Interview with TopHatTapes

 

Interview with taper ”TopHatTapes” – 2026:

 

 

First of all, many thanks for the interview. How are you doing?

This year is off to a good start. I've already attended 9 shows so far.

 

 

Let us start with beginning of your taping career. How did it all started out for you?

I used to go through my dad's records and tapes, and became aware of 'bootlegs' via a few TMOQ style LPs that he owned. My dad used to lend/borrow LPs to/from friends and make tape copies, sort of a pirate club. One day while looking for something to listen to I noticed a peculiar cassette label, which was one of his favourite bands live in our hometown. I put it on and could hear my parents talking at one point, quickly realizing that they had brought in a dictaphone and made the tape. At that point I had been to a few concerts myself and thought, how cool would it be if I could listen back.

 

 

Many tapers had some kind of role models when they got deeper into taping. Did you have any folks that helped you out with your first humble taping beginnings? If so, what kind of advice did they give you?

In the beginning I did not really have any guidance or knowledge of how to do it, what gear to use, etc. I was young and broke, barely able to afford a concert ticket, never mind equipment. So I just began experimenting with whatever I could get my hands on at cheap local shows. I found a (crappy) abandoned dictaphone that someone had left behind after moving out of a room-mate house and recorded a bunch of gigs with it. The quality was pretty rough, but it still worked as a portal back to a live gig. In the early days I borrowed various video cameras from friends and family as well before eventually getting my own entry level camera.

 

 

What was your first Hi-Fi kind of taping gear that you used and how did you acquire it?

As time went by I met a local who also recorded concerts, and kindly loaned me an extra pair of mics he had. I upgraded to a recorder with manual gain control around the same time and was off to the races.

 

 

When you look back at your early taping days and all the way up until these days, what has changed the most?

Looking back, one of the biggest differences between then and now, is the smartphone. In a way it has become easier or less stressful to stealth record, because it is not unusual for someone to have a light or a bright screen in the crowd. Often times venue staff doesn't care at all if you're using a smartphone to shoot video or photos. They are a super-capable device that can replace an audio recorder (with the right adapters) if need be and can even be essential to have in order to enter modern venues. The time constraints of various tape mediums is no longer an issue. No more checking your wrist watch or lighting up your deck with a Bic lighter to see how much tape is left. No more changing video tapes. SD cards are much more affordable and larger capacity than they used to be.

 

 

If we understand this correctly, you have been taping in different countries? Without naming exact venues or locations, what has differed the most from one country to another one?

I enjoy travelling as much as I do live music and have taped shows in about 8 countries around the world. Entering a concert in a high-trust society is such a breeze compared to modern day America where there is often an airport style checkpoint just to get in the door. Crowds vary a lot from place to place, even province to province within a large country like Canada or USA. Fandom is on a whole other level in some places, as is culture. Recently, various software has made it relatively easy (most of the time) to remove unwanted audience noises from audio so I tend not to worry too much about noisy neighbours. In the past if I was about to record a favourite band, or something with an expensive ticket I would try to give people a gentle headsup and offer them a copy in advance. In my smoking days I would bring extra joints of high-powered stuff and light one up as soon as the house lights went down, passing it to people nearby, not wanting it back. This would usually result the joint making the rounds and keeping people subdued.

 

 

Have you ever got busted when taping? If so, did you managed to use your Jedi powers and still bring home the tape safely?

