Lily Allen correctly notes that musicians today are not “rich”. She bizarrely, madly blames this on piracy, rather than the publishers which leave artists with a pathetic 8% or so of revenue from sales. Apparently unable to cope with the new model – where musicians earn their royalties from their songs being played on the radio, which serve as an advertisement for their live concerts – she turns around and argues that the British government should implement the constitutionally-flawed due-process-abandoning internet disconnection on industry complaint scheme.
She is rightly lambasted for this, particularly once it becomes apparent that she herself “pirated” songs in her youth (thereby demonstrating that her own musical output was partly influenced by open access to other people’s music) and, until recently, hosted them on her own site.
Then she cracks a sook and claims she’s going to “quit music for acting”. While people are prepared to pay a hundred quid or so each to see her perform, we’ll see how long that resolve lasts. She quickly deletes her blog advocating disconnecting people from the internet, because internet-users are “abusive”.
Lily, there is something horribly wrong with music today – but it’s not the “pirates”. It’s the bastards who are blaming your pitiful cut on the pirates whilst pocketing many, many times more per song of yours than you’ll ever see. They’re selling you a con.
It’s pretty embarrassing for you – and the other “artists” who’ve signed on – that you bought it. And it’s tragic that you burnt your reputations to promote it.
If you weren’t trying to do something so stupid and vindictive to people you’ve never met, I’d feel very sorry for you.
PS Good thing Andrew Bolt’s away. He’d be torn between approving of Allen being a sop for the big corporate music industry, and his pre-existing contempt for her for writing sweary songs about GWB.
UPDATE: Via LGWS, a musician’s retort to Lily:
UPDATE #2: Well, that lasted a long time, didn’t it?
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its a shame she deleted her blog. when someone shares their opinion and gets attacked, the easy option is to run away.
This didn’t help Allen’s position either :
http://blogs.news.com.au/techblog/index.php/news/comments/lily_allen_shares_words_for_anti_sharing_blog_post/
I can’t take this self-serving self-pity seriously. As Lily herself said:
“Then she cracks a sook and claims she’s going to “quit music for acting“. ”
Good, she’s rather attractive IMO, I hope she does porno!
When I was younger I used to buy loads of CDs, then I got a PC and started gaming, less and less time listening to music. Along came Napster, it rekindled my interest in music and I started buying CDs again..
And for all the artists who are only in it for the money – Fuck You!
Metallica’s popularity plummeted when the multi zillionaire Lars Urlich started whinging about P2P and compared himself to your average plumber. Wake up Lily Allen, alienate your fans and your sales will plummett!
I agree, I may be introduced to a band thru a burnt CD, but once I like the band, I am a fan and I will buy their album, attend their gig etc.
Plus where is the sympathy for multiple bleeding of fans to repurchase the same albums on different media — vinyl, tape, CD, remastered CD etc.
I would have thought that true musos would appreciate their stuff being heard and would want to take up any payment issues with the people they have actually signed a contract with.
Artists and studios have to realise that they cannot clip the ticket on every exchange of music, but that doesn’t mean they cannot make any money out of it … Metallica is a good example.
“I agree, I may be introduced to a band thru a burnt CD, but once I like the band, I am a fan and I will buy their album, attend their gig etc.”
I reckon many of us are the same, there are of course a band of cheapskates who were never ever going to pay anyway, they don’t represent any loss of revenue because they were never and will never be a source of revenue.
I insist on paying for CDs from indie or emerging artists.
Established artists with worldwide distribution are fair game for downloads.
Most of my friends have developed similar codes of fuzzy morality on this issue.
Having said that, I got real shitty with a mate who thought it was OK to burn a number of Archie Roach albums for a friend who expressed an interest for his music.
Ultimately, filesharing will hurt some and help others.
I like to think that folks would generally prefer to support the up and coming artists rather than pinch their music.
Cheers.