UPDATE: Two bands pull out of IMRO show in blog protest

The Cast Of Cheers, one the discoveries of 2010 around these and other parts, have pulled out of headlining the Irish Music Rights Organisation's (IMRO) showcase tour finale at Dublin's Academy tomorrow night (Saturday) in protest against IMRO's move this week against a number of Ireland's music blogs, demanding licence fees for offering MP3 streams and downloads.

The Dublin band, who, in an interview with Ragged Words, acknowledged the role Irish blogs and websites played in their quick assent since releasing their debut album for free earlier this year, cancelled their appearance "in a show of support for us and the ridiculous terms of IMRO LEOL", their management at Irish indie label The Richter Collective tweeted.

Under IMRO's proposed terms, The Richter Collective - which houses revered local talent including The Redneck Manifesto, Not Squares, Adebisi Shank and Jogging - say they would (ludicrously) have to pay IMRO an annual fee of 300 euros to host MP3's from their bands on the label's own website.

The three blogs so far contacted - Nialler9, The Torture Garden and Asleep on a Compost Heap - have all covered the issues in detail and are to meet with IMRO to discuss them next Wednesday. Their posts - as well as comments on the Irish Times' On The Record blog - are well worth a read. This vital issue - which could destroy amateur blogs and websites in Ireland (we haven'd heard anything regarding the relatively new/needs-tending-to MP3 section on Ragged Words) - has some way to run yet.

UPDATE: Fellow Dublin band Mia Sparrow have also pulled out of the gig in a show of 'band solidarity'. They wrote on their website:

"It is with regret that Mia Sparrow have pulled out of the IMRO Showcase gig in the Academy tomorrow night.

We each contacted IMRO (as individual members) on Wednesday this week, making our feelings clear about the blogging license issue, expressing our concerns and requesting clarification on it, but none of us have received a reply as yet.

Although we were happy to play tomorrow’s gig knowing that there would be an imro/bloggers meeting on Wednesday, we feel that with the headline band pulling out and with the general call for ‘band solidarity’ it would now be wrong to perform.

We apologise to anyone who intended to come to see us and to IMRO for any inconvenience caused and i hope you understand our position. we also hope that this issue gets solved as soon as possible."