META: How does Doug get to learn about newer songs?

[robkelk]

Way back when DWII was the only story that Bob had released any part of, we all assumed that it was far enough in the future that anything we could suggest was probably in the shared history of both our timeline and MegaTokyo's timeline.

However, it's now 2026. A.D. Police Files, the prequel to BGC, is set in 2027... and its music scene is audibly different from our own. I think "Doug got a copy of this new song in MegaTokyo" isn't going to cut it any more. And none of the published Steps or Staggers have a local date any later than DWII's local date, if I recall correctly.

So, I see three possibilities:

1. Doug raided the TARDIS's music library when he met The Doctor and Rose in that one-line Nanostep (and the TARDIS actually has a music library).
   
2. Somebody in-universe used the Door to Space-Time to deliver a present from Crystal Tokyo for Doug in DW-S. This one means any of the newest songs are probably unavailable until Doug remembers he has them, which doesn't happen until (IIRC) DWX.
   
3. Somebody IRL is going to have to write a Stagger set somewhere in advance of anything we've got so far. (However, that somebody isn't going to be me -- my plate's full.)
   

[Proginoskes]

I don't think it's unreasonable to suggest that the sound design of the show and the musical tastes of the characters might differ from the mainstream music scene. We should definitely continue thinking about this, because Time Marches On, but raiding the Doctor's music library is an excellent excuse.

[Norgarth]

Plus we don't see every world Doug spends time on. There are probably plenty of worlds where there's no big events for him to get involved in. (say he lands in the Friends universe, but in LA or Chicago)

He just gets a job while he tests gate songs for the next jump. Might as well check out the local music scene, never know what he'll find (such as Konia Wa Hurricane in the BGC step)

[Bob Schroeck]

Norgarth is correct -- the major Steps aren't his only stops on the Walk. Even setting aside the nanoSteps as of dubious canonicity (although some are very canon) he's made uncountable short stops in worlds where he didn't get involved in local affairs. Any time Doug finds himself in a world for more than a day or two, he looks into getting music in whatever form is available. And he usually starts by looking for unfamiliar works by familiar artists. If his time in the world permits, he does a deeper dive using anything from recommendations from record shop employees to things like Pandora, depending on the tech level and what's available. When he doesn't have time and the local format(s) allow it, he simply buys in bulk and listens at his leisure to winnow out power songs from the rest.

(I should probably write a scene somewhere where he just sweeps into a music shop and buys a hundred CDs indiscriminately, to the bewilderment of the staff.)

After several rebuilds over the years his helmet supports multiple ports and protocols, and after the stop in Fenspace Eimi can convert anything that his helmet can't. He can also record natively with the helmet, if he needs to at a live performance. And as noted in the Sailor Moon step he's been acquiring MP3 players or their equivalent from dozens of worlds. (In some worlds, MP3 players are given out free or as a loss-leader to get people to buy music in electronic form, much like King Camp Gillette got people into buying safety razors by basically giving away the handles.) He also has CD players and players for other formats in his panniers that he can plug into his helmet -- or just into a set of headphones or earbuds.

Basically, it's not the getting of the music that should be the issue that challenges suspension of belief -- it's how does he go through it all? Please ignore the frantic waving of authorial hands in favor of enjoying what I've written. <grin>