THE FREE DOWNLOAD SONG

OK, rather than the usual gig reviews, I'm going to start this week with a couple of pieces of news more connected with the web.

Firstly, I've started to put more effort into building up my online mailing list. This is the type of thing you used to find done with 'hardware' in which a newsletter would drop through the door everynow and then. Of course, now it's an 'emailing list', strictly speaking. Which means I'm doing my bit for the environment in the process!

It's mainly for fans who don't get to see gigs, particularly those in the US. And I've been adding names more regularly for a while now, with their permission of course. The result has been this month's innaugural newsletter-which contains a free gift: a free track to download!

And it's not a throw-away track that I had no better use for either. It's a frontline track from my new album, one of my most played songs, and one of my most popular too.

So, for those of you not on the list, here is the link to the free download right here, now:

CLICK HERE FOR A FREE SONG!

All you have to do is click it and save the file to your computer. Congratulations. You now have your free download of one of my better songs. You can now play it, copy it, share it, send it to friends, whatever you like with it.

Copy it? Share it? Isn't that illegal? As the artist shouldn't I be wanting you to pay for that?

Bollocks.

OK, of course I want you all to buy CDs and mp3s of my songs. But how exactly am I going to do that once I get past friends and family and punters at gigs (all very valued folk of course!)?
Once we lose personal contact, and talk to people online across the other side of the world, it becomes harder to make a 'sale'.

Therefore this is simply a way of introducing more people to my music who wouldn't have otherwise heard it. Simple as that. And for those who have already expressed an interest from hearing the tracks, it's a way of saying 'here I am, come inside and interract'. It makes people feel part of something. If some of these people then want to maybe, just maybe, part with a little money on a few other tracks, then the whole thing will have worked.

Remember, mp3s are infinite in quantity. You can't run out of them, there is NO CONCEPT OF THE LOST SALE. There are only new friends to find, and with a internet worldwide population of millions, there's plenty to go at.

So please go ahead, take the free track, and spread the word. You'd be doing me a huge favour.