I Thought The Curry Argument Was Daft, But....

Oh, if only we had some way of transporting music across borders electronically!

Immigration control has influenced, in some cases defined, British music for at least a century, industry experts and scholars say. It has done so by blocking entry to performers, whether by individual, musical genre, or nationality; or by interning, surveilling or deporting certain groups of residents deemed at different intervals to be threats or burdens to the nation. This encumbered the creative expression of musicians who were a part of those communities.

But why has the government decided to 'threaten the music you love'? Well, it's probably not the music you love at all.

This is, of course, the usual special pleading by the usual suspects:

“While it’s too early to be sure about what forms visa regulations will take, it looks likely that the Conservative government will make no exceptions for musicians”, said David Hesmondhalgh, a professor of the media industries and author of Why Music Matters. “And if that happens, it will undoubtedly bring about a drastic reduction in the diversity of music coming to Britain from continental Europe”.

Oh dear, never mind. Just as we've got the recipes now, we've got streaming music. So suck it up, buttercup.