Sour note as agents and artists clash over music file sharing

A fight has broken out in the music industry as managers behind artists from Arctic Monkeys to Pink Floyd have attacked moves by a leading industry body to oppose a government crackdown on internet piracy.

The managers have branded comments from The Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) – a group fronted by musicians from bands including Radiohead, Blur and singers such as Tom Jones, Annie Lennox and Kate Nash – as “outrageous” and “mad”.

FAC said last week that it “vehemently opposes” the government proposals to switch-off file-sharers’ internet connections. The FAC claimed that despite the damage that file sharing does to sales of their records, it can also encourage people to buy concert tickets and merchandise.

Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys and Kings Of Leon to headline at Reading FestivalBut leading managers of new and established artists oppose the FAC views.

Paul Loasby, who manages David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, Jools Holland and a host of new artists, said the FAC’s viewpoint will lead to a “complete destruction” of new artists’ careers. He will meet with the FAC tomorrow to highlight the need for the music industry to share a single viewpoint on illegal file-sharing.

“The government is doing something, which is good news after dilly-dallying over this issue for years. This is a suspension and is not as if [illicit] peer-to-peer [file-sharing] is being seen as a criminal activity,” he said.

“Illegal file-sharing is a complete destruction of some people’s livings. You name me something else other than music that lasts for life and costs only 79p,” said Mr Loasby.

Colin Lester, who has signed and managed the careers of artists such as the Arctic Monkeys, called the comments of the FAC and a number of its artists “outrageous”.

“It is very easy to be charitable when you are rich. Most of these [FAC] artists don’t earn their money from the recorded music business. They earn from the live business,” says Mr Lester.

“It is mad that we can’t agree as an industry where to go. I find it amazing that there is a clash within the industry. We need to stand together to make ISPs’ [internet service providers'] jobs harder.

“Young artists should be paid for their work. I don’t know why it is called filesharing. It is stealing music. If there is no money for R&D, how are labels going to sign new artists. Record labels are still the biggest spenders on new artists in the world,” he added.

Mr Lester said he plans to “talk to the FAC, managers and educate people. “I still sign new artists and I still want record labels to sign them.”

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