U2 Manager Still Blaming Everyone Else For Not Giving Him More Money… As U2 Sets Record For Highest Grossing Tour Ever
from the contrast dept
Ah, Paul McGuinness. U2’s manager has been on something of a crusade over the past few years. Every few months, he pops up to blame every other industry for not paying musicians enough money. There was Google, ISPs and device makers, governments and, of course, evil bloggers. He’s also claimed that free is the enemy. Anyway, he’s at it again. In an interview with Sky News, he once again says that tech firms aren’t doing enough to give money to musicians:
“I really wish those geniuses who bring us Google, Facebook, Amazon and Spotify would get their act together,” he said.
“It’s not the downloading that’s the problem. It’s a bit of ingenuity and generosity that’s required from the people who are making money from the internet.”
The very next sentence in that article:
Mr McGuinness was speaking after learning that U2’s 360 tour, which began in Barcelona in June 2009, has now become the highest grossing of all time.
So, let me get this straight. He wants the people who are making money to “get their act together” and start figuring it out how to share with others because of “generosity.” So… um… can I ask, how much of this tour revenue is U2 sharing with other musicians? Just curious. And how much are they sharing it with the internet companies whose services they used to spread the news of the tour and the album? Again… just curious.
Filed Under: blame, music industry, paul mcguinness, u2
Comments on “U2 Manager Still Blaming Everyone Else For Not Giving Him More Money… As U2 Sets Record For Highest Grossing Tour Ever”
If Paul McGuinness wants more money...
If Paul McGuinness wants more money, maybe he should ask Bono for a raise.
Re: If Paul McGuinness wants more money...
I think that really goes to the core of the issue here, namely, Paul McGuiness wants more money. It’s not about Google, profit sharing, ISPs or whatever. It’s about Paul McGuiness and how much money we must give him. I don’t know what his salary is, but it ought to be doubled, and then doubled again once he gets used to his new salary. Then, once he spends THAT money, then we should double his salary again. YOU THIEVES ARE STEALING PAUL MCGUINESS’ MONIES!
“”I really wish those geniuses who bring us Google, Facebook, Amazon and Spotify would get their act together,” he said”
Erm, what? Google I can perhaps understand him having a (misguided) problem with as it can be used to find file sharing sites (as well as legal sources), but the others?
Facebook is a massive marketing tool, used by his band. Why do they need to pay him – shouldn’t it be the other way around?
Amazon and Spotify are selling access to his band’s music at a pre-agreed rate according to their licences. If he wants “generosity”, maybe he needs to renegotiate the contract or at least look at their business relationship. His label’s responsibility, perhaps, not of those who sell his product.
Perhaps the quotes are confused out of context and he actually means that those people should be coming up with new ways to make music profitable. But, why? Surely he has the money and connections to get a new company set up with the best and brightest to do this?
His comments make no sense no matter which way you take them.
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This could all be because he found out how much he stands to not make from the Spiderman Musical.
Did he formerly represent Metallica?
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Shhhhhh. Logic is never welcome when the thought of piracy is lurking in the shadows.
Obviously U2, and thus Paul McGuiness, would make way more money if all the tech companies out there somehow put an end to piracy. And since they refuse to stop piracy they should just give money to artists b/c…well….piracy….*hand wave*.
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“His comments make no sense no matter which way you take them.”
No but they DO make sense if you make one assumption: Paul McGuinness is not Irish. He’s Canadian.
It will come as a shock to many, I’m sure, but it’s true. Early in the 1940’s, McGuiness’ parents, who then had the surname “Abootman” before later changing it, then expecting the birth of what would be their first born son, fled Nova Scotia under fire due to his parents’ defense of social platforms for Inuit tribes in the northern part of the country. This was detested by conservative leaders that believed oil reserves could be found in the area. Long story short, Paul’s father was a civil rights activist and big oil, at that time largely a Rockefeller operation, put a price on his head.
In any case, Paul was born en route to Ireland via a ship embarking from Quebec. While his parents raised him to blend in with his Irish surroundings, including the name change to “Abootman”, he was schooled at home in the traditions of his parents homeland of Canada.
In fact, this story serves as perhaps the best evidence that this well kept secret is true! I mean, just look at the quote:
“I really wish those geniuses who bring us Google, Facebook, Amazon and Spotify would get their act together. It’s not the downloading that’s the problem. It’s a bit of ingenuity and generosity that’s required from the people who are making money from the internet.”
Do you not understand what he’s SAYING?!!??
He’s saying he wants “More money”. And when people are asking where that money should come from, he’s exclaiming, “The internet makes a lot of money. Give us some of that money!”
