Def Leppard are currently touring the US and, despite the fact they've been around since 1977, are still drawing in a new generation of younger fans. The Lep's Vivian Campbell would like to thank music piracy and the file-sharing public for keeping "the kids" in tow.
"That's a by-product of music piracy more than anything else", said the guitarist. "I'm not saying that as a negative. I think it's very positive".
"A lot of younger kids get turned on to classic bands because they're trading files. They have 4000 or 5000 songs on their iPod, that's $4,000 or $5,000 on their iPod, at iTunes' prices, at least. A 12-year-old can't afford that. When kids trade files, it's actually a good thing for classic bands such as us".
Although he thinks "classic bands" should be grateful, Campbell admits not everyone will benefit: "It's not such a good thing for up-and-coming artists who need to sell records."
He's definitely got a point, unlike Joss "music should be shared" Stone, who may or may not have been joking but still ended up sounding like an idiot.
“I remember thinking: ‘Wouldn’t it be great if I could ask Sting to sing that line?’ Suddenly someone said: ‘Sting’s here on holiday! He’s on the beach!’” How Mark Knopfler got lucky with Money For Nothing
“I got to jam with Stevie Wonder. Just me and him, one afternoon. We each had a keyboard and we were just trading riffs and jamming together and it was like, ‘Wow’”: Howard Jones talks vintage gear, his new piano album and that 1985 Grammys synth medley
