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Comments so far

LiAm
I agree with XXXXXXXX really. Was there anything wrong with major labels? the answer is; no. If a piece of music is good, truly decent, then it doesnt matter whos involved, does it. You just buy the album and listen however many times you have to. The thing with Enter Shikari is that they are actualy A BAD BAND. Yes, i understand the excitement people must be feeling, with the idea that they have created a new undegroung scene, but sofar, it hasn't delivered. Enter Shikari fans are very adamant that this is something new, but we saw it in the 90s: its known as The Prodigy. Where the Prodigy succeed and Shikari don't is that prodigy turned dance music hardcore, and shikari try and turn hardcore into dance/trance/electronic.

Jay - Congleton
"Enter Shikari? Funnily enough I have a feeling they didnt sell all that many records."Hahaha! Oh dear! Enter Shikari are the most exciting and talented new band in 2007, and your comment is made laughably redundant by the fact that they've entered the mainstream charts at number 4!Unprecedented for a debut metal album, so yes, they have shifted a lot of albums, and rightly so. It is, after all, the album of the year by a country mile!To the person berating Shikari for going it alone. What rubbish! If you had actually listened to their album, you'd know that the production is exceptional. Your comment smacks of sour grapes, and as far as I'm concerned, the more bands that turn their backs on corporate leeches at record companies, the better!

Mark Wright, Thetford
Hats off to Enter Shikari. Saw them live at UEA Norwich this week and was blown away. On the strength of this performance I bought their album which they released on Monday. There is absolutely no evidence that production quality has suffered due to having a smaller recording budget. I'm glad that they chose to keep control of everything themselves, it means there's no pressure to produce a "radio friendly" single or to follow trends. It seems that increasing their returns on album sales has helped keep the cost down for customers - their fans. This awsome album cost me just £7.00.

B, London
A simple response to the XXXX anonymous comment- " bands like Super Nashwan are killing the British Music Industry, and all in the name of indie." You talk as though breaking into the major recording industry is the simplest thing in the world. The bands should not be supporting the label system - The label system should be supporting the bands. After all, these people just want to make music. They want to do it in a safe and relatively comfortable environment where the music they make is more important than pandering to a soulless and arid system. What makes you think that these bands haven't been looking for label attention? Mainstream avenues have v little to do with what the business is all about. Mooosic. You forget that it is about the music after all. Anyone that can record &tour their music while staying true to their vision in a cut throat industry deserves all the recognition they get. It's the labels that need to change or adapt their nonsensical methods to benefit the music. Not their pockets. Not junior A&R reps but the music. Labels forget that too easily. Find the musicians (there are so many), nurture the creativity, support them and produce a solid project.

Smithwell, Leics
I think we are all missing the point here somewhat; I don't really care how music is produced, or which label supports them, be it a large label\indie\own label. Just like most modern day musical discourse, everyone seems keen to focus on the minutia of the irrelevant, handily forgetting the undeniable fact that the British music scene is at best vapid. If I hear one more band called 'The s' peddling droney, almost competitively vacuous 'rock', I think I will cut off my own ears.

chris / SE london
just as the 80s was the peak of the hollywood block buster maybe the 90s was the peak of the super studio album maybe we will return to a system with many more small studios or home recording even for larger bands mainy of whom are sucsessful enough to have there own studios i dont think its better or worse just different after all its the heart thats important ^_^

Chris / Leicester (home of a dozen great indie lab
Unless you are Oasis or Radiohead, you have to be signed to a major to get played on 99% of the radio stations in the UK. Commercial Stations will not risk playing unsigned bands or bands on indie label for fear of upsetting their advertisors, What is the BBC's excuse? this is not the case in America and mainland Europe which has a great 'College' type radio scene that will listern and play music just because it Good.

Mark, London
Back in 1999 / 2000 things were very stale. There were very few bands around as we were repeatedly served up soundalike boy/girl band rubbish. Venues were closing down, my band at the times could barely find anywhere to play. Even Muse, who can currently sell out Wembley in about 15 minutes, couldn't get a proper deal. Then, the internet comes along and suddenly bands and musicians can connect with the fans. It started with the Libertines on fan forums and reached huge proportions with the success of the Arctic Monkeys last year. I've been in bands for years and what used to be the endless, hopeless pursuit of a record deal has now changed into the rewarding process of releasing stuff directly and getting our music out there and getting some feedback. I feel like I already have a record deal. Long live the internet!

