When McDonald's recently approached Epic Records about using a Franz Ferdinand song for their new latenightmcdonalds.com website, the record label probably thought that it had struck gold. After all, with sales steadily plummeting, licensing is one of the few viable money-making options left for the music industry. In fact, the bosses at Epic were so excited they apparently went ahead and agreed to the deal without asking for permission from the band.
Front-man Alex Kapranos was understandably angry when he discovered that his music was being used to sell coronary-inducing fast food, blasting Epic and its owner Sony via his Twitter account.
The singer wrote, "This: http://www.latenightmcdonalds.com/ is an example of how a band falls out with their U.S. label. Did they think we'd approve this shit?" Then, just two minutes later, he added, "Dirty bastards. Stupid arrogant motherfucking pig-brained arseholes. I'd rather eat a cow-pat on a bun than a bloody McDonalds."
In his Twitter tantrum, Kapranos acknowledged the fact that Franz Ferdinand's music had previously been used in commercials for Lady Dior handbags and iPods, writing that this time, "The problem is they didn't ask us. It's a case of choosing who you sellout to."
It looks as if Kapranos has prevailed in his campaign. The latenightmcdonalds.com website has been taken down, and Franz Ferdinand's music is currently nowhere to be heard on McDonald's website. What initially seemed like a good business opportunity for Epic/Sony has now turned into just another step in the slow decline of the music industry.
Front-man Alex Kapranos was understandably angry when he discovered that his music was being used to sell coronary-inducing fast food, blasting Epic and its owner Sony via his Twitter account.
The singer wrote, "This: http://www.latenightmcdonalds.com/ is an example of how a band falls out with their U.S. label. Did they think we'd approve this shit?" Then, just two minutes later, he added, "Dirty bastards. Stupid arrogant motherfucking pig-brained arseholes. I'd rather eat a cow-pat on a bun than a bloody McDonalds."
In his Twitter tantrum, Kapranos acknowledged the fact that Franz Ferdinand's music had previously been used in commercials for Lady Dior handbags and iPods, writing that this time, "The problem is they didn't ask us. It's a case of choosing who you sellout to."
It looks as if Kapranos has prevailed in his campaign. The latenightmcdonalds.com website has been taken down, and Franz Ferdinand's music is currently nowhere to be heard on McDonald's website. What initially seemed like a good business opportunity for Epic/Sony has now turned into just another step in the slow decline of the music industry.
