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Billy Corgan Asks Congress For Money
Okay, the Smashing Pumpkins frontman was actually asking the House Judiciary Committee to pass the Performance Rights Act, which would give artists royalties for having their songs played on the radio, rather than just the songwriters, but the end result would be more moolah for Mr. Mopey more bucks for baldy an increased revenue stream for Mr. Corgan. Pitchfork found the Getty page with pictures if you want to see him, all decked out in a suit and stuff. The Chicago Sun-Times has a transcript of Corgan's full testimony, including gems like "ours is a business that always begins with the brilliance of the artists." Sure, unless it starts with the cynicism of a label exec. But that's a kind of artistry! Anyway, Corgan was speaking on behalf of Music FIRST, an organization whose whole reason for being is to revise the royalty structure; internet and satellite radio pay royalties to artists and songwriters, while regular old AM/FM stations just pay songwriters.
After the jump: your farcically-named DJ tries to untangle this moral web.
As a former FM radio employee and current internet radio employee, as well as a supporter of musicians in general and a sort-of musician myself, I'm not sure where I come down on this issue. Sure, it seems unfair and weird that regular radio gets to play songs on the cheap, and artists deserve fair pay for commercially successful work, but the station I worked at couldn't even afford, like, pens, so I'm not sure where that money will come from. Plus, I get the feeling that at the level where this law might make a difference, an artist will already be pretty comfortable, but I could be wrong. Maybe Corgan should have just gone a step further and asked Congress to nationalize the music industry? Then, once you're in the Punk Rockers' Union, you'll just get a stipend.
Oh yeah, like Bulgakov's
Oh yeah, like Bulgakov's Russia: "We only feed artists here. Show me your papers and you can eat."
"You signed the papers. You wanted to be here!" -Drill Sgt. Leach, 1971
Subsidies for hookers and blow
Go count your iTunes bucks and STFU, please.
Punk rock, or....?
I don't know as that I really consider the Smashing Pumpkins to be 'punk rock'. Sid Vicious they're not. To be 'punk' is to be against, typically against The Man, The System, in some cases, society, at any rate, you're walking your own path, there, and being a little bit of a rebel, an outcast, and so forth.
Well, as we know, when punk or other bands have been around long enough, well, they start making a little money here, a little money there, next thing you know the torn Levi's and T-shirt are replaced by a suit and lawyers in attendance and they're fighting about royalties. So, from street punk to royal. Isn't that The Dream? I don't know, I think if you're a performer, on one hand, you should be compensated for what you do. On the other, The System is the means whereby you end up taking your place alongside other erstwhile creative standouts on the $4.99 sale rack at Wal-Mart, kind of a musical version of the runners from the movie, Logan's Run. Contract 'renewal', even, recording contracts with major labels that'll get you on the radio nationwide, and at the end of the day, who can really resist the allure of fame and fortune? Ask yourself this, if something you did, be it ever so humble as knitting your navel lint together, made you instantly famous, and people were sticking microphones and cameras in your face, would you refuse the Big Check?
That's a gut-check for these people, what happens when Mr. Big shows up in the limo, and offers me the Golden Ticket?
A lot of artists will end up as they started, starving, obscure, and quickly forgotten, and some will end up with gold records and in the hall of fame. The difference between category A and category B is how professional they are, and whether they're willing to be flexible when it comes to their ethics and standards. Just stay away from the hard drugs, that's all I've got to say...