Wednesday, February 04, 2009

An Old Stevie Van Rant To Pass Along


How the Record Companies are Killing Rock Music
Die, Greedy Swine! Die! Die!

By Little Steven Van Zandt

When we last tuned in, puns intended, our stalwart record companies had completely given up on the idea of actually making great records people might want to buy, and had instead decided to charge radio stations for having the audacity to broadcast their records over the airwaves willy nilly so that even the unwashed unsubscribed could hear them.

Now it's the rights societies turn to go after those thieving huckleberries who run nightclubs, coffee shops, restaurants, and hair salons.

And do not think for a minute you sneaking, sniveling dentists are safe either. It'll take more than laughing gas to save your ass.

The license fee in Australian nightclubs playing records Aussie just went from 7 cents to $ 1.05 per customer - and if there is dancing, from 20 cents to $ 1.07 per person.

Just in case you're thinking that might bode well for live music, think again, my friend. Performance rights organizations are now going after coffee shops where folk duos play to 50 people.

In Canada the Society of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers is going after Barbers, Hairdressers, and, yes, dentists who play music of any king that their customers can hear.

Have you had enough yet? No?

OK, just one more, and then we can all go back to denial.

A restaurant in Florida was contacted by a company that said it had to pay a license fee for music or it would be fined.

"But we do not play music," the conniving scoundrel claimed.

"You broadcast Monday Night Football do not you?" our protector and savior asked.

"Yeah, so what?"

"We own the rights to Hank Williams, Jr. 's" Are You Ready For Some Football, "and you're broadcasting it."

Long pause. Looking for the Candid Camera, no doubt.

"I'll tell you what," the former New Jersey restaurant guy says. "Next Monday, when Hank comes on, I'll turn the sound down."

Click.

See you on the radio.

Little Steven Van Zandt plays guitar in the E Street Band, played the role of Silvio Dante in The Sopranos and hosts the syndicated radio show, Underground Garage. He can be reached through his website.

1 comments:

garage 66 & mojo repair shop said...

The Record Companies suck all of the life out of everything.
Wait until they start coming after more blogs,and then we're toast.
I'd turn the Hank Williams song down anyways....thou it is un-American of me,it's a lousey track.
He never was as good as his Dad.
And Junior goes after anyone who tries to sell anything with his Dad's picture on it.He's gotta have his cut. As if he's not rich enough...just from that football song. This world is full of greedy shits.