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"Killing in the Name" For Christmas No.1

stongle

Crazy Elk. Mooooooooooo
Aug 23, 2002
2,842
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The Wynn
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Glenn, I realise you are a devout capitalist but don't you think the recent debacle with those bankers [convenient rhyming slang for their true nature] has highlighted a fatal flaw in that system?
Nope. The reporting in the media and the general comprehension of the financial system is so bad, the majority "couldn't handle the truth". If you look at the route cause of the current credit crisis, it is the decision by Clinton and his liberal cronies to force lending to the poor in the US. Add in a vast proportion of the populace living on Credit Cards, and you might start to see a picture of collective stupidity, not just a few hundred (globally) cowboy traders.

Many of the safeguards banks pay for failed, but you don't see the Rating Agencies getting berated, or the Shareholders i.e. Pension funds (whom forced profit chasing and cost cutting), or the regulatory regimes (forcing banks to hold this type of AAA rated Mortgage backed debt) take a large share of the blame. Nope let's just hit an easy target - bankers en masse; of which 99.5% had FA to do with the crisis.

Take the 50% bonus tax, that only hits the little people (yes I realsie that the banks themselves have to pay if, but they will just divert funds from the bonus pool to do so). Anyone culpabale for running up huge losses already got a donut or their P45. As for the Senior Execs, well they will probably take their bonus in stock options in a tax haven. Was a windfall tax on banks necessary? Yes, it was (after all Tax payers money that kept the system afloat); but not the employee's in general. Strange though that the Govt could quite easily double it's investment in the banks (Jan 09 Lloyds shares trade at 24.9p today they are at 49.2p). Bit of a better use of tax payers money than ID Cards, or subsidized healthcare for economic migrants?

Sure the 50% tax makes great reading to the great unwashed, but all it's done is to take money out if the wider economy. I mean I don't shop for a new kitchen in the Bahama's or buy my BMW's in Iceland I support local business.

At the end of the day anyone whom takes credit or is involved in any form of investment is in someway culpabale for the current crisis. Sure a small proprtion of bankers must take a large chunk of the blame, but do you say all doctors are scum because of Harold Shipman? I suppose in that vain you could say the system is failed, but if you want to change it you have to jump in your time machine back hundreds of years and undo financial activity from the first taxes (and let's face it Government finances these days are just one giant Ponzi Scheme of which make Bernie Madoff look a saint, but I digress).

Right, so relevance to X Factor. Sure it does on the surface look a bit unfair, but launching an artist is a major financial exercise, and a lot more goes on than just the simple production. Not only does he keep many people employed, raise millions for charity from the singles and phone lines (not too mention the Governments VAT take everytime someone votes). Look also at the benefits to the TV stations. If X Factor draws in 19m viewers then, advertsing sells at a premium, hence reinvestment in (arguable) quality program making. Sure it's low brow entertainment, but there is obviously a frikkin huge market for it!

Oh, and finally Simon has to pay his shareholders too!

(The support bankers require is also similar, IT people, news service providers, rating agencies, regulators, ladies of the pole etc etc all need to be paid before we do a single trade; we also have a cottage industry to pay for!!!).

Yes, the X Factor song is dogpoo for the ears and I am glad didn't get to No 1; but it's very easy to pick holes in easy targets such as Simon (or bankers) with little comprehension of what actually goes on.
 

Buddha 3

Hamfist McPunchalot
Aha, but Glen, I do know what goes on. Can I pick holes then? ;)

Believe me, the cuts in the music bizz aren't fair. Most artists do not sell enough music to be able to pay off their costs, while the companies usually do. And they do so off the back of somebody else's intellectual property. (I'm not talking about Simon C. here, as he IS working with his intellectual property.) The main reason they got away with it for so long, is because they were so powerful and rich, you didn't really have any other place to go to. So you got buttraped. And said thank you.

There were a few upstart indy labels who were doing well and were treating their artists fairly, but the big juggernauts just gobbled them up.

