Michelle here. I'ma just set this right here for a while...
bit.lyFrom Frank Turner’s blog:
Angry Thoughts On A Tired Subject August 26, 2009A rant today, if you’ll allow me. Earlier this morning I posted, on the 21st Century fuckfest that is Twitter, a link to this article at The Daily Mash. As per usual, it was both very funny and incisive, addressing the recent change in legislation with regard to illegal downloading. I can’t say I’m a huge fan of either Mandleson or Geffen, and the propsed legislation is dubious both in origin and content. The part of the article that I enjoyed the most was the satirization of the common adolescent justifications for illegal downloading (or, as I prefer to call it, “theft”). My post gave rise to a deluge of replies on the subject, some heated exchanges, and basically ended up with me wanting to smash through the 140 character barrier and say what I think here.
This is a tired subject, and I don’t want to rehash the whole thing. Obviously you can’t un-invent the internet (nor would I want to, it’s one of humanity’s highest achievements), and obviously illegal downloading happens, and is here to stay. To be philosophical about it, the industry structure that has successfully rewarded musicians and others (engineers, producers, PRs, agents and so on) for their labour since the 1960s is in the process of dissolving. I’m confident that the wonders of capitalism will, within a few years, throw up a new system. But that hasn’t happened conclusively as of yet. The basic fact of economics is that we reimburse people for enjoying the fruits of their labour. A situation where people labour and are not reimbursed is untenable and unjust.
So my thoughts for the day are these. Firstly, while I am confident that we will realign, it’d be naive not to notice the danger that a generation of people are coming up who do not understand why they should pay for music at all. It seems churlish to restate, but let’s put it this way: recording isn’t free, instruments aren’t free, session players, producers, engineers, artists aren’t free. My time isn’t free either - I work hard and I expect to get paid for it. Maybe we are heading for a world in which all recorded music is free, but if so, be prepared for gig and T-shirt prices to rise.
Secondly, the idea that by stealing music from the internet you’re somehow crusading for justice against the big bad record labels is absolute fucking bullshit and needs to be stamped out. Britney Spears and David Geffen aren’t going to downsize their condo’s because you didn’t pay for a Fugazi album. The people hit first and foremost are the low-level workers in the industry and smaller or independent artists. Telling yourself otherwise is, in my opinion, more often than not a lame attempt to salve a guilty conscience.
This brings me onto point three: most people don’t know very much about the mechanics of the music industry, but feel qualified to theorize about its economics at length. I actually find this pretty insulting. I don’t spend my time wandering into hospitals / shops / schools / banks telling staff how much they should be being paid, or how much they should charge for any good or service, because I don’t know enough about it. Having worked in the music industry for a few years, I do a fair bit about it, and I think illegal downloading is a bad thing. As a point of proof, find me any indie record store or independent artist who thinks that file-sharing is a boon for them and their career. QED.
Point four is just a reply to one point someone made to me earlier. They said that by “stealing” my album they’d come to buy gig tickets and T-shirts which they would not otherwise have done. First up, lose the quote marks, it’s stealing, plain and simple (basically shoplifting for cowards). Secondly, that’s like saying it’s OK for me to steal a car because I’m going to put petrol in it. Duh.
Finally, if you’re going to be a thief and enjoy the products of the labour of strangers without paying for it, don’t fucking tell me about it! I know people are going to nick my music, at the end of the day. But fuck, don’t email me about it!
End rant. Sorry to go on and on about this. But like I say, I wanted to get it off my chest. Carry on.
Here is my little anecdote from the Wembley gig:
The standing tickets got sold out so I bought a seated ticket. I HATE being sat during shows but I HAD to be there, so yeah..
Most of the people I knew had standing tickets so I spent the day queuing with them, thinking I could go into the crowd with my seated ticket (you often can do that, in France at least). But in the afternoon some security guys came in the queues to start scanning tickets and give pink and white wristbands. I got told that I couldn’t get a wristband because it was only for people of the crowd and there was no way I could get there with my seated ticket. So I planned to stay in the queue with my friends and then go to the queue where I was supposed to be just before the doors open but I saw someone with a pink pen and I got the best idea ever: Making myself a fake wristband with paper, the pink pen and some chewing gum. I first didn’t dare to enter that way but when I saw that the security guys only asked people to put their tickets and their wristbands up I thought that I had to try out. And it worked. Oh man. There were LOADS of security guys everywhere and I made it through all of them. I was SO scared that one of them realize that it was a fake wristband, throw me out of the venue and tell me not to come back. But I made it into the venue and when my friends saw me they helped me reaching them so I stood on the 2nd row of the Wembley Arena, instead of being sat at the back of the venue, I was with friends and had an amazing night.
I feel like the worst cheater ever but it was worth it haha
Will tell that story to Frank, someday…. ;-)
Submitted by punkrock-babybird
To all my family and friends who think I am nutz.
Dear Family and Friends,
I have finally found a group of like-minded people to be friends with. They understand my obsession with Frank Turner, Tim Minchin, Eddie Izzard, concerts, reason, England, music, and furtive little feelings. They don’t judge and are awfully nice. The fact that I am a 55-year-old grandmother of 3, don’t believe in a god, still go to college and work in a grocery store does not seem to be a problem for them. I may be 55 in human years, but I am only 25 in Cathy years. Thank you “Dear Frank Turner” family.
Love,
Cathy aka Grandma Fluffy
P.S. Frank actually put the FTHC on my arm with the promise I would not have it tattooed. But I didn’t wash that arm for a week. It finally rubbed off. Thank Dog for photographs.
Frank,
I’m sorry I missed you at Riot Fest, I couldn’t get off of work. I promise though- I don’t just work there for the fucking money.
I was in college a few years back, and an acquaintance introduced me to Million Dead. I went searching for more of your work and stumbled on your cover of “Dancing Queen”. I got hooked on your solo stuff from there on out. If anything got me through college, it was Love, Ire, and Song.
Last year I managed to rustle up a few dollars to go see you at Beat Kitchen, and it was hands down my favorite night of the year. I’ve never been to a show with so much camaraderie in the crowd. As soon as you started playing everyone was family. We had nothing in common- but we were all shouting with you at the top of our lungs, hugging each other, dancing and being fools. I’m not the type of person to talk about idols, but if there’s anything I can accomplish in my life I hope to someday bring people together like you did that night.
Thank you for your hard work and your honest spirit and your fire-under-our-asses music. You’ve inspired me countless time to get up and get outside and fight the good fight. Maybe someday I’ll get to sit down with you and have a beer. Until then, I hope that fire of yours never dies out. Here’s to good years ahead!
