Before the internet and youtube changed everything, people who taped shows would network together and mail tapes and CDRs of live concerts to each other. In the mid 90s, I was trading with about 50 people. It was crazy. I went from 1200 cassettes in 1988, to 4,000 cassettes in 1995 and then moved to DAT, CDR and DVD trading.
When you would send something off, you would typically write a letter with tape details, tape requests in return, and any personal stuff that’s happening. You would become friends with people that you traded with over time. I can’t remember how I started trading with Jan- it was in the late 90s or early 2000 and we bonded over love of the alt country band Slobberbone. He was based in Holland, and he (along with his friend Michiel) would follow the band around to multiple countries to tape the band. He taped at least 9 Slobberbone shows in June of 2000 alone!
We just learned that Jan de Bever passed last summer. Thanks to Jan the Lazyman for letting me know. Pretty bummed out about this.
Recorded by: Jan De Bever and Michiel
Equipment used: Microtech Geffel M300 — Deneske PS1 — Zefiro Inbox — Sony D8
Sacramento Music Archive 