Says music has been relegated to “tap water,” and that the “Internet has emasculated rather than liberated artists.”
In an interview with USA Today, U2 frontman Bono criticizes the state of affairs in the music industry these days, and says that only after TV shows and movies are as easily shared as music will govt take forceful action to curb illegal file-sharing.
That indifference will vanish once “file-sharing of TV shows and movies becomes as easy as songs,” Bono says. “Somebody is going to call the cops.”
“From punk rock to hip-hop, from heavy metal to country, musicians walk along with a smile and jump like lemmings into the abyss,” he says. “The music business has been thrown to the dogs legislatively.”
Bono wants to stand up for artists against illegal file-sharing, but recognizes that he makes an odd spokesperson for struggling artists being that he’s already made millions in the music biz. He’s no doubt mindful of being compared to Metallica’s and it’s pioneering anti-file-sharing stance which led many to see the band as greedy and arrogant.
“People think people like me are overpaid and overnourished, and they’re not wrong,” says Bono. “What they’re missing is, how does a songwriter get paid? There’s no space for a Cole Porter in the modern age.”
He also says the Internet has “emasculated rather than liberated artists.”
But, there is still space for a Cole Porter in the digital music age. The Internet has merely changed HOW he’d get paid. File-sharing will never replace live music venues of course, and was Cole Porter ever able to sell tracks instantaneously to remote places like South Africa or Vietnam?
I think not.
Music itself has not nor ever will change, only the manner in which audiences listen to it will.
“It’s not the place for rich rock stars to ask for more money, but somebody should fight for fellow artists, because this is madness. Music has become tap water, a utility, where for me it’s a sacred thing, so I’m a little offended.”
This is perhaps so, and many have called for blanket licensing schemes whereby Internet subscribers pay a tax for all-you-can-eat music consumption plans. But, music has in many ways become another form of on-demand entertainment like video games, movies, or TV shows, and although it cheapens the heart and soul put into an album, it’s the reality of the digital music age we live in.
jared@zeropaid.com
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They have been all over promoting the album but they faced one serious flaw.. The song Get your boots on is OKAY at best but nothing like VIDA La VIDA from coldplay.. Its on ew.com
It peaked at number 37 on billboard listening charts..
http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/03/sales-of-u2s-la.html
So for music surviving the INTERNET age it can happen.. But at least we know what we are buying and if its a worthy purchase. This album isnt.
Bono’s just made because U2 sucks anymore and he’s using P2P as an excuse for lack of music sales.
Hey Bono……..Go fuck yourself. I can’t imagine why anyone would dl your bloated crap music anyway.
Bono! At best the latest album is average. It’s just not up to former U2 standards ok. No matter what it would have been a below average album. Don’t go blaming the internet for that. You cannot expect to be no.1 all of the time. You are now alienating your audience and you will become history if you continue along this path attacking filesharers. Maybe you should consider you next Album to be called “History” . But I guess MJ beat you to that one.
Bono let me tell you just this: Thank you for your music. It’s really great for boosting up the ratio.
He just hates being called “Number 2″
Have to agree with Shawners here the quality of U2’s work is amateurish. U2 relegated themselves to being just another face in the musical crowd. Quite frankly it seems like they just don’t care and music is just an avenue to fund their other interests. As such their opinion holds very little value in connection to the modern music infrastructure. The laws need to be opened up to foster creativity and allowed true artist to flourish. Let the corporate formulas go the way of Freudian psychology.
He blasts file sharers yet EVERY U2 album is available for streaming on their Myspace plus they put the ENTIRE new album up as SOON as it leaked!!!
HEADLINE… tv shows and movies are already just as easily downloaded as music. A simple example of how these people have no clue how this all works.
moveies and games
Bono ????
Bono You have an offshore tax haven in the Netherlands when you stop avoiding your responsibilities to society and force the poor to pay for you by way of filling the tax gap maybe I’ll think about your proposal. Or maybe not you arrogant twat.
People Like ‘Bono’ are so wrapped up in how much can they make they long ago lost all creative spark that made their music relevant.
How narrow-minded.
If he wants to pin some blame on how music has been relegated to “tap water”, he should just look in the mirror. MP3 players and places like iTunes have done that much more than file sharing (which has been going on since the days of the first cassette recorders, I might add). And lest we forget, Bono and U2 had no problem endorsing iPod’s, just a few years back.
Congratulations on continuing to alienate your fan base.
totally agree