Taping doesn't always go as planned and I have been busted a few times. I once had a big tour manager catch a glimpse of my recording Walkman, yanked it out of my hands, and took the tape. I didn't care to be at the show anymore so I just left. Once I was filming the Misfits (who were quite disappointing, at least that particular show/tour). The show began getting out of control and chaotic. The security team was made up of people who were used to a much more mellow audience, so when these punks began rushing the stage and crowd surfing, they couldn't control it. One guy kinda tackled a plus-sized security guy on stage, also ripping his shirt off in the process. Bass player Jerry Only stopped playing and hit the stage rusher with his bass a couple times, and I'm thinking to myself this video is pure gold. Moments later someone snuck up behind me and tried to snatch the video camera out of my hands, nearly breaking it. I did not let go; it turned out to be the tour manager and he demanded the tape. Instead of forfeiting the footage, I pulled out the battery which looked like an old CF card. He said thanks and took off. The show ended not long after, house lights and music came on. I was looking out for the guy who just made off with my battery and noticed that the band had their own mixing console set up, with an iPod labeled 'MISFITS' plugged into it. Nobody was manning the board, so I very slowly turned down the master fader to simulate a fade-out. Once it was silent I unplugged the iPod and pocketed it. It contained their walk on music for the tour. I sold it to somebody for the same cost of a replacement battery. I don't believe in stealing but felt it was justified this time. Haha. Another time I was front row at a comedy club, with a microphone on my leg under the table. 40 minutes into the show, the comedian spotted the mic during a more physical joke, had the bouncer escort me to the lobby, and of course they wanted me to delete the recording. I jumped over a couple layers of stanchions, took off out the front door and down the street. I looked back and the bouncer was running after me, so I picked up the pace and made it home with the recording. I assume I'm not welcome back at that club. Hindsight is 20/20 and these mishaps were all avoidable but sometimes the best lessons are not learned through success.

 

 

If you would give your "younger you" some kind of advice, what would "you" say to "you"?

If I could give my younger self advice, it would probably be to invest in better equipment earlier, as well as use the most 'future proof' settings or methods. I generally did the best I could given the circumstances, so I don't have that many regrets really. Since I began taping there's only a few attended performances I didn't capture for one reason or another.

 

 

When you tape instrumental bands, do you usually aim for the sweet spot around the soundboard area or do you prefer to stand as close to the stage while still keeping the stereo image intact?

When I record an instrumental band, or really any band, there's a lot of variables. It depends on the venue as to where I situate myself but generally I try to make an equilateral triangle with the PA speakers and myself for stealth audience audio. I am more often than not shooting video as well which can have an influence on it. Some venues have poor acoustics and it can be better to just do a 'stack tape' if being up close isn't an option. Every band is different, the type of instruments and stage volume can make it beneficial to be up close or further back, particularly horns or brass with effects.

 

 

With your experience, have you taken any new tapers under your wings? If so, how did it go?

A few times I had conflicting schedules with concerts I wanted to see, so I would ask friends to take my spare rig and record for me. Most of them did not enjoy it or simply refused. It was never my intention to 'convert' someone, however one friend in particular took a liking to it and became a pretty active taper which is cool.

 

 

How do you look upon the relative new tools of YouTube and Dailymotion, to mention but a few of the tapers uploading options these days, in comparison with sending out audio cassettes, CD-R:s and such back in the good old days?

I think newer platforms such as YouTube or online file transfer services are fantastic for sharing stuff, although this comes with a negative side of entitled people looking for instant gratification. Its so easy to get high quality recordings with a few clicks of the mouse, and I think some people don't realize how much work/effort/time/money can go into these things. Those people usually have nothing to offer either. In the olden days you had to make tape copies in real time. Snail mail trades could take weeks or months so there was more of an anticipation and appreciation. Sometimes if I've filmed a concert, I will look for alternate angles or patches on YouTube or wherever else. Everyone has a decent quality video camera in their pocket now. Of course it is annoying if you're behind someone's phone screen, which is why in the rare event that I shoot with a phone, I cover the screen with a handkerchief or credit card or something, but normally I only use a view finder for shooting. I can't tell you how many times I've been behind someone holding up their phone, thinking they're recording video but they forgot to actually push the red button on their screen (lol). If I spot this happening and I'm close enough I'll press start for them.

 

 

Without giving away too much...which one of your recordings do you still listen to these days and which one still gives you goosebumps and why so?

Some of my personal favourite recordings are from seeing a band I really like for the first time. Listening to them puts me right back to that initial feeling of excitement and awe. Those recordings of a first time experience can also set a standard if you see the same band again. I find myself wondering if they can reach the same level of excellence or even surpass it. Artists who incorporate improvisation or jamming come to mind especially. There's also some recordings I've made under the influence which can give me chills - a flashback to that moment in time. Not always something I want to re-live, but its incredible how powerful an audio recording can be years later.

 

 

We have reached the end for this time. Cheers for taking your time to answer the questions about taping. We wish you a very good taping year of 2026. Do you have any last reflections you would like to share with us?

This hobby has enriched my memory, not just of concerts but personal events surrounding them. I can remember things in great detail when there's a tape from around the same time. I've met a lot of great people, made friends and visited places I didn't know existed.