I was speaking to a musician friend last night about how just quiet things are out there and with much of the music lost to the power and pomposity and media hype of personalities, quasi celebs and music channels that have lost their bit and which have become the New Muzak. No one- or very few- really care. Sure, consumers are listening to more music than ever before- maybe- but no one is buying it.
As we headed down this dark, one way street, he stopped me and said, “Mate, if I think too much about this, I wouldn’t want to get out of bed. I still need to gig and, okay, the gigs don’t pay as much before and few are buying music though many are listening to it, but musos need to keep getting their music out even if they make no money.” And here I have a problem: People making art and giving it away for free.
As for my mate, we talked about an “integrated” music project we’re working on, the different creative and business streams attached to it and the seed money needed to get it off the ground. As with anything in life, the buck stops with the buck and making music as a career which means making music as a business cannot survive on love and fresh air, pie in the sky ideas and wishful thinking. Sure, it needs love and passion and all that other good stuff but, as in love, marriage and the whole damn thing, it all comes with a price tag attached and a need for angel investors ‘cos the majors and music publishers are still the devils controlling whatever little of the “business” is still up for grabs.
On the subject of music, Jasper Donat from Branded sent me an email a few nights ago about music blogger Bob Lefsetz going to India for the first time for, I guess, another of those music conferences. Apparently, this will be Uncle Bob’s first trip there and where he would “observe and learn”. Great. But “learn” what exactly? If it is to watch a 20/20 cricket match and bring the concept to the States, I would be the first to applaud him.
If it is to understand how and why Vijay Mallya is known as the Richard Branson of India, what he has done for Formula 1 in India and plans to do for horse racing- not music- great. This is progress and if music can tie in with these cash-rich industries, even better.
But to travel across the great waters to “learn” about the music industry in India and listen to another flatulent speech from Vijay Lazarus and spewing a few f* bombs on stage while he’s at it, well, this might be a riot for those “dudes” who still think this is “Rock’n roll” and “cool”, but it’s not for me and makes for tepid listening and, personally, very boring viewing. And seeing the few views Lefsetz’s interview with Ralph Simon in Singapore a few months has received and seeing the same old three comments, well, I guess many agree with me or haven’t even bothered checking it out.
I was in Mumbai a few weeks ago to understand the horse racing setup in Calcutta and met up with some of my ex colleagues from my music industry days.
What did I learn from them? Nothing I haven’t heard before- the domination of Bollywood, the same names controlling it, mobile phones and music, how popular Akon is in India along with big names like David Guetta and how much they are paid to perform there- same with Snoop Dogg or whatever the hell he is called today- plus India’s penchant for old school Judas Priest type rock and the local imitators this has spawned.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI8dR4eAJAs&feature=fvwrel
Apart from the incredible Raghu Dixit Project and the excellent Bassist named Gaurav, there is little of any musical value for markets outside of India.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP6n9WPc1_I
Harsh, but true as, gawd knows, I tried to break Indian artists and Bollywood actresses who wanted to be singers for years- but to mute responses from “head office”. AR Rahman was banging away for years before Hollywood even noticed. Speaking of Bollywood, wonder whatever happened to that English record by Pryanka Chopra which was supposed to be released by Universal. Jeez, that’s an original idea. Ms Chopra has been trying to make this record for almost fifteen years. Sorry, but she’s crap and getting on and where in the world would this record sell? Seems like a vanity project so that the actress records a record for the India and Dubai markets- if there are any.
As a film market and cash-rich investors galore trying to be big time Hollywood players, India has much to offer and which is why Spielberg/DreamWorks and others have gone there with a begging bowl- not to observe and learn, but to bow, scrape, kiss ass and collect.
The music industry? Forgetting India, where are the investors and, more to the point what can they invest in other than owning a huge music publishing library? A losing proposition for money laundering and which the Hong Kong music “industry”, for example, is all about, fine. The industry was raped and pillaged long ago by “legends” who are billionaires today long before even Albert Yeung and his all-powerful EEG arrived on the scene to pick up the crumbs.
Same goes for the China music market which is now dead, dead, dead and with amateurs trying to run it- and failing.
Sadly, India looks like being the “new China” when it comes to being “potentially one of the largest music markets in the world.” Potentially. Gawd knows, my old mate Robbo and I flogged that same line for China for as long as possible and when well-knowing we were talking crap to “head office.”
But despite all the mantras about “gigging”- where, and who’s gonna help new artists?- all the new “distribution” channels, all the technology, all the new names that were going to change the face of music, nothing has changed, there is still no money and with the industry either having gone through a lobotomy or needing a massive facelift which will make Bruce Jenner look normal
Having the same tired old faces mouthing the same old platitudes and NO RESULTS from anyone despite all the now-very familiar mantras, doesn’t help. It’s more about regression than progression and with the same puppet dancers doing the same old dance with their same old lemmings and with no one listening to the consumer and their wants and needs. Yes, ignorance is bliss, arrogance is a pisser and the more things change, the more they stay the same.
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