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Sometimes I think that the music business today could'nt shock or surprise me anymore - then I realise that while we go through this defining phase where you have to think differently and Generation Y has a very different outlook on how they consume their media - then out of the blue a statement from another has-been!
Step up Mr Sean Feargal Sharkey. The ex-Undertones lead singer and voice of a generation back in 1978 (30 years ago!) Is now a voice of the middle-aged ex-punks (well Feargal was never really a punk - just the angst of a teenager from Derry) for the strangely bizarre BMR (British Music Rights - what the hell do they do - well according to their website:
is an umbrella organisation whose four members (British Academy of Composers & Songwriters, Mechanical-Copyright Protection Society, Music Publishers Association, and Performing Right Society) collectively represent more than 50,000 British music creators and publishers in the UK. We are a leading industry voice in raising awareness, through lobbying, research, education, and PR, of the value of music to the British economy, culture and society.
With members such as MCPS / PRS and MPA (and I'm sure that the PPL must be in there as well) a good bunch of Fat Cats trying to continue to "milk" the artists and industry dry with their licenses and fees, but of course under the "umbrella" of protection and value!
So the latest is that the BMR has just published it's finding from our GenY and guess what the shock and disgust from Mr Sharkey that this generation on their iPods have half their tracks are not purchased and that they have been shared among each other!! So one person buys the MP3 and then gives copies of that to his friends to put on their iPods?? Really?? NO!!!
Feargal goes on to say that when he was a kid in the 60's & 70's he used to go to school with tapes (for the GenY - Compact Cassettes consist of two miniature spools, between which a magnetically coated plastic tape is passed and wound - weird huh!!) The hypocrite - does he not remember the BPI back then with the cassette tape with the two bones going through it saying "Home Taping is killing Music - and it's illegal" That was before he had a couple of hit singles and wants every penny back each and every-time it is played, listened to, sampled, breathed on... of course to ensure that his royalty cheques keep coming in... Back then of course kids (just like today) are very social and passionate about music and in 21st century technology will distribute digital files among friends and servers - we didn't have that in my day or Feargals day - we had tapes and making tapes for your friends was great fun - making compilations and greatest hits so that your friends could share in your latest "find" that you heard on the radio and then went to your local record store and ordered a copy on delicious vinyl!! Back in 60's & 70's you can imagine the musicians of the 40's & 50's disgusted at these kids who were illegally taping music and sharing it among themselves along with a copy of The Beano or Dandy and a pack of Spangles!
Fast forward to todays kids - they have iPods and phones that they can use as their music players - however the premiss is the same sharing among friends and still the industry claims it's illegal - because they are missing out on their cash - never mind that they may just have found a lifelong fan of that artist - if they ever invested long term in artists anymore. So it's no different to what you and I did Feargal only thing that has changed is the technology - and the greed of the music industry as it hits a cataclysmic change in how it is funded and run. With brave and forward thinking bands such as Radiohead and Coldplay realising that there is no need for such greed from EMI (don't get me started there again!!) you have to wonder who is leading the way forward to embrace what GenY are doing and support the artists that they have left?
But then here is the irony - on the very next page a full page advert from Samsung's shiny new mobile the F400 Share - bet you can guess what it wants you to share? Well I can tell you its not The Undertones Teenage Kicks or other mobile numbers - but have actually gone for the real music fan (and not the damn awful brats playing their hiss tiss at high piercing volumes) - hell no - this is state of the art Bang & Olufsen ICEpower! To then share all your MP3s with your friends - why? Because that's what they want to do? Just as kids ALWAYS HAVE!!
Don't you just love irony
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