We all know that the ongoing writers' strike is affecting television audiences. I mean, if your daily routine consisted of getting baked and watching "The Colbert Report," what are you supposed to do now? Read a book? Come on. But what you might not realize is that viewers aren't the only ones suffering. A lot of bands have had their scheduled late night television appearances canceled as a result of the strike. To a major star -- for example Alicia Keys, whose appearance on "The Late Show" was canceled -- missing a late night TV appearance isn't a huge deal. However, for those acts that aren't at the top tier of popularity, it really sucks.
Some acts affected by the strike include Jimmy Eat World, the Hives, the Plain White T's, Motion City Soundtrack and Band of Horses. Even Kid Rock and Amy Winehouse, who both missed "SNL" performances (a surefire sales boost), have suffered. One of the bands that got screwed over the worst was indie act Grizzly Bear, who had been rehearsing for weeks with a six person choir. That's a big sunk cost. You can't write off a six person choir; believe me, I tried in 2004 and the Feds were all over my ass.
This strike is affecting everyone and it needs to stop. Now, I understand the writers wanting to get their fair share of profits, but in the long run, what is that money really worth? When I ghost-wrote Fergie's solo album in 17 minutes, I made the mistake of not getting a solid royalty rate, and I've been paying for it ever since. You think it was fun hearing "Fergalicious" every ten minutes and knowing that I had lost out on millions in potential revenue? It sucked, man. But you know what? At least I achieved that sense of accomplishment that comes along with creating an outstanding piece of art. Every time I turn on my radio and I hear the spoken-word breakdown in "Clumsy," I can look in the mirror with pride and say to myself, "Wow. I made this." It's not all about the money, you know?
