Well, it looks like 1015 Folsom has been forced to grab their ankles in a big way. You can read all about it here, in Amanda Nowinski's articles in the Guardian:
In a nutshell, 1015 is being forced to install video surveilance equipment that covers every square inch of public space; the bathrooms have to be patrolled by uniformed guards; every single person entering the dance club gets a body cavity search; and the club's security force has essentially been conscripted into the police department, as they are now responsible for detaining for arrest anyone caught with any amount of drugs. It seems that now if you attend 1015, you are presumed guilty until proven otherwise.
As the article says, "even airports, which worry about real threats like bombings and hijackings, don't require such embarrassing violations of personal privacy."
Don't forget about the SFLNC Rally this saturday! This kind of blatantly unconstitutional crap cannot be allowed to continue.
(Hey, I want to have video cameras in my club, but for artistic purposes, not to piss all over the First and Fourth Amendments!)
Well as long as I'm in an ornery mood, let me point you at a few wise words about the other devil:
- Courtney Love does the math: a transcript of her speech to the Digital Hollywood online entertainment conference.
- The Problem With Music, by Steve Albini, from Maximum Rock and Roll's issue titled "Major Labels: Some of your friends are already this fucked."
- ASCAP and BMI: Protectors of Artists, or Shadowy Thieves? by Harvey Reid.
Maybe some day we'll live in a world where artists actually get rewarded for their work. We don't live in that world now, and it's sure not Napster's fault.