Tool stance on Rockband (toolband.com)

[aaryn11]

Taken from toolband.com official site

http://digg.com/xbox/Tool_s_stance_on_Rockband_Tool_Newsletter_March

Digg it too if you like :)

QUESTION: "I have been a faithful Tool fan for years now. They have inspired me in so many ways different ways. My question is do they have a problem with letting the makers of Rock Band add them to their DLC of music? I would love to sing along with Maynard and play along with Danny. I have bought their albums so many times it makes me sick to my stomach. In total I have purchased Lateralus seven times because of a loss of cd or stolen. Opiate and the other albums have been played so much they won't play anymore so I just buy another copy. Please convince them to allow the makers of Rock Band to add their music so us fans can sing along to the music."

REPLY: I hear you, dude. Sure beats the hell out of strumming a badminton racket without a whammy bar, pounding cookie tins, or trying to use an empty roll of toilet paper covered with aluminum foil as a microphone. Believe me, I've been desperately trying to convince them ever since the game came out... calling... emailing... sending text messages... calling. Yep, we're on the same page, bro... "Guitar Hero"/karaoke.... love it all! And how about all those people wasting their f***ing time trying to learn how to play a real instrument! Or write an original song! Virtual, baby, virtual band... that's where it's at... Instrument peripherals and over-f***in-drive score multipliers! Those squiggly-looking things scrolling on the screen... Badass tattoos... adjustable hair and body physiques... Don't know about you, but I'm currently on a world tour, playing endless set lists and spending tons of cash in the rock shop. All I can say is that hopefully someday the guys in the band will give their consent, and then we'll all be rocking out in the irised spotlight! I know I'd be all over that like dingleberries on an armless... Oh... also, dude, you might want to put the band's music on an iPod or something... an MP3 player, seeing how you keep having to buy new cds and stuff.

(Note: If anyone detects a hint of sarcasm, it's only because I suspect the e-mailer might just be the president of MTV Games, or who ever it is that makes Rock Band. Nice f***ing try guy).

[DarkEternal37]

This was posted about 3 weeks ago.

[dady5000]

What.......I'm confused HHHHNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGG.

[dady5000]

Oh shi...

I just realized what this means.......whoever answers the questions for the toolband.com website is a rockband hater.

[Lady Siara]

Lame.
As.
Hell.

I am sad now.

[zDisturbedOnez]

Wow! Who knew the band would be so opposed to another way to gain revenue. I would think most bands would be glad to keep finding new and inventive ways to re-market older music for extra scratch. Then again, maybe this tech guy for the site has just been bombarded with countless emails over the same thing and just frustrated. Who knows, I guess we will just have to take a wait and see attitude.

[Goldfoot]

Oh shi...

I just realized what this means.......whoever answers the questions for the toolband.com website is a rockband hater.

Yeah, Blair is a dick.

[PCTraitor]

Someone takes themselves way too seriously it seems.

[Drossvirex]

Yeah if I was in a band, I certainly wouldn't care if people were singing my songs. Only so many people can be real rock stars, and be even remotely big enough to be in a game like that. I would take it is as huge compliment. In the end they have the final say, not Blair. I hope they make the right decision ;)

[cuddie]

Awwwwwwwwwww

[Krystof]

Idiotic reasoning.

I served in the military and I don't spend my time being a pretentious snob telling CoD4 players to join the real army instead of tapping buttons on a controller.

[Frederf]

What a douche. I'm to understand that this wasn't a tool band member just a web representative or something? People who play music tend to be better-adjusted people, is why I think it couldn't have been a band member.

[DarkEternal37]

I served in the military and I don't spend my time being a pretentious snob telling CoD4 players to join the real army instead of tapping buttons on a controller.

Furthermore, did you ever get to call in a chopper after a 7 Kill streak without dying? No. That would be OP just like everyone else's choppers but mine!

[neo031162]

Dear Tools,

Well **** you too, then.

Sincerely,

Neo

[LinkStrifeLeonhart]

I hope that's just a representative with no clue and not an actual band member. If that is a band member, though, Tool doesn't deserve to be in Rock Band. Plain and simple.

[DarkEternal37]

It's their webmaster iirc.

