Say goodbye to the Rock Tsars!
p2pnet view Music | P2P:- Devilish Presley are London based independent artists who say they’ve only ever been, or ever wanted to be, on one label — November Tenth Records.
Their own.
They say they’ve released four albums since 2003 and have racked up more 300 gigs in the UK, including a major support tour with punk legends The Damned.
They’ve also played in Germany, Slovakia, Poland, Holland, Romania, France and Southern Ireland and, “ALL of this has been self-financed”.
In other words, “We’ve been ahead of the DIY curve since 2003.”
With that in mind, “We are therefore more than qualified to give opinions on the a2f2a debate about how artists might survive in a ‘new model’ of the music industry”, says band bass player and singer Jacqui Vixen — “One without the need for labels, the old copyright laws and one that fully embraces file-sharing as a means of promotion.”
In an a2f2a comment post, “To us it seems clear that there is now only one choice: we need to see the end of record labels and that old system asap – we have decided that from 2010 on we will be using the CwF + RtB formula favoured by forward thinkers like Mike Masnick at Techdirt” she said, going on:
“So far our fans have been quite amazing in their support and all of them are sick to death of being branded ‘thieves’ by the powers that be.
“It is quite clear why musicians still cling to the ‘old model’ and that is because every independent act can only ever get so far without falling foul of the illegal control of the “means of promotion” that the Big4 maintained by payola. For years they have stamped out competition which is why they hate the internet and all that goes with it.
“This is what forces a lot of artists to still sign one-sided deals and to get shafted, the fact that independent growth is forbidden. ‘Not coming through the right channels old boy’.
“We are now living through THE most exciting time for music ever, forget the sixties, forget punk, today and tomorrow are a far better place to be. Well they will be if the ‘Rock Tsars’ aren’t allowed to collude with the major labels and aid them in their efforts to clamp down on the internet and control it like they do TV, Radio & Press.”
Now, “It is now time for the old guard, the ‘Rock Tsars’ to either get with the programme or get out of the way”, say Jacqui and band mate Johnny Navarro in a follow-up, going on >>>
If a millionaires club like the FAC is given the power to speak for artists, it needs to be made clear that they don’t speak for all of us. It is heart breaking, for example, to see folks reply on a2f2a that they “would support Jon if they hadn’t been out of work for a year”.
That is the real voice of 2010.
What on earth do people like Bono, Lily Allen & the FAC know about today’s struggle for survival? How DARE they suppose to lecture us on the “rights of musicians” with their pompous culture of entitlement?
Billy Bragg wants proof that a band can survive with the help of their fans? Well, here we are mate — 100% Rock ‘n’ Roll from London and now fully engaged in a bid to survive in just that way.
But so hung up on money are the “Rock Tsars” that they don’t even see that support and help for artists can come in many other forms.
Many of our fans have and will support our art financially, others will give their TIME, others will give their SKILLS and they will do this for free.
Obviously doing something for nothing is an alien concept to people who are constantly pampered and spoiled by their owners.
And this brings us to an even more important point.
No one should now use the term “unsigned band” because it is now meaningless and the very phrase reinforces the notion that record labels are the arbiters of taste and that without them a band is somehow inferior in some way! It is an offensive notion and an offensive phrase.
But it is just these kind of false ideas that the FAC and their ilk have a vested interest in propping up.
Ex Gang Of Four member Dave Allen puts it best.
“Get over sucking on the Music Nanny State teat. Now that the internet has provided disrupting producers with all the tools they need to bypass the existing recorded music system, there should be NO EXCUSE for musicians not to go it alone. Yet, the producers – the musicians themselves, remain the problem. I believe the safety and comfort offered to them in the past – record label deals, publishing deals, old media distribution, plus MTV and commercial radio for the most successful – created a diabolical Nanny state”.
“There is a worldwide recession and we have met so many people in the last year as we CwF’s at gigs who are in the same boat”, say Jacqui and Johnny, adding:
“How the FAC members can swan about acting like it is still the baby-boom years is beyond us. What they need to realise is that the whole world is struggling for survival.
“So why shouldn’t they?”
[Devilish Presley interview: http://lipstattoo.wordpress.com/2010/02/19/dp/ ---- Band website (with donate button 
) http://www.devilishpresley.com ]
[This article first appeared in a2f2a.com]
Jon Newton – p2pnet
..… and identi.ca
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win ~ Mahatma Gandhi
February, 2010
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February 22nd, 2010 at 1:08 pm
The FAC can align with artists and join them in the future, or they can align with the labels and join them in the history books.
