With the Tool Fall 2016 tour dates just announced, it seems as though ToolArmy is also getting an update of sorts. Â For now, it seems that the Toolband/Army store has been updated to use the Full Screen Direct framework, with new members able to join for an annual fee of US$49.99.
This fee includes:
- 1 Year Membership
- 2 Stickers
- 1 Patch
- 1 Keychain
- 1 Membership Certificate
- Membership T-Shirt
From memory that’s more or less the same as the basic level of old ToolArmy membership. Â The interesting addition is the annual fee. Â It’s not clear to me if it’s $49.99 every year or if it’ll be a different amount. Â For those who were TA members prior to June 6th 2016, it looks like your membership will be honoured.
For what it’s worth, I’ve never had a problem with an annual fee, provided the site gets updated. Â $49.99 per year sounds pretty expensive though, and I’d certainly question if there were value for money there based on the mis-handling of Toolarmy over the years.
From a technical standpoint, the Full Screen Direct framework allows more than just a store – it’s a mini social network of sorts for fan club members. Â I know many of us would welcome a return to the interactivity ToolArmy had in the past, though based on how fans react to things on Tool’s Facebook page, it could just end up being a shit storm!
I’m also disappointed that the pre-sales for the coming dates appear to be VIP only. Â It’s great to have some of these reserved for TA members, but not all of us want to blow $500 just to see them, regardless of what the other parts of the experience can offer. Â And for those who have already experienced the VIP sessions before, I doubt many of them are super keen to see it again (despite reports that it’s a great experience).
On a positive note, it is good to see some kind of movement on the website front for the band.  Though the album may still be some time off, I think many of us acknowledge that the website really should be updated prior to it’s release, and the framework being used can be a good asset for the band in helping to release special editions of the album to its fans.
