AC/DC, one of the few bands still not on iTunes, has created a new problem for itself. By not releasing music for download through iTunes, fans are resorting to illegal measures to obtain the new album `Black Ice`.
Reports suggest that more than 400,000 illegal downloads of ‘Black Ice’ have already occurred through Bit Torrent sites and that number is increasing by more than 100,000 a day.By comparison, the AC/DC back catalogue sold 1.3 million units in the USA last year.
AC/DC has refused to make their music available for download. Brian Johnson told Reuters Maybe I'm just being old-fashioned, but this iTunes, God bless 'em, it's going to kill music if they're not careful.”
AC/DC has passed on iTunes because they only want to release complete albums instead of individual tracks.
While maintaining this as the reason for also not ever releasing a greatest hits album, the band has released a greatest hits DVD in ‘Family Jewels’ and a live greatest hits via ‘Plug Me In’.
`Black Ice` will be released this weekend.
Meanwhile, European dates for the `Black Ice` world tour have been announced, taking the band through to April.
Dates are:
Feb. 18 - Oslo, NOR - Telenor Arena Coming
Feb. 20 - Stockholm, SWE - The Globe
Feb. 22 - Stockholm, SWE - The Globe
Mar. 01 - Antwerpen, BEL - Sportpaleis
Mar. 05 - Leipzig, GER - Halle 1
Mar. 07 - Dusseldorf, GER - ISS Dome
Mar. 09 - Oberhausen, GER - K??nig Pilsener Arena
Mar. 11 - Bremen, GER - AWD Dome
Mar. 13 - Rotterdam, NET - Ahoy
Mar. 15 - Dortmund, GER - Westfallenhalle
Mar. 17 - Prague, CZR - O2 Arena
Mar. 19 - Milan, ITA - Datch Forum
Mar. 23 - Budapest, HUN - Papp L?íszl?? Budapest Sportarena
Mar. 25 - Frankfurt, GER - Festhalle
Mar. 27 - Munich, GER - Olympiahalle
Apr. 14 - London, UK - O2 Arena
Apr. 18 - Dublin, IRE - O2 Arena
Apr. 21 - Manchester, UK - MEN Arena
Apr. 23 - Birmingham, UK - LG Arena
