Page 24 - Black Velvet Magazine Issue 105

BV105 pg 20-25 centre.qxp_BV105 pg 24 29/12/2021 20:52 Page 5

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these days from people to ignore the truth, talk ends that have fucking caused this situation for "The music business completely and ut-
down to people and not be held up for the con- us! terly missed the train when it came to the digi-
sequences of their actions. "And this is because they have been told tal world. It gave away the rights to digital
"There is this idea now that people think that these people are on our side and they are companies when it didn't understand what the
the problem is, it's all just duplicity correct and not at all. They are on their own side and that digital world was going to bring to the music
I think there is a reason why we call it that. It's is what I find so frustrating because a lot of business and, as a result, people like me and
nothing to do with trying to stop your supposed people who might look at what I say and say, musicians all over the world are now the last
freedoms that you think are being encroached ‘What the hell are you talking about? We don't people to get paid for our work, and it's caused
upon, you're actually stopping the freedoms of agree with that. We're happy with the way an awful lot of people to leave the business be-
other people. If you're prejudicing against things are,’ and I think we need a real address- cause there is just no way of surviving.
someone else or you are rude to someone else ing of the balance as to what our relationships "Meanwhile, you have people like the chap
because of their gender, their sexuality, their with each other are. Not politically, not reli- who owns Spotify or the guy who owns Apple
political position, their religion, then you are op- giously, sexually or the rest of it, we need to Music, these are people who don't make
pressing them and you are stopping them from talk about what we are as humans and how we music, don't understand it, but they are the
achieving their own freedom, so you are actu- can work together, irrespective of our differ- people who have control over it, and I find that
ally counteracting everything you are talking ences, to try and create a greater common very difficult to take and it's worse than it's ever
about. world. I don't know if that will ever be or how been.
"I find that is kind of where we have got to. we will ever get there, but from my point of view "It used be pretty bad back when you
You have people who shout, ‘I don't care what I'm more than happy to keep trying. Again, it's signed to a record label, but at least a good
you have to say, whether it's true or not or right all we've got. Hope. And if I can change one label would give you money upfront as an ad-
or wrong,’ ‘It's political correctness gone mad.’ person's opinion about being kinder to some- vance to make a record, but even that's not
Well there is a reason why we have it, to pro- one, make them stop in the street and think ‘I there anymore.
tect people and give people a chance, because won't say that, maybe I won't think that or treat "As much as social media is amazing and,
it's the people who are marginalising society that person with disdain,’ small stuff, then it's don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-social media
who are beating people with the biggest stick worth it." at all, it's got some incredible features… Look
and are the first to blame others for everything at what I was able to do during the lockdown
when we should be blaming the fuckers at the peaking of one of our favourite lyrics with the Digital Busker shows (on Facebook).
top, frankly, and it enrages me! Sfrom the debut album, ‘the ones who There are lots of great things about it; the vast
"The sadness of it is… Look at Brexit, for shout the loudest do the least’, we raise our majority, in fact, is positive, but there is some
example. The very people who should have favourite from the new record, ‘Is there any really bad stuff as well and, for me, the worst
been voting against it in my opinion were the wonder we're all digging deeper holes when thing is, it has taken the mystery out of being a
ones who voted for it. The marginalised, the they've beaten up our confidence and killed our personality of some sort.
people with the least amount of money, those rock and roll’ from 'Sign Of The Times'. "I didn't think I would ever be able to meet
living in deprived situations, living in the poor- Toby explains the lyric. "It's a direct refer- Freddie Mercury, for instance, or David Bowie.
est areas of the country, and they are the ones ence to the music business that's kicked itself They looked like aliens to me from another
who are supporting Boris Johnson and his bell in the bollocks really. planet of our world and I didn't want to know

WAYWARD SONS