One thing this has led to is that most record companies have become like bulk carriers floating on the oceans. They have become so stuck in their ways, that they can pretty much only go one direction: Forward.
But then suddenly an iceberg appears in the form of filesharing and downloading and they are lost. This is where a lot of the more creative indy labels are doing well and the big ones are doing strange things (like sueing Youtube for essentially promoting their product... we all hate free promotion, don't we?).
The rise of the Interwebz has put a lot of power back in the hands of the artists and the big juggernauts don't have a clue what to do next. A few of them are bound to go the way of the Titanic. Oh well...
 

stongle

Crazy Elk. Mooooooooooo
Aug 23, 2002
2,842
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The Wynn
Visit site
Aha, but Glen, I do know what goes on. Can I pick holes then? ;)

Believe me, the cuts in the music bizz aren't fair. Most artists do not sell enough music to be able to pay off their costs, while the companies usually do. And they do so off the back of somebody else's intellectual property. (I'm not talking about Simon C. here, as he IS working with his intellectual property.) The main reason they got away with it for so long, is because they were so powerful and rich, you didn't really have any other place to go to. So you got buttraped. And said thank you.

There were a few upstart indy labels who were doing well and were treating their artists fairly, but the big juggernauts just gobbled them up.

One thing this has led to is that most record companies have become like bulk carriers floating on the oceans. They have become so stuck in their ways, that they can pretty much only go one direction: Forward.
But then suddenly an iceberg appears in the form of filesharing and downloading and they are lost. This is where a lot of the more creative indy labels are doing well and the big ones are doing strange things (like sueing Youtube for essentially promoting their product... we all hate free promotion, don't we?).
The rise of the Interwebz has put a lot of power back in the hands of the artists and the big juggernauts don't have a clue what to do next. A few of them are bound to go the way of the Titanic. Oh well...
I wasn't implying the music business was fair, nor is banking; however Pete made the comment and I was only replying. I just feel there is growing culture (especially in the UK) of hating on people whom do well, with the exception of footballers and z list wannabe's (but that takes us back to X Factor contestents doesn't it).
 

Dark Warrior

www.paintballscene.co.uk
Nov 28, 2002
6,190
23
0
www.paintballscene.co.uk
End of the day all this proves is that getting the Xmas #1 is down to good record promotion.

Hang on nothing new there then. If a good track doesn't make number one blame the record company not the opposition
 

SteRoberts

Pugwash
Apr 1, 2004
689
8
43
Wolverhampton
Buddha,

Is any of your knowledge learned from books or equivalent sources, or is it all on Job? If its books, any suggestions?

I went to a seminar by Martin Atkins (Tour Smart) a couple of weeks ago, it was very very very eye opening, i spent most the talk with my jaw on the floor.

Its all trying to build ammo and knowledge, i don't want to go another year with my band playing to empty rooms as we are much better than that.
 

Robbo

Owner of this website
Jul 5, 2001
13,114
2,157
448
London
www.p8ntballer.com
Nope. The reporting in the media and the general comprehension of the financial system is so bad, the majority "couldn't handle the truth". If you look at the route cause of the current credit crisis, it is the decision by Clinton and his liberal cronies to force lending to the poor in the US. Add in a vast proportion of the populace living on Credit Cards, and you might start to see a picture of collective stupidity, not just a few hundred (globally) cowboy traders.

Many of the safeguards banks pay for failed, but you don't see the Rating Agencies getting berated, or the Shareholders i.e. Pension funds (whom forced profit chasing and cost cutting), or the regulatory regimes (forcing banks to hold this type of AAA rated Mortgage backed debt) take a large share of the blame. Nope let's just hit an easy target - bankers en masse; of which 99.5% had FA to do with the crisis.

Take the 50% bonus tax, that only hits the little people (yes I realsie that the banks themselves have to pay if, but they will just divert funds from the bonus pool to do so). Anyone culpabale for running up huge losses already got a donut or their P45. As for the Senior Execs, well they will probably take their bonus in stock options in a tax haven. Was a windfall tax on banks necessary? Yes, it was (after all Tax payers money that kept the system afloat); but not the employee's in general. Strange though that the Govt could quite easily double it's investment in the banks (Jan 09 Lloyds shares trade at 24.9p today they are at 49.2p). Bit of a better use of tax payers money than ID Cards, or subsidized healthcare for economic migrants?

