….or you would lose your cheap appeal

So, the axeman cometh in the shape of the slightly unloveable, and very unloved, Guy Hands – a one man ego felling talent squasher and harbringer of doom for the record industry. It’s quite funny watching various frightened managers feeling the benefit of his publicity machine (including the brilliant “robbie is going to be paving roads” wheeze he has pulled with the NME) but not even his sterling imitation of Ron Decline can avert your gaze from what’s really going on here: The record industry is fucked beyond recognition, and serve them jolly well right too.Amidst all the squealing about piracy, DVDs, attention spans and XBoxes, there’s a much simpler truth struggling to get out: The industry has, for a very very long time, peddled cack in a shiny wrapping and has now been caught out by it. You can’t seriously expect people to keep coming back for more when you keep shipping them a shit sandwich.