I've never been a performer, but I spent some time as a roadie, I've seen how much mahi is involved in getting to the point that you can perform.
Hearing the tale of your label being consumed and digested by one of the corporations is no surprise to me.
I was at Sharron and Neil Finns whare once and Neil was uncharacteristically grumpy. I said to him "Dude what's up?".
Neil replied "We've spent the last few weeks in shoots for an album launch with Sony (I think it was Sony) and they spent a couple of hundred grand on the promotion and then canned it. Those costs come out of my royalties!" He went independent after that!
A recurring theme that I see with my artist mates is the conflict between art/music and Capitalism!
Everyone has to earn a living and if you can do it through art, bravo but capitalism is a cancer on this planet, and it debases everything it touches.
I lived for a while in occupied West Belfast during the war, it was Rebel Music that made the war manageable for us and it gave us respite from the horror and suffering and a passionate release for our stress and grief.
I'll be eternally grateful for the musicians and other artists in my life, you've all made my life richer, merci madame.
In light of your love for Papatuanuku and our common love for the Waitakere ranges and West Coast I'll finish with a suitable musical interlude via the indomitable Kathleen Largey.
Thanks Kevin that is a lovely note - yeah We have been absorbed so called a couple of times, once by Chrysalis publishing in the UK too, absorbed by BMG and then another company after that. It was quite hard to find out who actually owned the rights to our music for a bit!
I've never been a performer, but I spent some time as a roadie, I've seen how much mahi is involved in getting to the point that you can perform.
Hearing the tale of your label being consumed and digested by one of the corporations is no surprise to me.
I was at Sharron and Neil Finns whare once and Neil was uncharacteristically grumpy. I said to him "Dude what's up?".
Neil replied "We've spent the last few weeks in shoots for an album launch with Sony (I think it was Sony) and they spent a couple of hundred grand on the promotion and then canned it. Those costs come out of my royalties!" He went independent after that!
A recurring theme that I see with my artist mates is the conflict between art/music and Capitalism!
Everyone has to earn a living and if you can do it through art, bravo but capitalism is a cancer on this planet, and it debases everything it touches.
I lived for a while in occupied West Belfast during the war, it was Rebel Music that made the war manageable for us and it gave us respite from the horror and suffering and a passionate release for our stress and grief.
I'll be eternally grateful for the musicians and other artists in my life, you've all made my life richer, merci madame.
In light of your love for Papatuanuku and our common love for the Waitakere ranges and West Coast I'll finish with a suitable musical interlude via the indomitable Kathleen Largey.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-ZkKw4UUs0
Thanks Kevin that is a lovely note - yeah We have been absorbed so called a couple of times, once by Chrysalis publishing in the UK too, absorbed by BMG and then another company after that. It was quite hard to find out who actually owned the rights to our music for a bit!