Today’s stage-managed politics depend on everything being on-message – including choosing the perfect conference walk-on tune. But the musicians whose songs are being used have no say in
There can be no tougher DJ gig than the Conservative party conference. It is not that it’s a discerning crowd. But it’s once the politicians have left the stage that the complaints start. This year Liz Truss herself was said to have selected M People’s Moving On Up to soundtrack her arrival at the lectern: it’s a determinedly upbeat anthem, if you don’t listen to the lyrics about packing your bags and moving on out. But the outgoing PM’s choice was not endorsed by M People, with founder Mike Pickering – a longtime anti-Tory – tweeting his anger.
Not that the band could do anything about it: the choice of music at such events is down to the discretion of the venue, not the label or artist (though it’s a different story for party political broadcasts). But just as there is a tradition of political protest music, there’s an equally long one of musicians protesting against politicians’ use of their songs. We spoke to artists who have had their songs co-opted by politics against their wishes.
