Savage Messiah have praised a UK government scheme which is helping to promote British metal abroad.
The English thrash metal band are one of the first to benefit from the government’s Music Export Scheme – taken from taxpayer subsidies which have traditionally been used to fund ballet, opera and museums.
The scheme has earmarked a total of £250,000 of taxpayers’ money to fund British music overseas and Savage Messiah are thankful of the financial leg up, which will help fund touring.
In a report by Channel 4 News, the band’s singer Dave Silver insists it won’t be spent trashing hotel rooms. He says: “Those days are long gone you know. The sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll as it were. It’s really not an accurate portrayal. And to be honest we wouldn’t want to because most times when we get into a hotel it’s three o’clock in the morning and we’re leaving at eight.”
Silver describes the funding as “economics 101” and adds: “The music industry is in decline, so you could equate that to a decline in aggregate demand and, here you go, the state comes in to help us out.”
Dia Chakravarty, from the Taxpayers’ Alliance, describes the funding as “ludicrous”. She adds: “Think about it this way. You’re a member of a hard-press family, having to budget really hard. You’re seeing sometimes essential service shaving to be cut because necessary savings are having to be made and you hear that £5000 of taxpayers’ money is being awarded to bands who may or may not make it.”
Watch the Channel 4 report here
