RIAA Reminds Me of The Mafia, says Musician
Written by enigmax on February 23, 2008Former Dead Kennedys vocalist Jello Biafra has torn into the RIAA, likening them to the mafia, threatening to leave a horse’s head in the beds of old women and children alike, whilst destroying the education of student file-sharers. Don’t even get him started on the media: “Goebbels would be proud” he said.
Born Eric Reed Boucher in 1958, Jello Biafra is no stranger to controversy. He first became well known as songwriter and lead vocalist with the band Dead Kennedys. The band split in 1986 but 1998 saw the start of a six year battle over the royalties to the band’s music. No doubt this was a miserable experience, so maybe Biafra’s outburst this week was to be expected.
In a translated interview with Norway’s Aftenposten entitled “Goebbels Would Be Proud”, Biafra tells us a little bit about how he feels about the RIAA, big record labels and even the media. He isn’t pulling any punches either.
“I have two different opinions on file-sharing” says Biafra, drawing a metaphorical line in the sand - with good (small labels) on one side, and bad (big labels) on the other.
“You may take from the big labels,” he orders, “because the only thing they do is steal from both the artists and the audience.” Not many would disagree with you there, Jello.
The ‘good’ side are the small guys, explains Biafra to potential file-sharers: “Don’t take from the smaller, independent labels. Then fantastic bands would have to surrender way too early, because they can’t afford it,” he says, whilst completely forgetting that popularity fills concerts and downloads are a good way to achieve that these days. According to MAMA Group who manage the Kaiser Chiefs and Franz Ferdinand, future profit is there to be unlocked - and it lies in the live concert. Popularity through free downloads could be the key to these, time will tell.
“Support the independent labels, but the big ones –fuck’em. Anyways, I haven’t found anything in many years which come from a large label worth buying” says Biafra, as he tosses aside his attacks on singular big labels and gets his teeth into the collective might of the RIAA:
“The RIAA reminds me most of the Godfather,” Biafra says, tipping his head to the side and changing his voice to Marlon Brando mode:
“We will sue you. If you want out of this without going to court, we can make an arrangement: Give us $5000. If not, you will find a horses head in your bed.”
Suddenly he is back to being Jello Biafra again, and talks about why RIAA action against file-sharers is wrong: “They are doing this to 12 year old girls, they are doing it to 80 year old women, and they do it to students. There are plenty of examples that show people having to quit school because they had to give all their money to the recording industry instead,” he says gravely.
Biafra then explains that he doesn’t do any downloading himself as he doesn’t have a computer before launching himself at the media: “It’s so dumb, that even the American edition of CNN is just a bunch of right-twisted parrots babbling about the primary elections, letting the war in Iraq pass in silence. Then it is up to the artists to fill the void.”
Then, in a final show of support for the small guy, Biafra concludes: “When smaller performers express their political views they are gagged. But when Mel Gibson or Arnold Schwarzenegger does it, then it’s okay. Because they fit better into the media profile.”
“Goebbels would be proud.”
For those who haven’t seen it yet, here’s a RIAA training video, that may give some insight into the organization.
Many thanks to Håvard
Previously: SXSW 2008 on BitTorrent: 3.5 GB of Free Music
Next: Mininova: Serving Billions of Torrents and Buying Bugattis
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if only more people thought this way but numbers will conquer the RIAA in the end only time is holding any real part in thew slow movement
There’s a video of the interview as well.
http://www.aftenposten.no/webtv/?id=8765&cat=24
lets lynch the lables
lets lynch the lables
It’s really a shame that Biafra started the royalties battle because he wanted all the money. Oh sweet hypocrisy. Anyway supporting smaller labels creates larger labels, hasn’t everyone pirated that episode of south park about walmart?
Let’s learn to spell Labels
Let’s learn to spell Labels
i did, good episode.
good message too.
but he is right, GO to the LIVE shows.
lol, oops.
[quote comment="296078"]Let’s learn to spell Labels
Let’s learn to spell Labels[/quote]
letz l3arn h0ws no be a tr0ll
rapping is my hobby
my house has a lobby
me lik bad buts3x
“It’s really a shame that Biafra started the royalties battle because he wanted all the money. Oh sweet hypocrisy.”
