I can tell you there's no way watching a fan-taped bootleg can replace seeing a band live. Most of the coolest things are actually DVDs of TV broadcasts of concerts, they're never going to get released, because the band, label, station, etc. would have to collaborate, and the demand isn't there. Maybe it's such a dire situation as you portray, but I can't imagine anyone who was going to go to the tour not going and watching a bootleg DVD of the band from a couple years ago instead.
Just like downloading, like it or not, this is a facet of technology that happens, and bands will have to deal with it. They can either whine about it their whole career, and it will still happen, or they can turn the situation around and benefit from it. For downloading, you now see most bands offer a song or three to download on their site, also the internet makes it a whole lot cheaper to buy albums than to go to a physical store.
For taping.......Dream Theater for example. They have the bootleg forum on their site, and allow them to be shared and traded. So why would anyone go on Ebay and BUY one illegally, when it's clear that you can get them for free? Steve Vai, on the other hand, is pretty against taping, and besides that, I think he's rather obnoxious about not releasing things that his fans want to see (although that's his right
). So....the result of that is that there are still Steve Vai bootlegs distrubuted freely among people in the bootlegging community, but his fans wouldn't know about that, since his site is against it, and doesn't really acknowledge them, so THEY buy them from Ebay. That means they're supporting people ripping off Vai, and they're ripping off themselves by paying for them.
In a few years, the technology and economics are going to meet, and you will be able to go to a concert, and on the way out you'll be able to buy a DVD/CD of the concert you just attended, which will create yet another financial avenue for the band while on tour. I noticed that Pearl Jam is actually doing this in audio form on their website, but it would make much more money once the technology allows to be able to do it at the physical concert.
People who see technology advances with the attitude "how can we stop this/keep it from happening?" are the losers.
People who see technology advances with the attitude "how can we use this to our advantage" are always the ones who are going to win, and go home with a fatter wallet. ^_^
And that's the truth no matter what your position on the issue.
