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)