February 22nd, 2010 at 10:46 pm
The only thing I’d quibble with in the above, is the mischaracterization that Cwf + Rtb artists are “doing something for nothing”.
http://questioncopyright.org/compensation
If anybody thinks the inability to gouge potential fans for the “privilege” of even knowing your stuff exists constitutes “doing something for nothing”, then they should just admit to being *solely* motivated by the (stunningly unlikely) prospect of stunning opulence and fame.
If they monetary aspect is viewed as an “end”, rather than as a “means” to something epse — namely, creating more art, etc. — then the art/creativity/whatever it is, will inevitably suffer.
February 23rd, 2010 at 12:30 pm
@ Henry Emrich.
“The only thing I’d quibble with in the above, is the mischaracterization that Cwf + Rtb artists are “doing something for nothing”.”
If that is how it came across, then it was unintentional. Thanks for pointing out Nina Paley’s article. We agree with both of you, an artist does share a gift with people and that is an end in itself. If those that receive the gift are then happy enough to support the artist in making further art – because they have become fans/friends etc – that is a free choice made between them and the artist. That is what we are doing – and have done for the most part by playing live. In the interview linked from this post you will see us state “no one owes us a living” and you are right we also need to make it more clear that we aren’t owed the “paying of attention” in the first place either. We will endeavour to make this more clear in the future.
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
February 23rd, 2010 at 12:54 pm
While we may be looking at the end of the current Rock Tsars, I don’t think we will see the end of Rock Stars. There are good independent labels out there that are building up artists and creating fan bases using more free and open methods. While there is a long way to go, they are on the right track. The one thing people seem to forget, at times, is the power of radio. Radio makes artists Rock Stars. And it is only a matter of time before U.S. and Canadian radio turn against the current Rock Tsars and seek out independent artists and independent labels. The day this happens will be the day when music is free again. And I don’t mean free as in beer, but free as in speech.
My local radio stations (Kansas City area) have formed a city-wide coalition to protest the new radio tax and are threatening to pull big label music off the air if the tax gets passed.
In short, I think we will always have that cultural icon, the Rock Star, to idolize, but we are on the verge of breaking free from the current Rock Tsars.
February 23rd, 2010 at 3:02 pm
@ Readers Write:
“And it is only a matter of time before U.S. and Canadian radio turn against the current Rock Tsars and seek out independent artists and independent labels. The day this happens will be the day when music is free again. And I don’t mean free as in beer, but free as in speech.”
The day that happens we will gladly buy you a celebratory beer.
Thanks for your relpy.
February 23rd, 2010 at 4:16 pm
WOW, just based on the replies from Devilish Presley, you have earned my respect and attention, I’m going to your website even as I type this to check and see if I like your music style WTG!!
February 23rd, 2010 at 7:43 pm
@ Technopath.
Whatever your decision about the “art” thanks for your support of the ideals expressed.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:16 am
Why are musicians expected to work for nothing, to produce “art for art’s sake”, where no other profession is?
Does the music we all love have no value? I want musicians to have the dream, and maybe not the chance to amass obscene wealth, but to make a decent and comfortable living from the fruit of their labours.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:52 am
I worry about this, OK no one like old record company fat cats but if there’s no profits in supporting certain artists it will just get even more conservative. The web is a good place to find music but there are so many bands, all the same, and not much quality control. I supose some would see that as a good thing but I don’t, i’m sick of listening to dross
February 24th, 2010 at 11:25 am
@Popfan
Spoken like someone who truly doesn’t understand the market that is independent music. I have never, and will never, “work for nothing”. One area where the big music has gone wrong is they have equated “fair use” to also mean “work for nothing”. Allowing fans to own what they have paid for is not any new and revolutionary idea. It is the idea of licensing what someone has paid for that is the non-traditional idea. As for allowing fans to share music, this also doesn’t mean “work for nothing” either. The idea of giving out free samples is a solid marketing tactic used heavily in the tangible products markets. But big music (movie and software too) hasn’t figured out that this tactic also works very well in selling music. The average independent music has 10 times more knowledge and experience in the music business than any of those MBA’s sitting in those plush executive offices. Because selling music is our business while selling copies is theirs.
