Jon McClure: File-Sharing is an Overrated Issue

The artist thinks people should focus more on ‘real’ problems

Since lately the file sharing debate among artists’ has grabbed our attention to the full (check out last week’s posts), we’ll kick off the week with yet another post on how musician deal with the matter.

This time is Reverend and the Makers singer Jon McClure – who has come forward with a message that will rather upset fellow artists who have engaged into this debate – he said that currently there are other issues in the world that should interest us and that require our attention and that "rock and roll is about rebellion".

McClure expressed his total disagreement with colleagues who are trying their best to see the “three strikes” law implemented and support Lord Mandelson’s proposals to have illegal file sharers disconnected from the Internet.

"It's complete and utter bullshit because I don't see how millionaire rock stars are in any position to be lecturing kids on stealing their music," he said in a statement to the Press Association. "I think downloading music is a fact of life, and I think the people that are supporting this, like Take That and Lily Allen, that take the money from the kids when they're playing in stadiums, it's just an insult really".

Then he went on emphasizing the difference in importance between today’s hot issue and the ones people who could have a say should attend to: "If they really want to save the world, or whatever, there are issues that are far more important. It's a crying shame that it's only kids stealing music on the internet that kind of brings these people out. The bankers are taking the Michael, the MPs are taking the mick, Afghanistan, Iraq, melting of the Earth, you know what I'm saying. It's a sad state of affairs if that's the only thing that gets them excited, if you ask me."