The Performing Rights Society, in the UK, the body supposedly responsible for collecting and distributing fees for musicians, is now trying to make itself as hated as the RIAA in the USA. They are now putting pressure on small businesses, garages, shops etc and trying to extract money for any music played on the premises where more than four people share the space. One would have hoped that they would have had a little more common sense.
Firstly, this is a time of recession and demanding yet more money from small businesses who are already experiencing big problems with cash flow is both ill considered and ill timed. As one garage proprieter said on radio, "It't yet another tax!" Secondly, this is also a time when lots of young people are downloading music from the net some, illegally. and this measure will only drive more of them away from the traditional routes. Clearly the PRS are only semi conscious and have forgotten that if people en masse cannot hear the music, then why would they ever want to buy it.
The idiots at the PRS dont seem to realise that music and musicians, depend on the public hearing hearing their creations, whether this be on radio or on a CD or tape in a shop or a garage or wherever. in order to develop a liking for it. This is especially so if the music is ethnic and well off the mainstream as it does not often get played anywhere else.
The PRS are already getting money from the Radio stations for playing the music which they should also be supplying free and though they are quick off the mark at demanding the dosh, they can take many months to actually distribute it to the waiting artists as several of them have told me. Its not just recorded music thats being threatened by these plonkers, even those punteres who attend live gigs and which are now the mainstay of income for even the biggest bands have to hear the tunes somewhere otherwise, why would they want to go? This load of bollocks comes from the same source as the whinging about how cassettes would destroy the music industry and VHS recorders would be the end of Hollywood. See also, CDs, DVDs, MP3s etc etc. Suffice it to say that the only thing that really will destroy the music and movie businesses is outragious prices for CDs and DVDs and crappy formulaic tunes and masturbatory soap operas.
These people are nothing less than greedy philistines, (apologies to practising philistines. ) and I hope that they rot in musical hell for eternity for their hypocrisy along with their brethren, the Bankers destined to listen forever to the most dreadful imaginable musak provided by third rate tribute bands.
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