Garbage’s Shirley Manson: “The average musician can no longer survive let alone thrive”

Garbage vocalist Shirley Manson has taken to social media to address the current state of live music, sharing support for Union of Musicians & Allied Workers (UMAW) to try to change things.

On Garbage’s Instagram, Shirley describes the “enormous strain” that live music is under, explaining that, “The average musician can no longer survive let alone thrive under the current conditions,” and, worryingly, “A large percentage of musicians that you know and love are likely living hand to mouth.”

She adds: “So many of the artists that we revere and hold dear throughout history would have been utterly destroyed by this system entirely. Musicians cannot survive without being paid fairly for their music.”

Particularly focusing on keeping the live scene alive, Shirley continues that if things fail, “The whole ship goes down entirely. All you will be left with is the main stream. No alternative perspectives. Nothing loud. Nothing dangerous. Nothing weird. Little that lasts more than one album cycle.”

The post was supported in the comments by the likes of Against Me! drummer Atom Willard and Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall.

Read Shirley’s statement in full:

“Live music is under enormous strain. The average musician can no longer survive let alone thrive under the current conditions. We are seeing so many precious talents buckle under the economic injustice of a system that does not pay the creative for their artistic output. Everyone is vying for a handful of venues in order to make a small amount of money to tide them over until the next show, most sailing without a dollar of insurance. A large percentage of musicians that you know and love are likely living hand to mouth.

“Corporations are making billions of dollars off of their work and sharing none of the profits. This can not stand. We will lose a whole generation of young artists if it does.

“Let me put it to you another way: So many of the artists that we revere and hold dear throughout history would have been utterly destroyed by this system entirely. Musicians cannot survive without being paid fairly for their music.

“And if the live scene fails, the whole ship goes down entirely. All you will be left with is the main stream. No alternative perspectives. Nothing loud. Nothing dangerous. Nothing weird. Little that lasts more than one album cycle.

“That strikes me as a great sorrow for our culture as a whole.

“Please support the move to support legislation that is attempting to reverse this situation once and for all.

“Please support @weareumaw

“Pic courtesy of @nymag”

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