I just thought I'd do a short thread to explain my twitter name change today as several disingenuous accounts have accused me of using my blue tick to impersonate the chancellor.

It's a sort of joke. It's not going to be forever. And I welcome todays announcement ... but ...

... I do feel like Rishi Sunak's performing monkey. I feel degraded. I see Daily Mail readers trotting out the old ignorant tropes about the performing arts, calling us luvvies, which is basically the same as children in the playground who still think "gay" is an insult in 2020

... I have paid tax since 1999 for a job I created by having a passion for a particular kind of music and making sacrifices to follow it through. I certainly had luck in that I made it ... and I'm not rich, quite the opposite! But I made it happen. And every tax return ...

... since 1999 I have paid something. When Bellowhead were doing well we were employing an agent, a manager, a tour manager, sound man, monitor engineer, lighting engineer, lighting tech, 3 drivers, a catering crew, 6 stage crew, and that meant we didn't make much more ...

... as musicians than we were many years before in much smaller venues. You get the idea. You become more succesful, you don't only contribute through your taxes ... you create employment, you create other peoples taxes as well. Luvvies? Fuck you! ...

... entertainment is an industry! When Bellowhead played to 2000 people in any given city ... I bet more than half of them had a meal out. BOSH. 1000 restaurant bookings. An average of 2 drinks each. BOSH. 4000 drinks at an average of £3 a drink - £12,000 turnover a night...

... so forgive me for being a bit bitter at being asked to say "Thankyou very much Mr. Sunak" for doing what is blindingly obvious to make sure our bit of the economy comes back. While other parts of the Tory party wage a nudge, nudge culture war on the arts ...

... They want our money, they want our glory when we do well, but they want no part of our grassroots, where we all come from. They want a photo-op with those of us who are lucky and successful, they want Elton John at Royal anniversaries and Ed Sheeran at Olympic ceremonies ...

... but when it comes to supporting the up and coming, the backstage teams, the grass roots ... they want us to beg ... why else were we left waiting while Germany and France and Canada and New Zealand had packages months ago? It's because Judy fucking Dench looked sad on TV.

This government don't have a plan. They are reactive, not pro-active. If you can get enough people to agree with you on social media ... they will literally cow to public pressure. They wouldn't feed hungry kids until Marcus Rashford, a Man U player embarrassed them in to it!

They are fundamentally weak ... all populist governments are ... because they have no substance and are petrified of public opinion. Sorry this is long ... I just wanted to explain my twitter name. I feel humiliated having to beg Rishi Sunak for what he should have done anyway.

I've spent lockdown doing what has turned in to an unpaid community project bringing mainly amateur musicians together to play music like they would have done naturally if lockdown hadn't happened. Search #IsolationPubSession to enjoy something more positive than this thread.

Seriously ... #IsolationPubSession has kept me sane ... and judging by messages from people taking part ... it means more to them than it does to me! But the bottom line is that the music we have been making for nothing more than our own pleasure has been phenomenal!