<
https://www.positive.news/economics/imagination-and-creation-are-products-of-time-and-space/>
"On the first weekend of July last year, Britain’s flatlining economy got a
boost from two unlikely sources: heavy metal pioneers Black Sabbath and Britpop
heroes Oasis. Who said rock ’n’ roll was dead?
Leaving aside for a moment the cultural significance of these iconic bands
reuniting, there was an impact that could be measured in cold, hard economics.
Estimates suggest that Sabbath’s farewell gig in Birmingham – a city that has
cut its arts budget to zero – injected £20m into the local economy. Meanwhile,
the UK leg of Oasis’ tour, which kicked off in Cardiff the same weekend,
provided a £1bn shot in the arm to the nation’s economy. Not bad for two bands
whose members were on the dole before achieving rock star status.
For working-class creatives, music has long been an escape from hard lives.
Less so these days. The record industry that propelled the likes of Sabbath and
Oasis to fame is unrecognisable today. The collapse in physical record sales in
the free-for-all streaming age has gutted the sector, leaving musicians
struggling to make a living.
The loss of grassroots music venues – a third have closed in the UK over the
last 20 years – has compounded the issue. Cuts to arts budgets have been
similarly devastating, while the rise of generative AI poses further headaches
for creatives of all stripes, not just musicians – and all that amid a cost of
living crisis."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