[S1ashRev]

I don't know why people have to be suck jerks about people not playing real instruments. I have been playing guitar since 1994, which is about 14 years, and I have played in bands most of that time. But I love this game, and that is all it is is a game. In fact the game might inspire someone to play an instrument that they would have otherwise never tried.

So these snobs need to get over themselves. These snobs have probably tried to play an instrument and couldn't so they got to take it out on everybody else. Notice this guy is not in the band but just takes care of email replies.

[LinkStrifeLeonhart]

It's their webmaster iirc.

Then they need to get someone that would say the band's opinion and not his own. I seriously wanted to hope it was all just a big joke and he'd say "just messing around with you" or something at the end. I don't know how ANYONE can be that 'holier than thou.' It's just... too stupid, really.

[Onslaught_fei]

Typical Tool responses, tbh.

[Xero314-2]

What a douche.
Sorry I thought that statement was so accurate it needed to be repeated.

[Rock_Band_Over]

There was further discussion about this earlier in the Ultimate Setlist forum... Tralfmadorian seems to know what he/she is talking about:

Why is Tool impossible for DLC? thread (http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37787)

[Tralfmadorian]

Ugh

The Toolband.com newsletter is written by Blair Mckenzie, who is a friend of the band. His opinions have nothing to do with the band themselves. Read his newsletters, none of it is directly related to the band. Most Tool fans dont read it unless they want to make fun of it. No one thinks it's odd that 10,000 Days was released almost 2 years ago and Toolband.com doesnt even have it added to the Albums section?

[Destromas]

all we really need is one tool song. they're so generic and sound consistent throughout the singles that would make it as dlc anyway. are they really busting their balls for one song?

[gmagnus]

No one said it yet? Fine, I'll do it.

"What a tool."

[erickOnasis412]

No one said it yet? Fine, I'll do it.

"What a tool."

hahaha.. nicely put

i love how the guy who wrote the response implies that just because we play video games, it instantly means we DON'T play real instruments as well

[ASPSAX]

I also like how he assumes the person who asked was a representative of Harmonix.

[jtrousd]

I don't mean to be rude, but how many posts are we going to see about Tool? Maybe they're not as prevalent as I'm making them out to be, but I swear I see one every time I log in.

[I_LOVE_HMX]

Typical Tool responses, tbh.
QFT.

I used to be a big fan of tool in middle school, until I realized they have zero respect for their fans.

[PCTraitor]

The whole real instrument vs. Rock Band is moronic. One is a game and one is not. No one tries to say that any of these games replace real instruments, just like no one tries to say that video sports games make you sports stars just like monopoly does not make you a realestate mogul. Each one is a completely different thing, but people enjoy these games.

I played bass in a band for 5 years, made a couple of records and played over 100 shows, yet I enjoy Rock Band. It's a completely different thing.

Do race car drivers talk crap about Grand Tarismo? Do Marines talk crap about Call of Duty 4? Does OJ Simpson make fun of the man hunt series?

Are musicians really so threatened by a game? I know some of them can have self esteem issues but really it's just a game.

I think in a case of a band that doesn't want to go this route to simply say "we have no plans to liscense our songs out to Rock Band or Guitar Hero" would be a much more mature answer.

[KillAutumn]

QFT.

I used to be a big fan of tool in middle school, until I realized they have zero respect for their fans.

Agreed.

I listened to APC, for the sake of capturing maynard's voice without going with the mess of Tool and their inability to appreciate the limelight with graciousness.

I'm kind of glad APC is on the unofficial break up list now though, I don't feel SO much like a hypocrit.

[AnEternalEnigma]

*sigh*

There is already a thread about this.

http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34164

USE THE SEARCH FEATURE AND STOP WASTING SPACE

[CM_Drunk]

The whole real instrument vs. Rock Band is moronic. One is a game and one is not. No one tries to say that any of these games replace real instruments, just like no one tries to say that video sports games make you sports stars just like monopoly does not make you a realestate mogul. Each one is a completely different thing, but people enjoy these games.

I played bass in a band for 5 years, made a couple of records and played over 100 shows, yet I enjoy Rock Band. It's a completely different thing.

Do race car drivers talk crap about Grand Tarismo? Do Marines talk crap about Call of Duty 4? Does OJ Simpson make fun of the man hunt series?

.

http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/7041/roflxn0.gif

I love this post. The first paragraph is win, and the bolded statement just made me spit my Dunkin Dounts coffee directly onto my Keyboard and monitor.

