in Brisbane I end up meeting and greeting some record label people, who are pleasant enough, and one of them is a sales guy, so I say "Why is this [Year Zero being priced much higher than other new releases] the case?" He goes "Because your packaging is a lot more expensive". I know how much the packaging costs -- it costs me, not them, it costs me 83 cents more to have a CD with the colour-changing ink on it. I'm taking the hit on that, not them. So I said "Well, it doesn't cost $10 more". "Ah, well, you're right, it doesn't. Basically it's because we know you've got a core audience that's gonna buy whatever we put out, so we can charge more for that. It's the pop stuff we have to discount to get people to buy it. True fans will pay whatever". And I just said "That's the most insulting thing I've heard. I've garnered a core audience that you feel it's OK to rip off? F--- you'. That's also why you don't see any label people here, 'cos I said 'F--- you people. Stay out of my f---ing show. If you wanna come, pay the ticket like anyone else. F--- you guys". They're thieves. I don't blame people for stealing music if this is the kind of s--- that they pull off.

Straight talk from Trent. And I actually am now sorry that I paid full price for Year Zero. I want to support artists, so I buy from iTunes and i buy new release CD's for stuff I care about enough. This fucking sales guy makes me sick. I understand the free market well enough to know that the price for a good will be what the market will bear, and established artists tip that up. What pisses me off is that the balance ISN'T SUPPORTING THE ARTIST. I'll pay Trent Reznor more for his music than I'll pay someone I've only heard one track of and might sorta, kinda like. Of course I will. But I want to pay Trent, not these fucking self-congratulating suits without an ounce of integrity. Fuck them indeed.

Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails | Herald Sun