"It's never going to happen for you, you know, unless you change a few things..."

  Just a quick post - I listened to a thing this evening that was in turn funny & jaw-dropping.  To me, it's indicative of the way some people see music as a business, and don't understand what music truly is to people.  It's a skill that musicians develop, a form of expression, a part of who we are, and those who are lucky enough to make any kind of living at it at all are pretty aware of how lucky they are to do what they want, they way they want to do it.

  Gemma Hayes is one such musician.  I have been listening to her records since about 2002, when her debut album 'Night On My Side' was released, and since then, when said debut was nominated for a Mercury Music Prize, she has grown over four albums, producing excellent songs and becoming more & more respected and independent as an artist.  Not only that, her live shows are a joy to attend.  Also, I'd give my eye teeth to be in such a position, career-wise.  If you look below, you will see her four album covers.

           

There are a further three EPs and nine singles.  Mark of quite a substantial career, wouldn't you say?

Enter Louis Walsh, stage left (literally), in the words of Gemma Hayes on BBC 6music:

"Louis Walsh - this is such a great story - I actually first met him for the first time, maybe two years ago, three years ago?  He saw me play at a show, and he was at the side of the stage, and once I got off the stage he said "We have to talk," and he said "I would love to work with you, Gemma, I think you've got loads of potential, ahm, but, you know, it's just never gonna happen for you, you know, unless you change a few things."  So I said "Well, give me some pointers," and he said "Well first off, you have to stop writing songs."

And I'm like, "Okay," scratching my head, [thinking] "Well, what's left?"  And he said "You don't need to do it anymore, if you work with me, I'll employ someone to write songs for you, and the second thing you need to do is date a celebrity.  If you're not in the magazines, you don't exist."  So he was like: "Are you in?" and I was like: "I'm out.""

  Can anyone else see why the music business needs taking apart & putting back together again, only without cultural morons in it?

Cheers,

J xx