How a seemingly unimportant single sentence in a Government response to a petition tells you everything you need to know about why politics feels so estranged from the real life human experience
Substack has many good writers, you included. It’s sometimes hard to press the like button as psychologically, it seems wrong to like a post which describes a shit subject, it’s the only tool we have to support, or not the content.
Being a musician all my life I totally agree with you and the great work of the MVT.
I am shocked that a Labour Government is sidelining the arts. Although I have heard venues are in a similar state, Eire supports its artists in a meaningful way ie giving them money to do what they do. Surprise, surprise there is a lot of music coming out of the country right now.
We currently live in Portugal where venues are thin on the ground, but the plethora of festivals supported by the Government and local authorities, provide well paid work for many Portuguese musicians.
A depressing read, but spot on. And let’s also not forget how often the unknown, independent artists agree to play for bugger all. Because music venues and the community they create are so important. Thank you, Mark.
Absolutely, I love small music venues and after 45 years I still visit them for new bands, they should have support. Retail shops are struggling also, but I don't think the grocery sector is a good example. The big supermarkets are doing well and there also seem to be small independent grocery ships on every corner, including larger villages
Tellingly, online groceries is a loss leader or at best far less profitable for supermarkets. That's why Lidl and Aldi don't do it. Basically the physical stores subsidise the cheap online experience. You can see the analogy here, except instead retailers operating in physical and online realms, physical companies subsidise online ones so that the producer of the goods can more or less give it away free online.
Exactly this. And as soon as it’s gone, there will be a premium paid to get it back. Because the lack of it will help monetise the dispensing of it in the future. (Although, of course, ground up work will continue, un praised and unfunded regardless.) Rebel, rebel, rebel!
Substack has many good writers, you included. It’s sometimes hard to press the like button as psychologically, it seems wrong to like a post which describes a shit subject, it’s the only tool we have to support, or not the content.
Being a musician all my life I totally agree with you and the great work of the MVT.
I am shocked that a Labour Government is sidelining the arts. Although I have heard venues are in a similar state, Eire supports its artists in a meaningful way ie giving them money to do what they do. Surprise, surprise there is a lot of music coming out of the country right now.
We currently live in Portugal where venues are thin on the ground, but the plethora of festivals supported by the Government and local authorities, provide well paid work for many Portuguese musicians.
On the general subject of this article I wrote a piece on the merits of releasing music digitally before dropping our last album. It may contribute to this discussion: https://vibes.starlite-campbell.com/p/to-stream-or-not-to-stream
Mark. Keep doing what you are doing and consider us 100% behind the MVT.
A depressing read, but spot on. And let’s also not forget how often the unknown, independent artists agree to play for bugger all. Because music venues and the community they create are so important. Thank you, Mark.
Absolutely, I love small music venues and after 45 years I still visit them for new bands, they should have support. Retail shops are struggling also, but I don't think the grocery sector is a good example. The big supermarkets are doing well and there also seem to be small independent grocery ships on every corner, including larger villages
Tellingly, online groceries is a loss leader or at best far less profitable for supermarkets. That's why Lidl and Aldi don't do it. Basically the physical stores subsidise the cheap online experience. You can see the analogy here, except instead retailers operating in physical and online realms, physical companies subsidise online ones so that the producer of the goods can more or less give it away free online.
Exactly this. And as soon as it’s gone, there will be a premium paid to get it back. Because the lack of it will help monetise the dispensing of it in the future. (Although, of course, ground up work will continue, un praised and unfunded regardless.) Rebel, rebel, rebel!
I have shared with my Wolf Alice Fans Facebook Group. You don’t know what you’ve lost ‘til it’s gone as Joni said.
Inspiring. Thank you Mark.
You've hit the nail on the head, Mark!