Canadian, for sure….
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Then the only reply to him, being a Canadian, should be “Take off, you hoser!”
One is the lonliest number.
That is, until it’s followed by a bunch of zeroes who do nothing for the group.
*shakes head
Welp, time to share the love of my music collection, since I’m not doing enough.
Anyone want the entire album Joshua Tree? It’s old, but still great.
“It’s not the downloading that’s the problem. It’s a bit of ingenuity and generosity that’s required from the people who are making money from the internet.”
So he wants everyone to be generous to him but he doesn’t want to be generous to anyone else.
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Seriously, the record labels et al demand 95+ year copy protection lengths and then they demamd that everyone be generous to them. What kind of generosity example does 95+ year copy protection lengths send to us? These people act hedonistic themselves and then they promote the altruism of others. I suppose that makes sense since hedonism can’t spread, those who are hedonistic must promote the altruism of others.
Now there's a headline
“World’s Richest Band Seeks Handout”
“The world’s richest musicians are not quite rich enough,” states manager Paul McGuiness. “More importantly, I’m not rich enough.” Recent 360 concerts have ended with Paul passing the hat for jet fuel money. The band members have been forced to get by on a per diem of $[insert unimaginable amount here].
When pressed for further details as to exactly why the internet in general owes Paul McGuiness (and by extension, U2) more money, McGuiness stated: “Because fuck you, that’s why,” before disappearing into a handpainted 767 filled to the ceiling with Cristal and potatoes.
Re: Now there's a headline
No room left for the blow? Come on, now!
Re: Re: Now there's a headline
Dude, Cristal+potatoes=TNT. TNT is far better than blow.
Made me think of that South Park episode:
…. This month he was hoping to have a gold-plated shark tank bar installed right next to the pool, but thanks to people downloading music for free, he must now wait a few months before he can afford it.
But we know from America?s noble effort to stop child pornography, not to mention China?s ignoble effort to suppress online dissent, that it?s perfectly possible to track content.
Chinese control is always the answer.
This is one reason when U2 is playing on the radio, I change the station.
Paul McGuinness – peeking out at the crowd.
Who are all those damn kids? Get off my lawn!!!!
the lion tamer has you beat, Mike...
Mike you would do yourself and this blog a service if you change the title of this article to the one suggested by the lion tamer.
“World’s Richest Band Seeks Handout” is actually a much better title and the only way to really make any sense of the comments coming from U2’s manager.
This guy flat out says that piracy isn’t the problem, as it would seem that he has finally realized that looking for money from pirates is not a good business model. Instead he turns his attention to siphoning someone else’s revenue stream, and Why ??? GENEROSITY!!!!!
Ok time for a huge WTF?????
Now I have to go read the original article, because this guy can’t really be THAT dense.
just pointing out this article from Pascal negre, CEO of Universal Music France, clearly saying that “one downloads != loss of sale” while saying “big downloaders hurt the industry”
Sure does make a whole lot of sense now.
just a bad person
Hm… thats called GREED sir.
Screw U2, Bono and this jerk!
I change the channel when they play U2 on the radio, I would not give them the time of day.
I don't like the cut of their jib.
Next he’ll be demanding money from me and I don’t like U2.
If I wanted to listen to old men sing love songs, I’d go to my local.
Not a Single Copyright Defender?
Bring on the Trolls! Where are the defenders of the **AA!
Oh, right. This totally underminds their cause….
I vaguely remember reading that he makes 20% of whatever U2 makes. I used to love U2 but since 1. Their move to making elevator music and 2. Bono’s NYTimes article I have moved on. Love Muse!
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I vaguely remember reading that he makes 20% of whatever U2 makes.
That used to be true, but has since changed. He no longer makes that large a %.
A few thoughts...
1. Greed is an insatiable monster. It is never satisfied no matter how much it gets. Paul Getty I think it was, at the time a billionaire and the richest man in the world, when asked what he wanted more than anything else, replied, “More money.” No matter how much a greedy person gets, it is never enough.
2. You reap what you sow. You want to be stingy with others, expect them to be just as stingy with you.
3. Suing your customers and potential customers is an excellent way to lose them. For years the RIAA and the labels have been suing people for downloading and sharing their music, sometimes for outrageous amounts (one individual,$millions for actual damages probably less than $50), so paranoid that someone else besides them might get some benefit from their works without their profiteering from it. Not only that, they want outrageous prices for their music, and then they wonder why their sales are tanking? Go figure.
A Confucius type saying these people might want to heed:
“He who screw customers soon have no customers to screw.”