Monday, 20 March 2017

Children of the Revolution?, Nah, they love the easy life!


 

 
I got a text last week from a mate. They are usually quite thought provoking and inquisitive, I’m sure he’ll agree! But this one struck a bit of a nerve.
 
The said text asked me “Eddie Vedder ... the most influential political figure in music over the last few decades?”
 
An interesting and somewhat controversial subject, I’m sure you will agree. But, there is meaning and a certain degree of substance here! Eddie Vedder - solo artist and lead singer of extremely superb 90’s grunge band Pearl Jam (sorry for using the word ‘grunge, as I fucking hate the word) is one of the very few musicians to walk the earth who actually has morals, integrity and, above all – respect for the industry and fans he represents

Now I’ve actually been thinking/working on this blog for a while, but, you could say, the afore mentioned text kind of got me thinking – where are the thinkers, thought provocateurs,  intelligent and damn right awkward scoundrels in music now a days? But, above all – where are the protest singers?

Now, politics and music, I’m sure you are all thinking – here we go again with another left wing political rant (see my Face book for more details). But, as proud as I am of my left wing roots and keen interest in all things popular culture, I have to say – they have both been missing a certain intimacy between the sheets over the last decade or so

But, back to Vedder – he is, without doubt, VERY political. I loved the fact that Pearl Jam stood up to the likes of Ticketmaster for ripping fans off and refused to participate in any promotions/gigs that involved them. Seriously good on them for that

But, ARE they political and WHAT does being a political artist, or indeed, making a political statement undertake?

Well, we certainly live in an age when everyone has a political opinion (ahem). Strange days indeed!

But, you get the feeling these days it is ‘trendy’ to be political – especially within the music arena

An example being Beyonce’s performance at last year’s Super bowl (or, Superbowel as I like to cal it). In case you never seen it, she, rather superbly, made a point about standing up for the Black Lives Matters movement. Good on her! But, without sounding disrespectful here, was she really standing up for black lives, or was she using her status, and stage, to promote her own persona?

Maybe she was and I’m reading into it too much, but with such uber-mega stars (yup – I hate using that reference as well), you have to question her integrity here! Black, and standing up for fellow black people, yes she is, I have no problem with that! But political, to the point of actually caring and giving a true shit about her fellow black brethren, I have doubts about that.

Doubts – the reason being as she really doesn’t have anything to lose! She could walk on stage with a dildo shoved up here arse and still be seen as a champion of women’s right! She could walk on stage holding a gun to a 3 year old kid’s head and be seen a champion of the NRA. She could.... you get the picture  

But, how, and when, is being political truly being honest? The answer is – unless you are a truly establishes, mega star, like Beyonce, you will never be given the chance to be!

The reason you will never be given the chance to be a political musician (apart from being signed to a label that will let you express your true thoughts politically) is that, quite simply, you make too much money to keep your fucking mouth shut!
 
Record labels do not want some Billy Bragg-type ‘Leftie’ spouting off about cuts to the NHS, austerity, bankers bonuses, paedophile politicians and a bent justice system, they want nice songs about, love, clouds, children playing, girls, boys, holding hands, laughing, drinking,

The labels also don’t want to hear about people taking drugs! Why? Because they are in cahoots with drinks manufacturers! For a singer/band to promote the use of recreation drugs instead of a nice, ice cold can of Budweiser, would be sacrilege (and will piss the promoter off no end!!)  

But, this is my point; singers/bands are paid too much to BE quiet! They are paid far too much money as in the level of what certain (decent) footy players are paid! They have it good! Why fuck it up just for standing up for the man in the street? The over worked nurse in the A&E ward? The under paid factory worker on a zero hours contact on a Sports Direct warehouse?
 
True political activist artists are sadly the established ones that no one listens to anymore! And that pisses me off!

As I’ve mentioned above, everyone is too scared to open their mouths these days! There are no more ‘thinkers’ anymore! There are no more ‘narks’ anymore! There are no more people willing to ‘upset the applecart’. But, as someone once said – we live in strange days!

So! To any ‘Protest Singers’ out there, we are currently living in an age when your rights are being abused and taken away from you! You are living in an age of a sexist, racist megalomaniac being in control of the largest haul of nuclear weapons in history! You are living in an age of crazy dictators pointing weapons at countries just because he didn’t get a blow job from an A List celebrity this morning! You are living in an age of your country leaving a union that has peacefully existed for more than 50 years both socially and economically because of the words of the knuckle dragging Murdoch reading Edge heads who believe the words of arseholes like Farage and Johnson! You are living in an age of when it’s ok to slag off the poor and under privileged, but turn a blind eye to banker’s bonuses and establishment figures that shag kids and stick their cocks into the heads of dead animals! You are living in an age of where you think you are winning ...... but the bad guy is always one step ahead of you ... and you think: “fuck it! Can’t be arsed!”
 
But, that’s the problem – “can’t be arsed”. “Cant be arsed” standing up to the bankers! “Cant be arsed” standing up to the paedophile politicians! “Can't be arsed” supporting an MP who has moral scruples because the right wing media says he supports terrorists!
 
... That’s gotta be food for thought!

... Go and get a pen and a guitar and I’ll give you a listen (and a thought)

 
 

Mol

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