Anyways, I wouldnt take this guy to seriously. He can talk all the smack he wants, but if Tools label thinks there will be good money for them to release Tool songs in a game, then it will be done.

[Lady Siara]

http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/7041/roflxn0.gif
Anyways, I wouldnt take this guy to seriously. He can talk all the smack he wants, but if Tools label thinks there will be good money for them to release Tool songs in a game, then it will be done.

One can hope, but I really do think that they think that if they release their songs as dlc, it will be selling out. I think they'd rather quit making music all together than sell out, therefore, it will be difficult to get them.

[rylin]

One can hope, but I really do think that they think that if they release their songs as dlc, it will be selling out. I think they'd rather quit making music all together than sell out, therefore, it will be difficult to get them.

Simple.
MJK loves charities.
Have the contract stipulate that for every Tool song purchased through DLC, X% get donated to a charity ;)

[CM_Drunk]

^^^Well, I read in the other thread about this subject that they in fact own their label, as well as their own rights, and rather fans listen to albums rather then singles. And in a sense I can understand that. So put out Undertow as an album....problem solved.

[TheHip41]

i am a huge tool fan.

tool is very aloof compared to other bands.

they feel their music is bigger than themselves, and above comercialism.

they aren't in their own videos. they are low key.

there is about a 0% chance that maynard ever lets his music be used in commercials, rock band, guitar hero, etc.

those waiting for tool just have to realize it isn't going to happen.

[Purist]

Dude fails to realize just how much exposure Tool would get by being in the game. I never heard of Rush, Paramore, Coheed and Cambria, Radiohead, etc as I don't know crap about rock, but I'll be looking to get their albums now.

[The Tony Show]

A band name has never been more appropriate. Watch the G4 vid with Coheed & Cambria to see musicians who appreciate people wanting to jam along with their music.

[Kraeger]

While a more diverse selection of music is always a good thing, I would be surprised if we ever saw any Tool in the game. Honestly, I don't really care one way or the other.

[DeathShrike]

Wow, people are surprised that Tool are elitists? Really?

[Parodygm]

It's interesting. Tool shun commercialism and would prefer the listener's experience to be a live and visceral one I would think. I'm sure they're happy to spread interest in their music through "word of mouth" types of media (including the web).

There's a tribal element and a truthfulness to their art that I like about these guys. It may come off as a dislike for their fans or a pretentiousness to some, but I believe it's more a case of them wanting the listener to come to an appreciation for the music and albums as a whole in a thoughtful and unencumbered way. The approach reminds me a lot of Killing Joke.

I would love to see their DLC in Rock Band and for every 50 people that gloss over the meaning and context of the song, they would be bound to attract one individual who will want to delve deeper into the Tool catalog of their own accord.

Anyway, I agree with them that the iTunes approach of individual track downloads is the antithesis of the album concept. It's the "McNugget" of the music industry. I have always prefered the album format over singles - something that has definite start and finish points and a flow or progression between the two.

[Xero314-2]

One can hope, but I really do think that they think that if they release their songs as dlc, it will be selling out. I think they'd rather quit making music all together than sell out, therefore, it will be difficult to get them.

Um, Tool are self proclaimed "sell outs," or have you never listened to "Hooker with a Penis."

[o1skinneej]

i am a huge tool fan.

tool is very aloof compared to other bands.

they feel their music is bigger than themselves, and above comercialism.

they aren't in their own videos. they are low key.

there is about a 0% chance that maynard ever lets his music be used in commercials, rock band, guitar hero, etc.

those waiting for tool just have to realize it isn't going to happen.

Aloof? Really? tool has always been pretty notorious for being dicks to their fans. The OP sounds like someone (who obviously speaks for the band) just really dislikes these types of games, and want no part of it.

I could care less, IMO tool has gone downhill since AEnima.

Sorry Tool fans.

[bloozman]

I am not a fan of Tool, but I can respect that they have a large number of die-hard fans. I have found that people LOVE them or HATE them.

To my point,

I an irritated at the fact that they look down on Rock Band. If I had a chance to be in a game (or associated) with Boston, Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Metallica, or Aerosmith, I would be flattered. These are some of the biggest bands in the world. If it is good enough for them...

[hmxsean]

Original thread here-

http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34164