Waters told the Time that he feels “enormously privileged to have been born in 1943 and not 1983, to have been around when there was a music business and the takeover of Silicon Valley hadn’t happened and, in consequence, you could still make a living writing”.
The diminishing sales of records “doesn’t change my life in any way,” he shared with the magazine. Waters is “angry” at “this gallery of rogues and thieves [who interject] themselves between the people who aspire to be creative and their potential audience and steal every f—ing cent anybody ever made and put it in their pockets to buy f—ing huge mega-yachts and Gulfstream Fives with. These…thieves! It’s just stealing! And that they’re allowed to get away with it is just incredible.”
Similar statements were made last week by other classic rockers, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. The two members of Kiss spoke to Billboard. “I think we’re very fortunate to have come out when we did, and to not be relying upon an industry that has basically committed suicide,” Stanley said.
“It’s really sad for the new artists. Where’s the next Elvis? Where’s the next Beatles, where’s the Zeppelin? They’re out there but they don’t have a chance […] What are they gonna do? Give away their music for free? They’re gonna be living in their mom’s basement, unfortunately, and they’re never gonna get the chance that we did which is the saddest part of all for the new bands because there should always be a new generation of bands.”
Silicon Valley did not create their shitty 360 modern record contracts. Artists don’t get royalties because it all goes to the record company. Except for people who have bypassed that and gone completely independent. #macklemore Bands have an amazing opportunity to become mega stars all on their own. A small following on YouTube can quickly turn into Justin B. (I can’t be bothered to spell his last name)
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