AC/DC is set to hit the road for an 18 month world tour beginning this October according to the managing partner of the Creative Artists Agency, Rob Light.
This news was announced yesterday at the Intl. Assn. of Assembly Managers' conference and trade show in Anaheim, California as reported here in Billboard.
So far, there's no news on exactly where and when the band will play but you should expect they will, at the very least, hit most of the major venues in Europe, N. America and Australia.
The new CD, entitled "Black Ice," will be sold exclusively throughout most of the western world at Wal-Mart stores. That's why I've dubbed this trek around the world as the "Always Low Wages" tour as AC/DC are seemingly unaware of or don't care that Wal-Mart routinely exploits their workers, giving them little or no health care benefits, and often forcing them to work overtime without pay under threat of losing their jobs if they don't comply.
Not only that, but we all know that most of what Wal-Mart sells come straight from Red China and is, of course, manufactured in mostly inhumane sweatshops by peasants who are lucky to earn a dollar a day.
Perhaps most fans won't care where they buy the next AC/DC record but a growing number of voices are very critical of the band's deal with Wal-Mart. And who can blame them when Americans are losing manufacturing jobs in near record numbers to third world countries across the globe?
Hell, we can't even trust China to even sell us food, toys, and other products that are free of poisons or other almost unimaginable toxins. But you bet your sweet ass that wherever a profit is to be made, Wal-Mart and twenty dozen other corporations that aspire to be them, will be right there harvesting every slim dime to be made inside the Great Wall.
Of course, as AC/DC once famously said, "If you're into evil, you're a friend of mine" but who knew they'd mean Wal-Mart?
7 comments:
Why can't you just be glad they have released another album? All you are doing is defacing AC/DC. They can sell what they want, where they want, when they want. Just leave them alone.
Wal-Mart doesn't hold a gun to people's heads and force them to work there. Anyone who doesn't like the low wages and lack of insurance are free to develop marketable skills and get a better job. What is it about freedom you dislike?
I think you should change your agenda. Such lecture doesn't belong here though I may agree with you.
Thanks for your comments and feedback.
Those of you who actually know me probably realize that I've never held back my opinions on anything to do with AC/DC and I'm certainly not going to start now.
Most of AC/DC's American fans are averages Joe's who are tired seeing their jobs exported to third-world countries. They're also tired of purchasing shoddy (and sometimes dangerous) goods from China that now fill our store shelves.
Wal-Mart is one of the most heartless corporations in the world and the fact that AC/DC is totally in bed with them now is very disappointing to me.
Indeed, AC/DC may be our favorite band in the world but that doesn't mean we should love them blindly.
Btw, if you truly believe in freedom, I'm sure you won't mind me injecting my personal opinions on this blog.
Dude,
AC/DC is probably doing the Wal Mart thing for 2 reasons.
1 - They will get a bigger piece of the pie for once.
2 - The fans won't have to pay $20 for a $12 disc!
I have no issues with them doing whatever they please. All I know is I prefer to pay $12 for the disc and am thrilled to bits a new record is finally out.
I've no doubt AC/DC's trying to do whats best for them. However, there's no guarantee that this new CD will be any cheaper at Wal-Mart than it would have been at any other chain store like Target, Best Buy, K-Mart, etc.
In fact, selling through only one source virtually guarantees the average fan will pay a higher price, not a lower one, because there's no competition to bring the price down.
If AC/DC wants to sell their music through one of the most heartless, exploitative retailers in the world so be it.
I, for one, won't be buying "Black Ice" until I find a used copy somewhere and I hope other fans who care about what kinds of stores they shop at will do the same.
Umm I'm glad to hear that you are so compassionate about others working status and you have presented your side of the argument very intelligently up until your last comment in your last post. If everyone waited for someone else to buy the CD so they could buy it used AC/DC wouldn't sell any CD's what so ever. If you are not going to support the band then that's fine but don't call yourself a true fan if your choice it to stand against a corporation that has given millions of people jobs in this country instead of buying the new album.
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