Sure the 50% tax makes great reading to the great unwashed, but all it's done is to take money out if the wider economy. I mean I don't shop for a new kitchen in the Bahama's or buy my BMW's in Iceland I support local business.

At the end of the day anyone whom takes credit or is involved in any form of investment is in someway culpabale for the current crisis. Sure a small proprtion of bankers must take a large chunk of the blame, but do you say all doctors are scum because of Harold Shipman? I suppose in that vain you could say the system is failed, but if you want to change it you have to jump in your time machine back hundreds of years and undo financial activity from the first taxes (and let's face it Government finances these days are just one giant Ponzi Scheme of which make Bernie Madoff look a saint, but I digress).

Right, so relevance to X Factor. Sure it does on the surface look a bit unfair, but launching an artist is a major financial exercise, and a lot more goes on than just the simple production. Not only does he keep many people employed, raise millions for charity from the singles and phone lines (not too mention the Governments VAT take everytime someone votes). Look also at the benefits to the TV stations. If X Factor draws in 19m viewers then, advertsing sells at a premium, hence reinvestment in (arguable) quality program making. Sure it's low brow entertainment, but there is obviously a frikkin huge market for it!

Oh, and finally Simon has to pay his shareholders too!

(The support bankers require is also similar, IT people, news service providers, rating agencies, regulators, ladies of the pole etc etc all need to be paid before we do a single trade; we also have a cottage industry to pay for!!!).

Yes, the X Factor song is dogpoo for the ears and I am glad didn't get to No 1; but it's very easy to pick holes in easy targets such as Simon (or bankers) with little comprehension of what actually goes on.
Glenn, I'm not ignoring you mate, I just wanna cut meself some slack over the next couple of days and try to acquaint myself with the views of some 'in the know' guys and then, when I respond, at least I won't sound like an ignorant twit ..basically, I wanna make sure what I intend to say is correct and at the moment, I am not too sure of myself.
 

Tony Harrison

What is your beef with the Mac?
Mar 13, 2007
6,518
1,874
238
A million is a small amount in tv/music/film terms.

I think a paintball team could blaze through close to a million in one season if they played both the PSP and USPL, and included things like equipment, paint, practice, flights and accommodation. etc.

And "Straight Outta Compton" is one of the best rap records ever made.

:)
 

Buddha 3

Hamfist McPunchalot
Buddha,

Is any of your knowledge learned from books or equivalent sources, or is it all on Job? If its books, any suggestions?

I went to a seminar by Martin Atkins (Tour Smart) a couple of weeks ago, it was very very very eye opening, i spent most the talk with my jaw on the floor.

Its all trying to build ammo and knowledge, i don't want to go another year with my band playing to empty rooms as we are much better than that.
I wish it were books mate. Would have saved me some trouble too...
The one piece of advise that has been most valuable to me and that I pass on to everybody that's listening is this: It ain't WHAT you know, it's WHO you know.
Work on your network. Speak to as many people as you can. Somebody is bound to know someone else that can get you in touch with some person that knows a person that.... Well, you get the picture.
It's not in the nature of many people to brag about themselves, but promote your own band and be bold about it. If you manage to meet some bigwig, just step up to them and open your mouth. And if somebody asks you how high you'd rate yourself on a scale of one to ten, don't be modest, say eleven! I mean, if you don't think your music is the sh*t, why would I think so?

Out of curiosity, what sort of music do you play? And got any links?
 

SteRoberts

Pugwash
Apr 1, 2004
689
8
43
Wolverhampton
Thanks for the reply Buddha :). That all makes sense, i think its kind of the thing our manager is trying to achieve, making new contacts and opening doors all the time. And as you say, taking the time to speak to the people you meet could well prove valuable.

We are called Fear Without Reason (added you a while back) we are a Rock band i suppose closer to pop rock than anything else, but with a slightly harder edge than normal. - www.myspace.com/fearwithoutreason

We should have our own website up in about a month with the new "Pay What you want" model for our EP, which is nice. Lol.

Thanks for your time anyway mate, help along the way on my quest for trying to figure this game out is always great and much appreciated.