The Commodification of Revolution

A more recent example of groups or individuals profiting from Revolution which fall into the “niche-market tastes” category is the signing of the notoriously anti-government, anti-corporate, anti-capitalistic punk band, Anti-Flag to RCA records, a subsidiary of Sony BMG Music in 2005 for upwards of $500,000 for a one record deal.[1}  Anti-Flag justified their signing to a major label with net profits of well over a billion dollars a year,[2] after having considerable success on independent labels, by saying: 

We’ve been approached by the major labels over the past seven or eight years but we thought we were having an impact where we were. They were never willing to give us complete control.  This time they were willing to give us complete control over what we record, the artwork, who we tour with. We won’t be censored. If there was ever a time to take a chance to be heard on a mass scale then this is the time. I feel like we’ve been a voice in the wilderness for too long.[3]

 And:                                The difference is the impact that band is able to have on the injustices of the system.  We think we are best able to attack injustice by calling attention to it on the largest scale available to us.  Hopefully, that will spark action on people’s part to eradicate injustice.  Obviously we would like to see the capitalist system replaced but until the masses are exposed to the problems with capitalism, they will be unable to be see the alternatives.[4]

[1] Aversion.com, “Anti-Flag Entertains Major-Label Interests,” August 11, 2004, www.aversion.com/ news/news_article.cfm?news_id=2827.

[2] MSN Money, “Sony Corporation (ADR): Financial Statement,” http://moneycentral.msn.com/ investor/invsub/results/statemnt.aspx?Symbol=SNE (accessed January, 2007).

[3] Mark Brown, “Anti-Flag to incite May Day masses,” The Guardian, April 29, 2006,  http://arts.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1764125,00.html (accessed January, 2007).

[4] “Move to RCA,” thepeopleunited.net, May 3, 2005, http://thepeopleunited.net/index.php?ind=reviews&op= entry_view&iden=109 (accessed April 2007).

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