@Bassman
I don’t think conservative is the right term for the situation. The right word is “free”. If there are no profits in supporting certain artists then things will become more open and free for independent artists to grab more market share. And with independent artists holding more market share, that equates into more freedom for fans. It means that fans will again own more of what they pay for. As for the quality control on the internet, that’s almost laughable. Are you really saying that big music produces higher quality music? That is the biggest part of the industries problem. They haven’t promoted many real artists in decades. The 1980s was the last time big music actually had a culture grow up around the music. Since then, most of what big music produces is crap. You know, those one-hit wonder bands. Nothing to grow a culture around. So how is that better than independent artists using the internet to grow their own cultures. If you don’t like the quality control on the internet (and I’ll admit there are a lot of really crappy acts online) then you should really be pissed off at the quality control in big music. Big music is intentionally feeding us crappy one-hit wonder bands. How many millions of dollars are wasted developing one-hit wonders instead of paying quality artists to build a culture around. The thing about it is, one-hit wonder bands know they suck so they willing go down the big music path and allow themselves to be used while real artists, that have confidence in their music, are willing to strike out on their own.
February 24th, 2010 at 11:40 am
What about Massive Attack …. would they have done so well if they hadn’t had big money put into them and sold loads of physical albums and despite thousands of bands emulating them, none can do what they do. Big music, big band, big bucks.
February 24th, 2010 at 12:35 pm
@Popfan
I used to think like you do. Back when I believed the only way to make money was by having a record deal from one of the major labels. The dirty little secret is that only a very small number of artists get that kind of treatment from big music. The vast majority of artists that sign record deals with big music end up no-better-off than if they would have stayed independent. Only as independent, you get to keep the rights of your music instead of signing over control and rights to big music. As an independent artist, there is no big music exec interfering with you connecting with your fans.
February 24th, 2010 at 5:09 pm
@ Popfan
“Why are musicians expected to work for nothing, to produce “art for art’s sake”, where no other profession is? ”
They aren’t and we don’t. Readers Write has outlined why, no need to repeat.
Profession?
‘A profession arises when any trade or occupation transforms itself through “the development of formal qualifications based upon education, apprenticeship, and examinations, the emergence of regulatory bodies with powers to admit and discipline members, and some degree of monopoly rights.”‘
Apart from the latter, none of that should, in our opinion, apply to art and particularly Rock ‘n’ Roll. The “Nanny State” Dave Allen speaks of has contrived to force people into being spoon fed by a system that dictates what is “Professional” by trying to starve out independent artists. They can no longer do that.
@ Bassman.
Again Readers Write has given most of what we would have replied.
“Quality control.”
The only quality control anyone needs are their ears, and their own personal taste. I know this may mean you have a greater number of things to choose between and that is time consuming, but surely that is better than the pre-internet era?
Thank you both for replying.
February 24th, 2010 at 5:24 pm
And by monopoly rights we mean our exclusive rights to our own art – and how we choose to share it.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:16 pm
@Devilish Presley
I’ve been lurking around these boards for quite a while, observing up what others have to offer. I never thought I’d have anything to offer myself (but I’m finding myself making a lot of RW’s lately), and after the RW’s I made earlier on this thread, I think it’s time to register and come out of the shadows. I’m also now registered with a2f2a.
I’m still seeing quite a lot of FUD out there. For those not part of the Linux and Open Source communities FUD stands for Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt. And I think it’s time that artists ourselves take a more active role in this discussion and in the future of music. After all, it is our careers and our work that everyone is talking about. I would also like to talk more about the idea of having exclusive rights to own our art and how we choose to share it. I think that should be the central focus of every discussion related to music. I know people are upset with copyright laws, as the laws are currently written and applied, but artists can voluntarily choose to be more open and free with our music, without changing copyright laws.
I would love to see copyright laws changed but that is a long, hard-fought battle that won’t be won easily. In the meantime, there is nothing that keeps us from joining together with our fans and saying F*CK copyright laws, we are giving our fans “permission” to OWN what they have paid for (I don’t believe fans need “permission” to own what they pay for, I believe it is a consumer’s right to own what they paid for). And the sooner the majority of artists make their music free (not as in beer, but as in speech), the more we negate current copyright laws.
And Devilish Presley, thanks for having the courage to step up. You’ve set a great example for other artists to follow.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:23 pm
@ jamillard
Thanks a lot.
I’ll post this tomorrow on both sites.
Any chance of getting a few words about who, and where, you are? France, perhaps?
You can get me at p2p @ shaw dot ca.
Cheers!
February 25th, 2010 at 11:19 am
LOL! Sorry, was logged out – Reply slight return.
@ Jamillard
Thanks mate! More folks need to follow your lead and join in.
“And the sooner the majority of artists make their music free (not as in beer, but as in speech), the more we negate current copyright laws.”
Yep! But we have also have to recognise we are up against, very rich, very powerful, spiteful, vindictive cowardly crooks who will stop at nothing to protect their massive slice of the pie.
But! They’ve got the pie- we’ve got the numbers!