It would be wrong to compromise his artistic integrity but I can't help thinking that all that money could have done a lot of good for the less fortunate in this world.
His decision, and why should he care about Cancer or Ebola victims? Rock music, after all, has nothing to do with charity. It's all about sex, drugs and rock and roll.
Bob Geldof seems to manage both though Planty.
Maybe you just didn't think about it.
No, not much to write about other than a has been rock god I never really liked letting his old mates, his public and (as Sir Bob might agree) the world down. So instead here's a picture of some random kid dressed as a cute penguin. Doesn't that tug at your heartstrings people?
Andrew Height
ReplyDeleteThe picture is ironic (just in case).
Vicky Sutcliffe on FB
ReplyDeleteI love it when you are ironic xx
Andrew Height
DeleteAs you know Vicky, I don't have a fucking choice
And then there was this:
ReplyDeleteNick Jones He could've done a lot of good with that money. What a tosser.
Andrew Height Agreed. If he didn't want it there are plenty of sick children who would.
Nick Jones Imagine being in a position where you can command that sort of money for doing what you love. Even if he no longer loves the music, or working with the rest of the band, FFS, it would still be worth going through with it if it means you could then give a shitload of money to whatever charity you care about most. Even if he kept half of the money, that's still £250 million he could give away. Talk about a Scrooge!
Ricardo Listeretti Fair play to Planty for not bowing to the blood sucking nostalgia industry and retaining his artistic and creative integrity. You guys would have him on the big reunion tour with fucking S express! He's moved on from Led Zep and won't be bribed to do otherwise - get over it. What's charity got to do with anything anyway? Take up with Stones on that one. Branson better advised spending his money on aeronautical health and safety equipment!
Andrew Height All fair points Rick. But artistic creativity? Nobody has talked about that since Andy Warhol. It's entertainment pure and simple, everything is. We all have our views.
Continued:
ReplyDeleteNick Jones The reason charity sprang to my mind is because he couldn't possibly need the money himself, and the amount of money on the table is so huge that he could make a real difference with it. I couldn't give less of a shit about him from a musical point of view.
Andrew Height On the upside a load of old guys have forgot their artistic integrity and recorded that awful Christmas song again. It will be really embarrassing for them, but they might save a few lives by making arises of themselves.
Andrew Height Arses.
Ricardo Listeretti But it's not cool Andrew - you just don't get it, but you can be excused on the grounds of curmudgeonly old age
Ricardo Listeretti I know, nobody's said that since happy days!
Ricardo Listeretti Anyway it's not the responsibility of musicians to feed the hungry children of the world (although many quietly do), that responsibility lies firmly with governments. Not only do you want me to produce an awe inspiring body of work, you want me to rid the world of Ebola .... and entertain you at the same time by churning out karaoke versions of my back catalogue whist you are doing what exactly? Perhaps we should get Ali and Foreman to reprise the rumble in the jungle.
Ricardo Listeretti Fuck your dirty money, I ain't fucking doing it - how refreshing!
Nick Jones If it cost 500 million quid to rid the world of ebola, and an ageing rocker was able to earn that money by doing a tour, then yes I would very much like that to happen. What would I be doing while that's happening, you ask? Well, I'd be doing the same as Mr Plant - working for a living. Just not doing such a successful job at it as him.
Ricardo Listeretti So if Branson's got £500m to chuck around, the answer is.......?
Nick Jones Branson is well known for giving vast amounts of money to charity. So is Bill Gates, so is Warren Buffet. So is Rupert Murd...OK I made that one up. But the others, yeah, their money isn't necessarily all dirty as you call it.
Ricardo Listeretti Good luck to em' - I'll stick with my love of music and champion the right to artistic freedom where I see fit. Not really interested in the charity giving credentials of tax evading mega corporations.
Ricardo Listeretti Worked for Branson for twenty odd years and I know he's okay - at least he's got some charming Brit spunk unlike those other creeps you mention.
Nick Jones Yeah, what an asshole Bill Gates is, trying to rid the world of malaria.
Ricardo Listeretti I just thought he ripped off Apple's operating system to make mega bucks - trying to rid the world of Malaria probably didn't feature to highly on the Microsoft mission statement.
Sandra Bouguerch It's probably not even true, not much is these days. He should do what he wants, when he wants and how he wants.
Nick Jones True, I don't think anyone should literally force the old codger to do anything he doesn't want to. Anyway, thanks for the debate, Ricardo. Kept me going last night whilst working till the early hours.
Andrew Height This discussion brought to you by The Full Thirty Minutes.
Ricardo Listeretti You threw a little grenade and then walked away you rascal
Ricardo Listeretti Rapscallion!
Andrew Height That's not an argument. That's a debate.
Andrew Height No it isn't.