Lilly Allen
Young British music stars Lily Allen and Patrick Wolf have slammed recent comments made by the likes of Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brien and veteran singer-songwriter Billy Bragg which slammed government plans to cut the Internet access of those who illegally download music.
As previously reported on Live4ever, the stars released a statement under the banner of the FAC (Featured Artists Coalition), which condemned the proposed new initiative.
However, Lily Allen has said illegally downloading music is having a ‘dangerous effect on the British music industry’, and suggested the FAC defended the actions of file sharers because they have already made size able fortunes from the industry. “I think music piracy is having a dangerous effect on British music, but some really rich and successful artists like Nick Mason from Pink Floyd and Ed O’Brien from Radiohead don’t seem to think so,” she wrote on her Myspace blog. “The Featured Artists Coalition also says file sharing’s fine because it ‘means a new generation of fans for us’. This is great if you’re a big artist at the back end of your career with loads of albums to flog to a new audience, but emerging artists don’t have this luxury.”
“Basically the FAC is saying ‘we’re alright, we’ve made it, so file sharing’s fine’, which is just so unfair to new acts trying to make it in the industry.”
“I’m going to be writing (to) British artists, saying just this: File sharing’s not okay for British music. We need to find new ways to help consumers access and buy music legally, but saying file sharing’s fine is not helping anyone – and definitely not helping British music.”
Her comments were backed up today by singer-songwriter Patrick Wolf, who also criticised the tone of the FAC’s statement. “I have been really inspired by Lily writing on her blog,” he wrote on Myspace. “I can only do my best in saying I am on the same ship as you all and the ship is sinking. But what is life without hope! Let’s start a new future, think about where all the lovely music comes from. Do what you can to protect the music you love, invest in physical purchases, think about the machinery that goes on behind making your favourite band so fabulous and inspiring, and how they should be able to make a living as well as you too.”
The row began when the FAC reacted to comments made by Geoff Taylor, of the British Phonographic Industry, who called on the government to consider “temporary suspension as a last resort, where accounts are repeatedly used illegally despite warnings.”
Michael Moore has alot of progressive views, here is his outspoken take on file sharing :
Do you agree with Lily, is file sharing having a negative effect on the industry, or are you on the side of the FAC, which feels that illegal downloading helps people to become music fans? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
She is totally wrong both idealogically, factually and practically. Ideologically, because new artist want their mp3s to be downloaded. fact. The explosion of new forms of copyright and the death of old intellectual property laws proves this. Factually, it is impossible to turn back time. We cannot ban and forceably “forget” P2P technology. It will NEVER happen. Young artists like us can’t imagine the repressive internet regime that Allen is supporting. Teenager not buying CDs and downloading illegally is a fact of life. Practically speaking, if you have the expertise to download bit-torrent, it’s not much more difficult to hipe your IP address. The government’s law will never work. If you can internet access, for most people, you are also cutting their phone line which is against the law and CANNOT happen (except if the government doesn’t give a damn about previous legistlation!). This law is screwed from the start. So what if my label can’t afford to pay for the London Philamonic for my next album, we make do! Boo hoo. But that’s life Lily. Deal with it like Ed O’brian has.
you know what f##k you louis!! lily allen is fucking awesome and can atually sing and her voice isnt edit go f##k yourself who do you think you are, there is a law you can download for free dip shit
Ow Boohoo, now Lilly cannot afford a Porche AND a Ferrari, that is so f**cking sad for her! She may even not own a private jet, that makes me so very, very depressed! It’s good this greedy creature decided to get out of the music business, because besides talent, it also takes character to be a great artist! If your mostly in it for the money: f**ck off! If you just love to make music, but the pay isn’t millions and millions: just f**cking work harder, you lazy bitch! There’s people who have to get coal from like a mile under the ground, to heat your stupid little castle with! And they do not get a fortune, so should they also stop doing their job? Because some people are illegaly producing solar energy? Come on, spoiled idiot brat.