Shirley Manson of Garbage calls out Music Industry

[NinaFromCanadaEh]

Garbage are currently amid what is likely to be their final headlining North American tour, and vocalist Shirley Manson hasn't minced words about exactly why they won't be touring over here anymore. After citing the "thievery of the record industry" as the reason to the crowd at the band's Washington, D.C. show last month, Manson went into additional details surrounding her concerns about the sustainability of the music industry for future generations, sounding an "alarm call" during a similar speech in Denver, CO, on Sunday (October 12).

"It has become entirely unsustainable for a band like us to come and tour anywhere except the coasts," the Scottish singer told the Mission Ballroom audience of the band's decision to no longer tour North America. "And it's upsetting, but we've had a glorious 30-year career and we really have no complaints."

Manson continued, "But I bring this up every night because I think it's imperative that we all start to understand what exactly is going on in the music industry," going forth to cite statistics about how the average musician only makes $12 monthly from Spotify streams, as well as the fact that there are no unions in place to help ensure that young artists get paid fairly instead of padding out the pockets of record executives and vendors like Ticketmaster.

"This is not a pity party for us, this is an alarm call for all the young generations of musicians who are in our wake, and who we feel duty-bound to speak up for because there's nobody speaking up for them," she said. "I bring this up tonight because you are the ones who will lose out on a generation of esoteric, risk-taking, creative, adventurous weirdos, rebels, agitators and provocateurs. You're gonna get fucking white bread."


https://exclaim.ca/music/article/garbag ... ustainable