I instinctively disapprove of obvious branding and am much more likely to be positively predisposed to companies that keep their sponsorship on the down low. but therein lies the rub; no brand - no visibility and no easily attributable credit. Whatever happened to the buzz that came as a result of anonymous altruism?
It got sponsored by Nike. When will Tony Blair be in the dock for war crimes, I wonder?
My guess is never. Just as it’s only a matter of history that booze is legal and marijuana isn’t. With Blair, it’s a question of whose in power, when, and whose empire of dirt is the most omnipotent. I don’t think history will be kind to him but he seems to be getting away with it at the moment.
I think the Iraq atrocities will follow him around like a bad smell for the rest of his pampered, cushioned life. I recently interviewed writer Chris Salewicz who has published a bio on Joe Strummer, were you a fan of Strummer and The Clash?
In spirit I most definitely am. The attitude, the energy, and the sheer balls that came across through the music was radical and exciting. Sonically/melodically I was challenged to a duel by them and the music left me feeling agitated and unresolved, which maybe was the point in the first place. I already had a young baby and so couldn’t/didn’t throw myself into that anarchic whirlwind lifestyle.
How was it singing on Neil Young's album, Living With War? How did it come about?
It was thrilling! It was combining my favourite things, singing and shouting about what’s gone wrong with our “Jesus take the wheel” form of government and how it’s been hijacked and being pillaged by this right wing cabal even as we speak.
I had flown into LA after having spent 2 very productive days recording the new album with Chuck Prophet in San Francisco, still high from the art we had begun to make. I was awakened around 8:30 am by a phone call from my great friend Dan Navarro (Lowen & Navarro) asking if I would be up for a 12 hour backing vocal session in the Capitol Records building. At first I was kind of blasé about it cause I was half asleep and sort of on vacation. But when he said “Kath, it’s for Neil Young” I let out a yelp and dropped the phone.
I had to be ok’d by the great Rosemary Butler who along with Neil conducted the choir. She had heard me sing and at a festival in Durango we had both played at the previous summer and so I was in.
Article comments
1 - Rob
Nice post. I recently blogged about how you can extend the Open Source ethos to not only software but also politics and even food and drink! There's a tenuous link between how do Naomi Kleins no-brand, no-logo cola, chicken curry, and beer affect globalisation.