Tracy, Lincoln
Fewer big labels means less homogenity in music: look at the labels trying to find the "new Lilly Allen" (surely to god one is more than enough?). Same happened at the height of Britpop, success for Oasis meant vaguely Northern cack like Northern Uproar being snapped up. This way we should bring more left-field stuff to wider attention.

XXXXXXXXXXX
I have to be anonymous because of the content of this message...but i need to say that bands like Enter Shikari and Super Nashwan are killing the British Music Industry, and all in the name of indie. I recently lost my job as junior A&R at a larger record label because of a decline in sales...due to two things, piracy and bands like these two and others not supporting the label system. You may not think this is bad...but the long term effect of this is. Having bands without labels would be Ok if you want everything to sound like it's recorded in a garage but terrible in the long term cos it means that no-one will be able to fund the artists that need larger and thus more expensive production...or big amazing music videos for that matter. We've got to not bite the hands that feed us. The label I worked for spent liteerally millions developing new artists. If we don't support them and everyone just does they're own thing it won't be just me losing out...our music industry as a whole will suffer.

Yoona, Hackney
Enter Shikari and Super Nashwan are the most exciting bands in the country because they have both rocked 1000 capacity venues and both are doing it on record labels they set up themselves. That these two bands are putting what they have to say above purely commercial incentives has got to be good for music as a whole.

Ricky, Mighty Mighty Ross on Wye.
A lot of bands tend to start sounding 'samey' if they are signed as the Record Companies think if one 'sound' sells then another is sure to. Thus taking some individuality out of the band. The British music scene is amazing at the moment what ever the bands and record companies are doing, if anything, long may it live. No more Dance acts covering Floyd though!

Ross Aylard, sutton, surrey
Surely its better that bands should focus on making good music, rather than having to deal with everything a record company does as well. Enter Shikari? Funnily enough I have a feeling they didnt sell all that many records.

jonathon from Adams Massachusetts usa
The larger the label the less control the artist have. A label is great for Britney spears cuz its like budweiser. The good stuff has self promotional power of its own. Hats of to any artist that can have a greater share in there own art.

Guided By Bob, Leeds
Heres hoping there is a return to proper "indie"; as in the bands being in it for the music and not being overly concerned about production values and sales and marketing e.g. Oasis, Razorlight etc.

Keith, New York City
I really don't believe that absolutely "no scrutiny" benefits any artist. I think all bands can benefit from the advice of informed producers, engineers, and, yes, maybe even an experienced A & R executive, if any remain that are tuned in enough.

Jon - Halsted
Capitolism has destroyed the record industry. It used to be the industry supported itself, so that a portion of the best-selling artist's profits were funnelled back into a label where it could support less popular artists. There was a sense that a songwriters' place should be to write songs, not wait tables. Not any more.

Mark Jackson. Telford.
It''s great that good bands can release their own material without having to worry about marketing folk telling them what to release and what direction they should go in.

Jim, Lincoln
HMV Lincoln? Where else would I be able to get my hands on Menswear's latest hit single?

Jason, Aberdeen, Ex of Dahn Sarf...
There is a huge difference between Indie as in C86 'Indie' bands being on Independent labels and distributed out of the back of a Transit, than Oasis and Coldplay being big enough to bypass major labels. That's not 'Indie', that's just direct marketing. 'Indie' means nothing in this context.

Barry Smith, Amsterdam
Of course! It's fantastic! More freedom for the artist equals more freedom to be creative. Be Here Now, which you mention above, was just a bad album, the result of bad drugs more than anything to do with record companies. I'd much rather a band be responsible for their sound/career than some huge commercial organisation. It's no coincidence that in the last few years we've seen a healthier, more independent and innovative music scene than previously when vile boy bands and girl bands were marketed aggressively at kids by exploitative record companies. They may have been able to control the music industry but they can't control the internet. Long may it continue.

Wheelz,safe european home,
Still at the mercy of radio play and a money up front advance always a carrot to wave in front of you.