Corporate takeover

[DJ B.K.]

With the cancellation of Lollapalooza he indie types are going crazy over corporate greed again. I'd say I'd have to agree with them a lot. Whether or not you care about Lollapalooza, here's a post from the message boards that you should read. It may not have any new informaion, but it's more condensed. I want to know what people around here think.

http://www.lollapalooza.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=555

 

[GuiltyCubicle]

With the cancellation of Lollapalooza he indie types are going crazy over corporate greed again. I'd say I'd have to agree with them a lot. Whether or not you care about Lollapalooza, here's a post from the message boards that you should read. It may not have any new informaion, but it's more condensed. I want to know what people around here think.

http://www.lollapalooza.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=555

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[Arwen Undomiel]

There is a dangerous current afoot in our industry... and it will ONLY get worse UNLESS we act!
The "INDUSTRY" has decided that supporting "minor" acts is not profitable...
The "INDUSTRY" has decided that independent record stores are not to be supplied with product...
The "INDUSTRY" has decided that the local promoter CAN'T book your city...
The "INDUSTRY" has bought YOUR Congressman and Senator to SCREW you out of your Entertainment dollars....

I always say that in 15-20 years there will be about 25 companies in the US, one for every major industry. Down with monopolies!

I hate Clear Channel anyway.

 

[DJ B.K.]

Here's the main posat altough the whole thread is interesting if you don't mind regeristing for an account.

A general question to the Artists and FANS of good music who read here...

Has Clear Channels hostile takeover of ALL independent major promotion companies AND buying of MOST outdoor pavilions and local clubs strangled our industry???

Not only does this behemoth OWN 1200 PLUS radio stations across the country, but they have BOUGHT or put out of business MOST independent promoters in the country (in the East, Don Law, Cellar Door are now CC booking entities, to name two).

The independent promoter was the BACKBONE of the "Live Music" industry... Who would have taken a chance on an "alternative" band like Jane's Addiction in the 90's in CHARLOTTE, NC if it wasn't Peter Conlin of Cellar Door? J.Add. wasn't getting ANY radio play in Charlotte... there is NO College Radio that has a presence in that Mid-Market... yet Perry and company played MANY shows at small to medium size venues in Charlotte to sold out ENTHUSIASTIC crowds. Now where do they go? Who takes a chance and books the new "Unknowns"? CC has a policy of ONLY booking bands that have a STRONG pre-sale history!

I have learned this lesson on a very personal level... I have lost THOUSANDS of dollars trying to put Artists I respect and LOVE on the road to play to the REAL fans... not to the RADIO SLAVES and TRL knee jerk idiots. But time and again, I have run up against the CC giant and their INSANE policies time and again. They NEVER promote their shows on their radio stations, they charge Artists for services and ad placements that either NEVER take place or are MASSIVELY inflated, and they are QUICK to cancel a show 3 days out if there isn't a strong pre-sale... I'm IN the industry, and I RARELY buy tickets ahead of time.... How many of YOUR fans have either credit cards OR enough cash in their lives that they can "invest" money months in advance for a show?? They show up a lot of times with the proceeds of a busted piggy bank OR a fistful of ones that they worked all week to get and they brought them to YOU!

There is a dangerous current afoot in our industry... and it will ONLY get worse UNLESS we act!
The "INDUSTRY" has decided that supporting "minor" acts is not profitable...
The "INDUSTRY" has decided that independent record stores are not to be supplied with product...
The "INDUSTRY" has decided that the local promoter CAN'T book your city...
The "INDUSTRY" has bought YOUR Congressman and Senator to SCREW you out of your Entertainment dollars....

You THINK that the LABELING for Explicit Lyrics was an interesting battle (that MANY of you didn't show up for)? What happens when the noose of the corporate and government interests is FINALLY tightened around our necks and they can DICTATE what music you see, hear and are able to buy ABSOLUTELY? There will be NO choice, there will be NO independent music... we are all playing in the ballroom on the Titanic, moments before the iceberg!!! Wake UP!

 

[stonetoflesh]

interesting... the ship's been sinking for a while though. I hate CC also and everything it stands for, but I just don't see it getting any better before it gets a lot worse. We can only hope that as the industry gets more and more bloated there will be more of a real backlash against it, something more than just angry words in forums. Considering the resources of the industry, how would one go about mounting an effective campaign against this sort of monopolization?

 

[DJ B.K.]

interesting... the ship's been sinking for a while though. I hate CC also and everything it stands for, but I just don't see it getting any better before it gets a lot worse. We can only hope that as the industry gets more and more bloated there will be more of a real backlash against it, something more than just angry words in forums. Considering the resources of the industry, how would one go about mounting an effective campaign against this sort of monopolization?

Tring to get bands to only play non-CC venues. Try to support non-cc venues as much as you can as well.

 

[Arwen Undomiel]

Which would seem to be a hopeless task - to educate the masses who follow like lemmings singers/bands that are out to make a buck no matter who is paying them.