Rebel Yell

Questions of historical accuracy aside……I’ve always rather enjoyed the film Enemy at the Gates.  For those of you not familiar with the film, it’s set during the siege of Stalingrad and tells the story of a duel between real-life Russian sniper, Vasily Grigoryevich Zaitsev, and the possibly not-quite-so-real-life German sniper, Major Erwin König. 

There’s a great scene early on, where Nikita Khrushchev (wonderfully played by the late Bob Hoskins) confronts the hapless general leading the defence of Stalingrad.

Red Army General: They have artillery, aircraft, tanks. And me, what did I have?

Nikita Khrushchev: A sacred duty to resist! 

I don’t imagine that musicians - or artists generally - have ever had it particularly easy.

As if being driven by a pathological need to be creative wasn’t bad enough, for a long time musicians have had to deal with being either ignored by or else royally screwed over, chewed up and spat out by, record labels.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, successful musicians (and probably no shortage of the unsuccessful ones, too…) have had to deal with being royally screwed by dodgy managers, crooked accountants and shonky venue owners.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, a while back Live Nation and Ticketmaster and their soulless ilk decided that they could make more even money out of musicians by monopolising the live music circuit.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, musicians then started having to deal with the emergence of file sharing……which turned into streaming……which turned into plummeting record sales.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, we now have to deal with AI bots scouring the Internet, raping and pillaging and otherwise plagiarizing our music……so that their owners can churn out AI slop and call it ‘music’…..which our actual music then has to complete with.

In the words of Théoden, son of Thengel: What can men do against such reckless hate? 

I have an unfortunate habit of writing songs which I am then compelled to have to live up to.  A song called My Own Drum comes to mind…

I am not afraid of the weave the Fates have made

The fabric of love lost or pain to come

But I will keep the beat that pounds from my heart to my feet

And if the song that’s sung today is not a song I want to play

I’ll write my own one

I for one, do not believe that the future of music - nor our future as musicians - has been written.  

Just because it’s on the TV……doesn’t mean we have to watch it.

Just because it’s on the radio……doesn’t mean we have to listen to it.

Just because it’s in the shop window……doesn’t mean we have to buy it.

Just because it’s on the menu……doesn’t mean we have to eat it.

Just because it’s the current thing……doesn’t mean we have to go along with it.

And just because we’re told it’s inevitable……doesn’t mean it is.

This past Saturday evening I played a living room gig at a friend’s house.  Fourteen people bought tickets.  We had a small PA and some lighting.  We had platters of tasty snacks, comfortable seating and a fire.  I had a great time playing and everyone I talked to afterwards described their experience in superlatives. 

It was everything a musical evening should be.

We are the ones who decide our fate - not the technocrats.

True, they have the technology, the money and the power.  

But us……what do we have?

A sacred duty to resist.