4 Feb 23, 2008 at 02:21 by GeRN
Actually GeRN you’re completely wrong, it was his former bandmates who started the battle because they wanted to allow Levis to use Holiday in Cambodia in a comercial. Biafra did not want them to do so, its after all one of his favorite songs.
Actually I have to correct myself, He did pay too little in royalties. He made a grave error that cost him a lot of money. Then came the battle over rights to the music, which is where Livi’s came in. Sorry
If the riaa were like the mafia, you’d all be dead or hobbling on broken knees to the truckstop to give blowjobs. torrents are for lamers.
Jello for prez. THAT would be awesome.
Completely off topic, but this will freak ANYone out, guaranteed.
How can he even think?
http://mindprod.com/image/people/cheneyhung.jpg
[quote comment="296128"]If the riaa were like the mafia, you’d all be dead or hobbling on broken knees to the truckstop to give blowjobs. torrents are for lamers.[/quote]
you sound like you had a rough life, by chance did they shove a burrito up your ass?
Lol, great new slogan for them.
“The RIAA, Goebbels would be proud”
[quote comment="296132"]Jello for prez. THAT would be awesome.
Completely off topic, but this will freak ANYone out, guaranteed.
How can he even think?
http://mindprod.com/image/people/cheneyhung.jpg/quote
Don’t worry about it, that’s just his colostomy bag! ;-)
Let’s sic Anonymous on the RIAA - after they (we) are done the CoS.
One step at a time, I guess.
Cheers.
In regards to that video, which is mostly about the physical piracy issue, it is pretty funny. However, the RIAA appears to be positioning itself in a manner more accustomed to legitmate branches of government, even though they are merely a bunch of privately-employed retired rent-a-cops. What the hell are they doing whispering shitty video nothings into the judges and prosecutor’s ears? Witness the apparently never-ending vista of the RIAA’s implied purview: (This is from the pdf that d/ls with the video…
“The illegal music trade attracts various types of criminals and groups of criminals who increasingly have connections to drugs, guns and in some cases even terrorist activities,” said Brad Buckles, Executive Vice President, Anti-Piracy, RIAA. “~… This criminal activity drives local retailers out of business and deprives cities and states of important tax revenue generated from legitimate purchases.”
Wow, now they’re experts in drugs and guns. And Terrorists. What a bunch of boners.
Re: RIAA training vid
Additionally, Deb, the sweet tail in the video, is ok on the eyes. She has prosecutorial experience, but who cares… Leaving us with Frank the ex-DC State Trooper turned dogfucker, whose head and neck could easily be mistaken for a spindle of pirated Aliyah CDs. The old schmuck is some sort of prosecutor dood, from Mayberry. He may also be drunk. You’ll be relieved to note he is apparently a easy-going drunk at that. I’ll be honest, I’ve seen more information on a PC Doctor instructional DVD. If I saw this is the store, I wouldn’t rent it. It wasn’t that good. Direction was slow and plodding and I seemed to know where the plot was going a lot of the time. I’ve seen this sort of video before.
To rate it: I give this movie ZERO Seeds.
Jello rules.
[quote]“Don’t take from the smaller, independent labels. Then fantastic bands would have to surrender way too early, because they can’t afford it,” he says, whilst completely forgetting that popularity fills concerts and downloads are a good way to achieve that these days.”[/quote]
I’m not sure if my quoted text worked correctly but he does have a point. Filling concerts is good for the band but if the smaller label that signed them sinks due to lack of record sales then the band goes down with the ship as well. People should make an honest attempt to purchase indie bands albums to support both the label and the artist, non-RIAA labels definitely are NOT the enemy. And besides, you usually get some cool perks with album purchases- Recently my brother purchased the new Steinways on vinyl and he got a bunch of stickers, a patch, and a handwritten note from the owner of the record label thanking him for his purchase. That kicks serious ass in my opinion and is the way things should be done.
Nice talk and [quote comment="296142"]Lol, great new slogan for them.
“The RIAA, Goebbels would be proud”[/quote]
, is good one.
[quote comment="296114"]rapping is my hobby
my house has a lobby[/quote]
You just made my day :D:D
burrito
Ohh maah gawwdz torrents are for lamers!
We all better stop downloading!
Lawyers kills music!
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