Of music and morality

Feargal Sharkey is still punk.

Okay, he was wearing a suit. That brings his punk credibility down slightly. But still.

This was one of the most thought-provoking events I have attended. It only lasted an hour, but I could have listened to Feargal for a lot longer. His views on the state of the music industry and twenty-first century music in general are, to say the least, strong – but certainly, they are moral.

He covered the issues with the UK’s artists surrounding the internet, particularly illegal downloading, royalties and how he believes the lack of a figure such as John Peel has changed the way the public learns about and discovers music. And now he is the C.E.O of UK Music, the nerve centre of the country's music industry, let’s hope he can have some influence with his fierce ideals.

So, why is he still punk? Because he is not happy with something and he firmly believes he will change it. He does not want innocent people to get sued for mistakes regarding music licensing laws. He wants artists to be in control of everything they create, from touring down to royalties.

And I love music. So I hope he gets his way.

Stephanie-Louise Farrell