NME Music News, Reviews, Videos, Galleries, Tickets and Blogs | NME.COM
Calvin Harris has accused the UK government of “treating [the] music industry like shit” during the coronavirus pandemic.
The DJ’s comments came as the #WeMakeEvents campaign planned an international day of action earlier this week (September 30), which aimed to prevent catastrophic damage being done to the £5.2 billion UK music scene.
- READ MORE: Musicians and crew warn government of bankruptcy and industry damage without urgent support
Sharing a picture of a burnt-out nightclub on Instagram, Harris wrote: “As usual the UK government treating music industry like shit; contributes 5bn to the economy, generates massive tax revenues for NHS and other public services…besides that, culture is extremely fucking important.”
He added: “You’ve lost sight of what life is about…you’d rather live in a world of supermarkets and pharmaceutical drugs.”
A commenter on the post then wrote: “1st pic is from a nightclub fire in Germany or Poland… f*ck all to do with the U.K. Also, you live in L.A. Got a edm pop album coming out? Pipe down, sell out.”
Harris then responded: “It’s a metaphorical image daft cunt…and aye as someone who didn’t come from money worked in a fish factory and Safeway before becoming one of the most successful british producers of all time, I’ll make my fucking comment.”
The latest action from #WeMakeEvents came after Chancellor Rishi Sunak recently announced details of the government’s new Winter Economy Plan for the next six months, prompting the music industry to hit back over the plan’s lack of support for many musicians, self-employed and staff from venues that were forced to close due to COVID-19.
You can donate to the Save Our Venues campaign here, the StageHand fund here and the #WeMakeEvents fund here.
The post Calvin Harris accuses UK government of “treating music industry like shit” during pandemic appeared first on NME Music News, Reviews, Videos, Galleries, Tickets and Blogs | NME.COM.
