Charlie Angus fund raiser
p2pnet.net news:- Want to see an independent – very independent – Canadian artist stay on The Hill in Ottawa?
That’d be NDP heritage critic and Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus, described by The Toronto Star as, "One of the 10 most effective MPs in Parliament."
When it comes to assessing the "threats" or "benefits" from p2p, "politicians need to be very wary about proscribing emerging technologies simply because it is upsetting existing business models," Angus said not long after the Canadian Music Creators Coalition was formed.
"When high quality FM radio signals were invented in the 1930s, the U.S. regulatory agencies did everything they could to shut this technology down because it posed a competitive threat to large AM radio interests," he said, going on:
Thus the public put up with crappy AM signals for 30 years because politicians didn’t want to inconvenience big corporate players like RCA.
Politicians were a little wiser during the 1980s when Hollywood tried to wage war against the emerging VHS technology. VHS tapes were denounced in the same kind of apocalyptic language as P2P is being described today. Hollywood lobbyists called VHS as the "Boston Strangler" of the film industry. Jack Valenti described it as "millions of tapeworms eating away at the every essence of copyright." Valenti was wrong and because VHS technology was allowed to grow, Hollywood has reaped the benefits from the explosive sale of VHS and DVD.
Likewise Canada’s musicians are looking to Ottawa to allow the new digital markets and technologies the chance to grow. This is not a case of some bands that simply want to "give their music away." Rather, Canadian bands are looking to work with their fans in exploring the markets being created by P2P and digital download technologies.
As a musician and writer who depended for 24 years on copyright royalties, I am very partial to the need to find ways to fairly compensate for their work. But I also remember the bad old days of when musicians were completely dependent on record companies, distribution agencies and chain stores for the marketing of their product. Talk about being robbed of your livelihood.
Now Angus is planning his third annual Rockin’ Extravaganza at Toronto’s Supermarket restaurant/bar in Kensington Market, Toronto, on March 22.
He’ll be there. Obviously.
"I’ll be singing with the band we’re putting together," he told p2pnet. "Some very cool groups looking to participate.
"Our fight on digital culture has certainly galvanized the musicians community."
Taking part will be guests Jason Collett and members of The Skydiggers, Cash Brothers and Grievous Angels.
Tickets are $100, but you get $75 back as a tax receipt.
The Supermarket is at 268 Augusta Avenue, just south of College Street.
Phone 647-298-7637 and leave a message to reserve your tickets.
Also See:
Angus said – Feds face digital crossroads, May 15, 2006
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Tired of being treated like a criminal? They depend on you, not the other way around. Don’t buy their ‘product’. Do bug your local politicians. Use emails, snail-mail, phone calls, faxes, IM, stop them in the street, blog. And if you’re into organizing, organize petitions, organize demonstrations and then turn up on your local political rep’s doorstep, making sure you’ve contacted your local tv/radio station/newspaper in advance. Don’t just complain. Do something!
February 24th, 2007 at 4:07 pm
You may know Charlie’s voice from an audio clip where he questioned Heritage Minister Bev Oda about her fundraising activities.
You may also know him from the band “The Grievous Angels”
This is someone worth supporting.
The show should be good too.