While out shopping today with my sons, Matt's mobile rang while we were in Smiths. He answered it and I could tell that he was talking to a girl, it wasn't the best place to have a conversation but he persevered. When he finished, with a big grin on his face, he said "that was Alice from Hadouken!" He had, in fact, been chatting to the keyboard player from his favourite band, who had rung him to say thanks for pre-ordering their new album and to tell him that she'd just e-mailed him a remix of one of the tracks.
The music industry is in a mess, with many of the established labels only interested in spending money on "certainties" whatever they look like. This means that no band or group will ever again get a chance to grow or develop over an arc of say three or four albums before they produce their finest work. All of us have bands who we love who we might never have grown to love if they only had one chance to make a killer album.
Web-sites like myspace and youtube make music more accessible but the real development comes with downloading which means that in reality you don't need a record label. The average teenager with a decent laptop and garageband can produce the equivalent of Sgt Pepper! As Hadouken seem to realise it's the fans who are now the key and phone calls and emails can only help in promoting their art.
1 comment:
Clare Grogan from Altered Images called me once in the 70's.
She reminded me of the "fifty yard" rule imposed by the court.
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