To be fair Russell Crowe said “or whoever”. While Crowe recognises Meryl Steep and Helen Mirren, his comments of “whoever” could include actresses fast approaching those ages Cate Blanchett, Robyn Wright, Jennifer Connelly, Diane Keaton and Julianne Moore. Russell Crowe has appeared in movies with Cate Blanchett, Robyn Wright, Jennifer Connelly and Helen Mirren.

The author makes another interesting analysis about Hollywood based on research conducted by Vulture. “As for the notion that there are a hefty and appealing number of roles for older women ready to act their age, it is particularly hard to believe when you at Vulture’s 2013 analysis of who is cast as the female lead romantic lead for men in in their 40’s and 50’s. If Hollywood were indeed flush with roles for middle-aged women, we would see middle-aged men couple off with women of their own generation. Vulture found otherwise “As leading men age, their love interests state the same and even the oldest me on our list have a few romantic parings with a woman their own age (or even in their mid-thirties)” Instead you get 57-year-old Denzel Washington paired off with 35-year-old Kelly Reilly. Or 49-year-old Johnny Depp with 30-year-old Rebecca Hall. Or 50-year-old Tom Cruise with 33-year-old Olga Kurylenko. Or 50-year-old Steve Carell with 29-year-old Olivia Wilde…Looking at Vulture’s charts, it seems that it’s not women who refuse to age gracefully onscreen. Instead we’re fed a bunch of images of men who look like Crowe, like they are “trying to pretend (they’re) still the young buck” by bedding down women who are often young enough to be their daughters”.

Hollywood and the movie industry should be subject to the same discrimination laws as other industries. An industry that casts women to play age appropriate roles to me seems discriminatory rather than employing a woman based on her ability to do the job. What is the problem when an actress plays a character who is younger than or older than themselves and does a good job? Isn't it the quality of the performance, not the age of the woman doing the job the main thing? One of the reasons I believe established middle-aged actresses are not cast in these roles is because they don’t like the content of the movies and these younger less established actresses are also probably less expensive and less picky than someone a bit more mature.

Another interesting blog post was from Rebecca Rose titled “Always Full of Shit Russell Crowe Should Act Their Age” published in Jezebel.com. She wrote “Funny how Crowe doesn’t bother to offer any opinion about the mind boggling legacy of Hollywood men playing romantic leads to women 10, 20 30 and sometimes 40 (!!!!) years younger than them. Because it’s clearly sad old women daring to pretend they are outside their actual birth ages that are ruining Hollywood. It’s good to know that he is only bothered by the idea that women dare to expect the same treatment by studios as their “sexy” older male counterparts. How wonderful that Streep plays “her age”. I wonder if he is irked that the likes of Richard Gere, Jack Nicholson, Kevin Costner, Sean Connery and Eastwood have basically laughed off the entire concept of playing their age too. Thanks Crowe for reminding us, yet again that women are always held in contempt for doing anything remotely similar to what their male counterparts do with reproach". True words and Russell Crowe is guilty too. The Next Three Days with Elizabeth Banks and his latest movie, The Water Diviner with Olga Kurylenko comes to mind. Both leading women were 10 years or more his junior. 

The job of Hollywood and the movie industry however, is to create imaginary worlds and do not usually reflect real life. Even those movies based on real life stories are exactly that, based on real life stories. Hollywood and the movie industry does take liberties to sell movies and in order to make a movie profitable. So women not acting their age or partnering men with younger women are all part of the imaginary world of Hollywood to put bums on seats and make profits. There are obviously movie paying watchers who like that sort of movie. 

If we don't like the movies Hollywood and the movie industry is making then we shouldn't pay to see them. Of course we should express an opinion where ever appropriate, so the industry knows. Most of all we should engage in the discussion to create awareness and make changes as these two women have. Instead of complaining about a lack of roles for mature aged women actresses, they do need to develop their own projects they and the market so desperately desire and not just taking a pay check from a studio. 

References

Marcotte, Amanda, 2015. “Russell Crowe Says Older Women Don’t Get Movie Roles Because They Refuse to Act Their Age www.slate.com published on January 5, 2014.

Rose, Rebecca, 2015, “Always Full of Shit Russell Crowe Says Actresses Should Act Their Age” published at www.jezebel.com on 4 January, 2015

Killing the things we love….online piracy and reforms in Australia.

Recently the webpage variety.com released the top 10 pirated television shows of 2014 and who did the pirating. Game of Thrones and Walking Dead were among the most-pirated shows. Two of my favourite shows Supernatural and The Big Bang Theory made the list. The top pirating nations with the largest number of downloads were Brazil (28.4 million) followed by Russia (28.1 million), India (16 million), Australia (15.4 million), China 914.9 million) and the US (14.4 million) according to Excipio. Variety then provides a reason “That suggests piracy in many territories is fuelled by the fact that current American television shows aren’t available through legal channels.” As some content is available in wealthy first world nations Australia and the US immediately and/or soon after screening the reasons why people pirate and view pirated content are more complex.  

I have also been following with interest the Australian Federal Government’s attempts to introduce reforms to crack down on illegal pirates in Australia. After all Australians are one of the world’s greatest pirates of illegal content and as the research identified in Variety states the fourth largest downloader of illegal television content. Under the new reforms copyright holders will be required to issue notices and block would-be downloaders from accessing the popular websites that host illegal material.

The Australian Federal Government is also giving interested content providers and rights holders 120 days to agree to a piracy code… Tucker in the article “Why Australia’s new pirating laws are doomed to fail”. www.news.com.au published on December 14, 2014 states copyright holders will issue warnings to customers who illegally download and copyright holders can take action against infringers “after an agreed number of notices”. Copyright holders will work together with Internet Service Providers will provide ways of giving people information on legitimate ways to access content at fair and appropriation of costs.

Tucker (2014) states there is no evidence that warnings deter people from downloading. There is no way to identify people who are illegally downloading content as any number of people could be using a computer. However, this can be corrected by making the person whose name is on the account responsible for anyone who uses it and blocking users who abuse it.

The problem with these reforms is there is already a warning clearly contained within content and the copyright holders when service providers broadcast and they are just repeating themselves. Perhaps a better solution would be to make it compulsory for service providers to advertise a piracy warning both visually and verbally similar to that of the viewing classification system and highly visible to their viewers. Then those customers who record and distribute can be prosecuted immediately, if caught by copyright holders.

While the Australian Federal Government is taking action to combat piracy there are issues that are not addressed and that is the causes of piracy and the lack of cheap accessible content available to Australian customers. Those Australians pirating have changed the way television content is provided to costumers. However, for content providers like television stations waiting a week between when the show is aired in the US and on Australian screens is too long. The content is available to buy online and to be viewed on YouTube via legal sites. As a result television shows are being delegated to their second stations. I agree with Tucker in that Australians like me have said again and again that we do pay and are prepared to pay for content. The only way to do that is to make content affordable, fast and easy to access immediately after the aired in the US. 

References

Author unknown, 2014,“New laws would ban piracy websites in Australia” www.news.com.au published on December 9, 2014. 

Australian Broadcasting Commission, 2014, “Australians reminded that TV and movie piracy is theft”  www.abc.net.au published on September 10, 2014.

Spangler, T. 2014, “Top 10 Pirated TV Shows of 2014: ‘Game of Thrones’ ‘Walking Dead’ Lead List” www.varity.com published on 2 January, 2015.

Tucker, T. 2014, “Why Australia’s new pirating laws are doomed to fail”. www.news.com.au published on December 14, 2014.