SLF's Live and Rare

These Boots Were Made...


Mantra:

My deal:

I don't sell bootlegs. I will only trade to fellow collectors and fans. I don't do much trading anymore, but would be interested if you have something I would really like. My terms seem to be the norm on the net and go as follows:

One-For-One
One of mine for one of yours, we split shipping costs. This is my preferred method of trading. However, it is obviously contingent on you having something that interests me. If you've only got an old Dead boot, you're out of luck.
I used to also do the following ways, but I don't like selling tapes and once I offered to do them, no one wanted to trade anymore. I got lots of email from people treating me like a store (and an automated one at that). I even got a few unsolicited packages in the mail! Not being an automaton, I will no longer accept the following methods:
One-For-Two
One of my tapes for two blanks, you pay shipping. This is my second-most-preferred method. This way, I get something in return for taping which lets me expand my collection. The tapes should be Maxell XL-II 90 or TDK SA 90.
One-For-Five
One of my tapes for five bucks (US$) in cash or in US stamps, including shipping. Not my favorite method of trading, but people have been asking for it and it seems to be becoming the norm among people without any interesting tapes to trade themselves. Why would I accept money? Well, here's my rationalization: (and I know it's just a rationalization) If someone has no tapes to trade but wants to start, it should be possible for them to get in somehow. Five bucks is about the same as the One-For-Two deal in the end, it just saves the cost of buying and shipping a couple of tapes for the recipient. Stamps are much needed, too, and let me trade more with others, so I prefer them to cash.
If (and only if) I accept your deal through email, when you send me anything through the mail, please include a card saying what you sent me, what you want from me, and what your address (snailMail and Email) is. I'm just a silly boy and I tend to get confused...

I insist that you must email first and check on whether or not I'll accept the trade! If you do not email I will not accept the trade. If I don't write back, it means I'm not interested.

I hate to be a bastard about all this but I get lots of mail from lots of people about these tapes and I'm just not interested in 99% of them. I just can't write back a nice letter to everyone, especially since 99% just want to buy the damn things off me and don't have anything interesting to trade.

But wait a minute, you say, I want to record my own! Well, I made this little Bootleg How-To page to help you out there.

My Want List

To make things easier on you all, here's a partial list of things I will consider trading for:

Robyn Hitchcock (any)
The Posies (any)
The Pale Saints (earlier the better)
Operation Ivy (NOT Rancid!)
Big Black
R.E.M. (1995 Cleveland and Boston shows only)
Green Day (Boston Esplanade show only)
Weezer (Boston Avalon show only)
Midnight Oil (especially Earth Day 4/20/92 show in Mass)
Duran Duran
Thompson Twins
Shriekback
Ivy
Fountains of Wayne
Ben Folds Five

And here's a list of bands you don't have to bother me with:

Grateful Dead, Phish, Dave Matthews Band, Sonic Youth, Live, The Cure, Rush, The Smiths

Your deal:

If you are a bootleg dealer/seller I don't want to be associated with you. Now obviously, I have no way of KNOWING whether you'll sell copies of my tapes (or trade them to someone who will) but I'd really rather that you didn't. Please, just let me know if you're going to be selling copies of tapes...

Now you'll notice that some of my tapes are from CDs, meaning that I (or someone) bought them. Well, I realize that CDs cost something in the way of overhead to produce. And (Steve Albini be damned) I think CDs sound pretty OK. And (and I know one shouldn't start a sentence with "and") I like that some of my rarest/best stuff is on such a durable format. IMHO, selling CD boots is OK so long as they're not extortionately high-priced. So I'm a loser...

On generations:

A copy of a master will be called "first generation". Digital generations will be counted as if they didn't exist, so a SBD 1 could be a first generation from an analog master or from a digital copy of an analog soundboard, or a digital copy of a digital copy of an analog soundboard. The generations refer to the generations of my tapes, so yours will be one higher.

Terms:

On Grading:

The first grade is for setlists and band energy/interest. The second is for physical tape quality. A "C" would have some hiss over the NR, and maybe some dropouts; A "B" would have a good sound level and only maybe one or two rough parts; An "A" would have to be nice and loud without much hiss, probably from digital or at least a soundboard recording. You probably don't want to hear my "D".

If you make tapes for me:

I prefer Maxell XLII-S, XLII or TDK SA. I like tapes to be recorded with Dolby B. I prefer too loud to too quiet, but I hate clipping and bass booms.

Oh, and high-speed dubbing is the work of Satan. Just say NO!

If I make tapes for you:

All tapes are listed as they stand in my collection. I prefer to not break them up. All tapes are on 90 minute casettes (except where noted) and may or may not be full. I am working on adding track listings, but please email if you have any questions. I will include an insert with all tapes.


Format of this list:

Band Name


Adam Ant

See "Nine Inch Nails" or "Pop Will Eat Itself"


Big Black


Big Catholic Guilt


Einstürzende Neubauten


Fountains of Wayne


Jane's Addiction


Jesus Jones


Joy Division


Live


Mary's Danish


Midnight Oil


Minor Threat


Mountain Stage

Robyn Hitchcock, R.E.M., more... PRO FM 2 A/A

New Order


Nine Inch Nails


Pixies


PJ Harvey


Pop Will Eat Itself


The Posies


R.E.M.