Sneaking A Tape Recorder into concerts in the 70s-90s

A japanese label just put out a 1990 Bowie gig claiming it's from Millard's tape.
I have no idea if it's genuine.
Was he still taping in 1990 ?

 

yes but limited as I recall, the below is a from another site.

Welcome to a truly extraordinary new chapter of JEMS’ Lost and Found Mike the MICrophone series presenting recordings made by legendary taper Mike Millard, AKA Mike the MICrophone, best known for his masters of Led Zeppelin done in and around LA circa 1975-77. For further details on how some tapes in this series came to be lost and found again, as well as JEMS' history with Mike Millard, please refer to the notes in Vol. One: #%$@&*

To date the Lost and Found series has presented fresh transfers of previously unavailable first-generation copies made by Mike himself for friends like Stan Gutoski of JEMS, Jim R and Barry G. These sources were upgrades to circulating copies, and in most instances marked the first time verified first generation Millard sources had been directly digitized in the torrent era.

Now, we are ecstatic to present what had been previously unthinkable, unimaginable, perhaps even impossible: a direct, high-resolution transfer from Millard’s original master tapes.

Yes, you read that correctly, Mike Millard’s master cassettes, long rumored to be destroyed or lost, have been found. Not all of them, but many, and with them a much more complete picture has emerged of what Millard recorded between his first show in late 1973 and his last in early 1992.

The reason the rediscovery of his master tapes is such a revelation is that we’ve been told for decades they were long gone. Internet myths suggest Millard destroyed his master tapes before taking his own life, an imprudent detail likely concocted based on assumptions that because the master tapes had never surfaced and Mike’s mental state was troubled, he would do something that rash WITH HIS LIFE’S WORK. There’s also a version of the story where Mike’s family dumps the tapes after he dies.

The truth is, Mike’s masters remained in his bedroom for many years after his death in 1994. We know at least a few of Millard’s friends and acquaintances contacted his mother inquiring about the tapes after his death to no avail. But in the early 2000s, longtime Millard friend Rob S was the one she knew and trusted enough to preserve Mike’s work.

 

I used to know a guy who would use a wheelchair. Had a pretty nice setup to record in stereo with some pretty good mics and an Akai cassette machine. Using the wheelchair batteries and a converter for power. He said it was good for about 3-4 hours if he did not want to manually roll himself out. He was fully capable of walking BTW.

 

This is great news if true. Early 2000s is nearly 20 years ago right?

 

The options are limitless. Many new mics designed for phones are available, and sound is great. Your competition is increasing by the minute.

 

Keith Richards and the X-pensive Winos, Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, CA, January 23, 1993

As previewed last week, Volume 93 is a notable entry in the Lost and Found series. Mike's recording of Keith Richards and the Expensive Winos at the Universal Amphitheatre on January 23, 1993 is the last confirmed Millard recording we have tracked down to date. Is it his last recording? Possibly, but we're not ready to state that as a fact quite yet. It is also the first DAT master we've discovered in the collection that was recorded by Mike himself.

Millard didn't own a portable DAT recorder, but his friend Ed F did and Mike recorded the show for Ed using his own AKG mics and Ed's Panasonic SV-250 DAT recorder, imported from Japan. Ed and Mike recorded concerts together before (Dylan '78), and on occasions when Mike's Nakamichi was in the shop for repairs, he would borrow Ed's Uher cassette deck.

 

I went to both of those San Diego shows while in the Navy.
We started out sitting in the seats but since it was general admission we worked our way ,at one of them, to the middle front of the stage. We got up there right during the start of Moby Dick and stayed for most of the rest- those were the days. Sure wish I could find one of that show!

 

There's a SBD of the March 14, 1975 San Diego show.

 

An incomplete list of Mike’s recordings. I kind of feel honored that I attended and taped for myself one of the concerts on here, the Springsteen 1988 show.


Yes 18/03/1974 The Forum * Inglewood, CA
Yes – March 19, 1974, Long Beach, CA, Long Beach Arena

David Bowie 16/09/1974 Convention Center * Anaheim, CA

Elton John 05/10/1974 The Forum * Inglewood, CA

Jethro Tull 09/02/1975 The Forum * Inglewood, CA

Rod Stewart & The Faces 05/03/1975 The Forum * Inglewood, CA

Led Zeppelin 11/03/1975 Long Beach Arena
Led Zeppelin – March, 12th, 1975, Long Beach, CA, Long Beach Arena

Led Zeppelin – 75-3-24 LA Forum
Led Zeppelin – 75-3-25 LA Forum
Led Zeppelin – 75-3-27 LA Forum

