Death of the Music Industry & Late Late Show

Just noticed more articles about the death of the music industry turning up, the Sunday Times (spit spit - someone else bought it) magazine had a big thing about falling record sales etc, last night on the BBC there was somethign about music becoming more local and then this morning RTE Radio 1 Morning Ireland has a journalist talking about the decline of the music industry. Mp3s etc get fingered a little but also shorter shelf lives of bands as the speed of change hots up (Gomez was the example this morning), increasing localisation of music (lots of bands big in an area or country but not international - fewer international superstars which make loads of money. Eminem is the exception, Coldplay prove the rule), the consolidation of the industry coupled with greater than ever tighter financial approach to the business (repeat winning formulas ad nasueum, drop band first sight of non-success) and the end of the cd chas cow (no longer as many re-issued albums to sell again for zero or little marketing) were all cited. All true. The one new thing I saw was that the music industry was making/worth 1 billion at the end of the 60s and that rose to 20 billion in the 80s, a huge increase, I thought it would have been worth a good deal more in the 60s, I suppose they just started milking it more etc.

And unrelated - but your ever dedicated Beard! tuned in to watch the joyless Late Late show. This time Oasis were on it. Didn't hear the song but Liam (for Noel was at home) gave a gum chewing, short answered, sunglassed interview with idiot Kenny. Des'ree were on later.

One last thing - Chris Morris won the Bafta for short film, I mention this because Beard! is friends with one of the people (Anne Boyle) involved with one of the other nominations (Good Night - she was the cinematographer, Sun-Young Chun was the director) and had been rooting for her. Anyway when they get the kind of money Chris Morris had access to, we shall see who will be the winner.