It’s been an awkward few months if you’re a Stone Roses fan who thinks lockdown is necessary, wants to get vaccinated, and doesn’t believe the Covid-19 pandemic is one big plot by The Authorities. Because frontman Ian Brown has… different views. And he has used his social media profiles and his music to express that – including recently promising never to play a concert or festival where proof of vaccination is required to attend.
Now those views have sparked a controversy with Spotify, after Brown’s anti-lockdown track ‘Little Seed Big Tree’ (“Masonic lockdown in your hometown… Doctor Evil and his needle… They plan to chip us all to have complete control” etc – you get the picture) was removed by the streaming service.
The platform explained why in a statement to the NME. “Spotify prohibits content on the platform which promotes dangerous false, deceptive, or misleading content about Covid-19 that may cause offline harm and/or pose a direct threat to public health,” said its spokesperson. “When content that violates this standard is identified it is removed from the platform.” Other streaming services have yet to follow suit.
Music Ally’s next Learn Live webinar will help you understand what’s required for artists to thrive in new international markets!