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Saturday, March 7, 2015
McDonald’s Asks Indie Band to Play for Free at SXSW
A couple days ago, an indie band called the Ex Cops wrote a scathing post about McDonald’s on their Facebook page. The heartfelt message wasn’t about food, though. Rather, it was a response to the fast food company’s recent invitation to play their SXSW showcase for free.
Yes, SXSW is one of the world’s largest music festivals, and most artists would love the chance to play there. Some artists do, in fact, play for free. However, the Ex Cops find it absurd that McDonald’s was worth a reported $90 billion in 2013 but doesn’t have a budget to pay artists.
Ex Cops wrote:
“It is a horrifying and gross reality when one sees the true nature of corporations and their pathetic attempts to achieve relevance with millennials. Doritos received a lot of flack for their stage a couple years ago, but i’m going to assume they paid Lady Gaga.”
Of course, the Ex Cops’ post went viral and McDonald’s was compelled to respond. Their Global Media Relations Director Becca Hary recently told Rolling Stone: “We follow the same standard protocol as other brands and sponsors by inviting talented and emerging musicians to join us at the SXSW Festival. We look forward to serving McDonald’s food, drinks and fun in Austin. #slownewsday”
Related: Deadmau5 Accuses Disney of Copyright Infringement