Pink Floyd 26/04/1975 The Forum * Inglewood, CA

Suzy Quatro 17/06/1975 The Forum * Inglewood, CA

Yes – June 21, 1975 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl The Sorcerer
Yes – June 23, 1975, Long Beach CA, Long Beach Arena

Rolling Stones – LA Forum, Los Angeles, CA, July 09, 1975

Rolling Stones – LA Forum, Los Angeles, CA, July 11, 1975
Rolling Stones – LA Forum, Los Angeles, CA, July 12, 1975
Rolling Stones – LA Forum, Los Angeles, CA, July 13, 1975 Tour of the Americas, part one, two, three

Eric Clapton 14/08/1975 The Forum * Inglewood, CA

Ruby Starr & Grey Ghost 07/09/1975 Long Beach Arena
Black Sabbath 07/09/1975 Long Beach Arena

Elton John 29/09/1975 Sports Arena * San Diego, CA

Genesis 01/05/1976 Starlight Amphitheatre * Burbank, CA

Jethro Tull 14/01/1977 Civic Auditorium * Pasadena, CA

Jethro Tull 16/01/1977 Dorothy Chandler Pavilion – Music Center * Los Angeles, CA

Queen 03/03/1977 The Forum * Inglewood, CA

Return To Forever 08/04/1977 Civic Auditorium * Santa Monica, CA

Led Zeppelin – 1977-6-19 San Diego, CA

Led Zeppelin 21/06/1977 The Forum * Inglewood, CA Listen To This Eddie

Led Zeppelin – 1977/06/23 The Forum, Inglewood, CA For Badge Holders Only / Part Two

Led Zeppelin – 1977-06-25 , Inglewood Forum, CA

Led Zeppelin – The Forum, Inglewood, CA June 27, 1977

Journey 14/08/1977 Long Beach Arena

Fleetwood Mac 30/08/1977 The Forum * Inglewood, CA

Yes – The Forum, Inglewood, CA – September 23, 1977
Yes – The Forum, Inglewood, CA – September 24, 1977

Yes 26/09/1977 Long Beach Arena

Linda Ronstadt 03/10/1977 Universal Amphitheatre * Los Angeles, CA

Rod Stewart 13/12/1977 The Forum * Inglewood, CA

Cheap Trick 31/12/1977 Long Beach Arena
Kansas 31/12/1977 Long Beach Arena

David Bowie 04/04/1978 The Forum, Los Angeles, CA

Bob Dylan 01/06/1978 Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, CA
Bob Dylan 03/06/1978 Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, CA
Bob Dylan 07/06/1978 Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, CA
Bob Dylan 07/06/1978 Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, CA (2sd source)

Jackson Browne 08/06/1978 Long Beach Arena

Thin Lizzy 16/08/1978 The Forum * Inglewood, CA

The Kinks 25/06/1978 Universal Amphitheatre * Los Angeles, CA

Peter Gabriel 1978-09-30 & 1978-10-01 The Roxy – W.Hollywood, CA

Yes – October 5, 1978, Inglewood, CA, Great Western Forum
Yes – October 6, 1978, Inglewood, CA, Great Western Forum

Bob Dylan 18/11/1979 Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, CA
Bob Dylan 19/11/1979 Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, CA

Genesis 25/05/1980 The Roxy * Hollywood, CA

The Who 23/06/1980 The Forum * Inglewood, CA

The Eagles 29/07/1980 The Forum * Inglewood, CA

Bruce Springsteen 01/11/1980 The Forum * Inglewood, CA

Rush 12/06/1981 Convention Center * Anaheim, CA

Bruce Springsteen 23/08/1981 Sports Arena * Los Angeles, CA

Stevie Nicks 12/12/1981 Wilshire Ebell Theatre, Los Angeles

David Bowie 14/08/1983 The Forum * Inglewood, CA

Eric Clapton – Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre, Laguna Hills, CA 23 September 1988

Bruce Springsteen 21/09/1988 Los Angeles

Jimmy Page 07/10/1988 The Forum * Inglewood, CA

Neil Young 18/08/1989 Pacific Amphitheatre, Costa Mesa, CA

Bob Dylan 08/09/1989 Pacific Amphitheatre, Costa Mesa, CA

The Rolling Stones 22/10/1989 Memorial Coliseum * Los Angeles, CA

Paul McCartney 29/11/1989 The Forum * Inglewood, CA

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers 03/03/1990 Pacific Amphitheatre, Costa Mesa, CA

John Prine 20/10/1991 Irvine Meadows * Irvine, CA

Linda Ronstadt * 1990-10-22 Pacific Amphitheatre, Costa Mesa, CA

Bruce Springsteen 16/11/1990 Los Angeles (Officially Released)

Robert Plant 09/08/1991 Sports Arena * San Diego, CA

Dire Straits 08/02/1992 The Forum * Inglewood, CA

U2 12/04/1992 Sports Arena * Los Angeles, CA

 

Cool. Faked disability plays a big role in the history of stealth taping.

