Friday 30 August 2013

Amanda Palmer Does A Book

That Amanda Palmer is at it again. She's going to write a book and she's asking for our comments, suggestions, criticisms, love and hate, all around crowdsourcing, crowd-funding, whatever you call it. And who better? She is, after all, the Queen of Kickstarter and other miscellaneous titles, the doyen of TED talks and a raconteur in song to The Daily Mail. She explains it all here and asks us a question:


That Amanda Fucking Palmer always has something to say and because of that we sometimes assume we know what she'll say on any particular subject and that's where we can get it so wrong. In her latest blog she talks about being interviewed about Trent Reznor going back to a major record label from being independent. She wrote:

"when trent went from doing-it-himself back to using a major label a little while ago, i saw a lot of people bitching about it on twitter and calling him a “traitor” or whatever. i totally stood by and defended his decision to work with a label. he can do what he wants. why the fuck not? i know what it’s like to run your own label and you can NEVER do what an office of full-time label people can do. it’s all about help, time and energy. want more help? you may need to go to a label and share your profits. like everything else i find myself defending…crowdfunding, labels, etc etc etc: it all comes down to the same thing: IT’S THE ARTIST’S DECISION. LET THE ARTIST DECIDE.
even though i may never do it like NIN, or like radiohead, or like miley cyrus….i think whatever path they choose is fine. use a label. don’t use a label. make mainstream music. make loud dissonant noise. twerk your brains out. being an artist is about forging your own path (in content and in business practice) and following your own path."


That Amanda Palmer's first blog received over 600 comments in the first day after posting it - not bad I say. People discussing it, responding to her question and arguing. Amanda has that affect on people. She welcomes us into her world and gives us the honesty and trust you'd only get from a good friend or partner.


Follow your own path is so punk. Be yourself, do what is right for you. Punk cabaret is, after all, freedom. Or, at least, that's what it says on my Dresden Dolls badge.

Go on, tell that Amanda Palmer. What do you wish you'd asked for?

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