Music and Politics

I feel compelled to write about this considering just reading the news on Madonna rearing her wrinkly head in going to Eastern Europe (ever been there before Madonna???) and preach to Romanian residents at a concert that they’ve probably paid a lot of Leu (Romanian currency) for to be told you are prejudice against Romanian Gypsy’s (or Roma people), what right does she have to do this, play your songs and get the extortionate amount of money you get paid to do and lets be honest if it wasn’t for a line of ‘in’ producers and collaborators you’d still be using really bad synth lines talking about holidays.

Not withstanding the abuse of Roma people is wrong in many contexts not just in Romania but also in Eastern Europe, but isn’t this the problem of a nation and its people and not some pop act who calls it upon herself to get involved (even if you musicians are Roma people, lets just say there’s always a PR spin on that account). Long introduction I know but politics, most people hate the word yet many musicians feel it necessary to fight a cause they have no say and if anything boosts careers once it hits a plateau of endless riffs, choruses and never ending sell out concerts.

Case studies please…. The pioneer of Bob Geldof (ever heard of Midge Urie hmmmm?) and his famous ‘give us your money (I’m actually adopting an Irish accent when writing this), in July of 1985, this from a joke of a star who wrote famously about not liking Mondays (good thing this was on a Saturday). Not to give the impression that the intentions aren’t good, of course they are, but to think that high attendance levels and music will change things is very naïve at best.

Live 8 concert 2 July 2005, a special spectacle in which it showed stars care about the 3rd world, to raise awareness of the G8 summit, a summit in which to all purposes is an informal meeting between nations to discuss world issues, how can musicians shape the way these meetings are held, I doubt through Razorlight singing Golden Touch or Snoop Dogg rapping through his back catalogue (but it was good seeing Pink Floyd reunite), the point is again that Music and Politics should be parallel in their intentions, to raise awareness to influence is definitely a good thing but when do we draw the line.

Now to the fans who these artists are trying to influence, I would ask how many of them who got picked to go to Live 8 wanted to see The Who or wanted to see awareness issues of Civil unrest in Rwanda and The Congo, I think publicly we would get the first but privately I feel a different answer lays. To get the full picture its not about showing disturbing images in front of a mass audience, its trying to understand these issues, these nations in Africa, Central Asia and South America, the lack of infrastructure, civil unrest, dictatorship (some may call communism) and trade deals with developed countries, these are the issues people need to understand not giving £3 a month because people have seen a harrowing image on the T.V screen, once a nation has an understanding then maybe it can help, but to have Bono go on about the struggles while he’s a millionaire doesn’t speak to those people of intelligence.

A new breed of stars have got on the case like Bono, Chris Martin to name a few and others who practice philanthropy (which will no doubt end up with a cause to save the world), but with politics comes difficulties, a difficulty which these ‘stars’ don’t understand and are ultimately contradicting by living such extravagant millionaire lifestyles, when you see Bono ask him to govern a country with political ties or give his millions away?? Tone it down stars, tone it down, your message is not without merit but attempting mass artistic fortitude makes you seem like your going to far.

Current listen – Beak: Iron Action (Geoff Barrow)