 

When I got out of the Navy in 1977 my buddy bought a JVC portable cassette deck, a over the shoulder case and 2 mics with stands.
We recorded all over Cleveland, mostly at the Coliseum and the Agora.
I always took my Canon camera I bought in Japan and put 3 or 4 Canon and Nikon stickers on his recorder bag. Back then I would carry my camera and if they asked what was in the bag We told them it was camera equipment and they did not bother to check. We would put a towel over the front edge and I put a zoom lens right on top if they told us to unzip it - we NEVER got caught.
One of our best ones was the Pink Floyd Animals show at Cleveland Stadium in June 1977. We had the front row on the first base dugout with 2 mics on stands and a clear view. The sound for stadium shows was usually not great but this one was done right with that Quad sound system that Pink Floyd used for that tour - Excellent!
We did finally get one of those Sony hand held stereo mics for convenience. The only time we got caught was at the Cleveland Agora at a Rough Diamond show and the groups manager was walking around our table and noticed and demanded us to stop and took the tape.
During the 1980's I bought a Radio Scrap cassette recorder and used that until mini disc came out and I bought a Sharpe with separate stereo clip on mics that I clip onto my shirt collar. It makes great recordings that I transfer to cd and add a little EQ. I still use it once in a while and still sounds great!

 

The 1st part of my post was an answer to “was Mike M taping in the early 90’s,” yes but limited. He passed in 94, so Mike M was not taping in the early 00’s & yes it was 20 years ago .

 

Great stories, here's mine:

Who: Cheap Trick
Where: Lubbock, TX Coliseum
When: All Shook Up Tour

It was winter so sneaking in my Sears recorder (built in mic) was easy. Sat on the front row bleachers with recorder on the wall. Unfortunately, being a broke college student, I decided to reuse a tape rather than buy a new one.

Result: Johnny Carson bleeding through a distorted Cheap Trick concert.

Judgement: fail.

 

That’s awesome! Did you ever record Queen or Genesis?

 

Yes yes yes! Minidisc from 1997--> medium was fine being at maximum 80minutes! The tricky part was switching discs....god damn machine wrote toc several seconds so you could miss beginnings of a song easily! Had external core sound stealth cardioid mics. Recorder was in my side pack, which i hid underneath my shirt. My #1 achievement was being the only taper of the complete eddie vedder (of pearl jam) solo set in 2000 stockholm. Roadie came on stage with a guitar and sat. Might aswell push rec i thought. Ed started singing & playing behind the curtains. Roadie mimics playing. It took a while for folks to understand whats going on! All the other recordings start well into the first song.

 

Unless you were selling a copy to those girls why did you say the term 'bootleggers'? It's not a crime to simply possess an audience recording from a concert.

 

Saw them a couple times each prior to the start of 1977.

 

What I did about that TOC writing problem was at home I would always get my new minidiscs and record 2 or 3 seconds at the beginning. When I loaded the new disc in it would immediately start recording.
I have the same mics that I clipped to each side of my tshirt and the rest down the front of my untucked shirt into my pocket. My recorder was in my back pocket. Then a little before the show started I would unclip the mics from my t shirt and clip them on the end of my collars.
That Sharpe minidisc recorder has served me big time for about 25 years and has even taped music events inside the R&RHoF and other various Cleveland venues.

 

That's great! It's cool hearing how every person used different strategies to sneak gear into shows back then, especially with how strict some venues were. Managing to sneak in a boombox into a concert is not something you hear about every day haha. Do you still have your tape of Queen at the MSG in 77? Being a Queen fan myself I think it would be interesting to hear

 

I see that your tape is the currently circulating 12/2/77 show, my apologies. Thanks for taping it, it's one of my favorites of 77!

 

Seems like bootlegging has come full circle...in the late 1960s no one seem to care too much about people recording, but in the 1970s and 1980s and into the 1990s it was a real cat and mouse game. Today, everyone has a recording device via there phone and there is less scrutiny.

 

Yeah, there is very little barrier to making good audience recordings now. But it seems like it's still the same old amount of diehards who invest in good gear and go through with the process. A lot of people are recording on their iphones now, but those are good for nothing but reference (poor audio quality).

 

Wasn’t the Bowie gig the gig with the riot ?

 

Apart from inflated prices of tickets of course now we have idiots recording the concerts on their phones , not just a few people but hundreds !

 

If it was, I didn't see it, I was right up high.