Posted on 08/20/2002 9:27:13 PM PDT by weegee
LONDON (Reuters) - The United States has come up against resistance from a new quarter as it considers plans to take military action against Iraq -- British rock bands.
The campaign started last week with dance music trio Massive Attack signing up for the "Stop the War" campaign, headed by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament pressure group, and Tuesday it was taken up by "Britpop" icons Blur and rockers Elbow.
"The pressure needs to be put on (Prime Minister) Tony Blair ( news - web sites)," Elbow lead singer Guy Garvey told Reuters Tuesday, referring to Blair's refusal to rule out British involvement in a possible invasion.
"People have to realize innocent people are dying in their name," he added. "He (Blair) needs to know he won't be elected again if he keeps doing this."
Pollsters NOP found recently that 52 percent of Britons oppose military action against Iraqi President Saddam Hussein ( news - web sites).
Music Web Site www.nme.com quoted Blur vocalist Damon Albarn as saying: "There has to be public debate about this. We need a democratic discussion about the rights and wrongs of going to war."
Blur dominated the Britpop genre of the 1990s with anthems such as "Park Life" and "Girls and Boys," while UK music award-nominees Elbow are best know for the track "Asleep in the Back."
As well as rock bands, numerous politicians, social groups and even the incoming Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, have expressed disquiet about possible military action against Iraq.
This is not the first time British artists have criticized U.S. foreign policy since the September 11 hijacked airliner attacks on New York and Washington.
Most recently, singer George Michael released a controversial video to his single "Shoot the Dog," portraying U.S. President George Bush as a cowboy and Blair as his pet poodle.
British dance music legends Primal Scream have long been harshly critical of U.S. foreign policy, although they were recently diplomatic enough to re-record a song that they first played in August 2001 under the name "Bomb the Pentagon ( news - web sites)."
Washington and London are considering action against Baghdad although both governments insist no decision has been made.
LONDON (Reuters) - The United States has come up against resistance from a new quarter as it considers plans to take military action against Iraq -- British rock bands.
Folks, I've worked in radio for over 25 years and met more musicians (many of them very famous) than I could even begin to name. The ones who struck me as knowing anything whatsoever about anything other than music could be counted on the fingers of one hand (and most of them would HAVE to use their fingers to do the counting). Same goes for a lot of actors. In fact, very few of today's musicians even know anything about music, much less military strategy. They make the cardinal mistake of believing that just because there is a camera on them and a microphone in their faces, they must have something brilliant to say. Guess again.
On the other hand Ozzy Osbourne never went to university or college.
Oh really? These ungrateful, simpering, idiotic gobshite should just leave.
As for the NOP poll, that always skews left.
Regards, Ivan
I'm the wrong person to ask, I listen to classical music. ;)
My sister, however, used to write for a fanzine for small British bands - among the bands she interviewed where the "Country Teasers" (whose big hit was "Satan is Real Again"), the "Yummy Fur" and she knew a fellow whose stage name was "James Bondage".
Too much drugs, too much time on their hands and not enough brains to recognise either.
Regards, Ivan
Putting on another Renee Fleming CD...
I'm afraid to ask ;)
Putting on another Renee Fleming CD...
Good choice. This evening's performance in the general's house began with The Who, from "Quadrophenia", and has now moved on to Carl Maria von Weber's Horn Concertino in E-Minor. My personal tastes are nothing if not eclectic ;)
I seriously doubt that anyone but pop culture historians will even remember Elbow five years from now. I used to have a running gag with a friend of mine who did a morning radio show with me ages ago. After seeing or interviewing the latest sensation who was getting a lot of music press hype, we'd step out onto the sidewalk, and I'd say, "So, what do you think he'll be doing in ten years?" He'd always give the same reply: "Pumpin' gas."
About a week ago I read that this single is a big flop, selling only 3,000 copies. Hmmm...if an artist gets a gold record for selling 500,000 copies and a platinum record for selling 1 million copies, what kind of record does he get for selling 3,000? Tin?
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