Musicians are rarely too excited to find out that their work is being used as part of a political campaign, as Neil Young demonstrated this week and we have a hunch Trent Reznor will demonstrate soon enough. A trio of Canadian politicians have taken the logo from Reznor's band, Nine Inch Nails, and placed it on merchandise for their respective campaigns.
Rachel Notley (the Premier of Alberta), Don Iveson (the mayor of Edmonton) and Naheed Nenshi (the mayor of Calgary) have come together as a "power trio" political force due to their shared beliefs for the betterment of their home province. They took their respective initials and borrowed Nine Inch Nails' famous "NIN" logo for the shirts, which also read "Building Alberta Together."
There has already been a boatload of backlash from alternative rock fans whose sensibilities have been offended, but the politicians are taking it in stride.
"Of course it's lame," Nenshi wrote on social media. "That's why it's funny."
Notley has also borrowed from another prominent rock act for her merchandise table, selling a T-shirt that reads "Notley Crüe" on the front.
So far there hasn't been any kickback from Reznor or the respective members of Motley Crüe, but considering that the logos are both trademarked...don't be surprised to see them pulled from e-shelves soon. Even if that's the case, the trio of candidates managed to stir up some attention for themselves, so the shirts have to be considered a success.
A Canadian musician when on the defensive this week, as Neil Young demanded that Donald Trump stop using his "Rocking In The Free World" for political purposes. Trump responded by calling Young a "hypocrite," becoming just another one of the millions who have never actually listened to the lyrics in "Rocking In The Free World."
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