The Dead partners with Blurb to sell personalised concert books

LONDON - Rock band The Dead, featuring original Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann, is using the internet to help fans personalise concert photobooks commemorating its 2009 US tour.

The Dead plans to create a total of 22 books, one to document each concert on its tour schedule.

Creative publishing and marketing platform Blurb will enable The Dead fans to create personal covers for each book .

The tool allows fans to use their own photograph as a cover image in place of the standard cover offered.

Books from each Dead show will be available from Blurb's online bookstore within 72 hours of the final encore of each show and, as a thank you to its fans, The Dead is covering the $5 per book fee for personal covers until June 30.

Jay Blakesberg, photographer for the upcoming Dead tour, said: "Extending the concert experience via personalised, professional-quality photography books, available within days following each show, is unlike any band merchandising I've ever seen.

"The speed of Blurb's publishing platform meant we could create books with unique content for every tour stop."