Ian Brown has claimed that his controversial anti-lockdown song has been removed from Spotify in an act of “censorship”.
The Stone Roses frontman is a vocal critic of lockdowns, mask wearing and the coronavirus vaccine, and in September released a song titled “Little Seed Big Tree” documenting his stance.
The track features lines such as: “A sonic lockdown, state shakedown, a mass breakdown / Put your muzzle on, get back in your basket / Get behind your doors cos living here is drastic.”
On Friday (12 March) night, Brown took to Twitter again, alleging that Spotify had taken the song down from his artist profile.
“SPOTiFY stream the streams and censor artists like they have with my last song TOOK IT DOWN just put it down the memory hole!” he tweeted.
“FREE EXPRESSiON AS REVOLUTiON.”
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A Spotify spokesperson told The Independent: “Spotify prohibits content on the platform which promotes dangerous false, deceptive, or misleading content about Covid-19 that may cause offline harm and/or pose a direct threat to public health. When content that violates this standard is identified it is removed from the platform.”
Last month, Brown claimed that the rolling out of the vaccine was encouraging a “new nazi normal” and begged festival promoters not to require ticket-holders be vaccinated to attend.
He later pulled out of headlining Neighbourhood Weekender festival in Warrington, tweeting: “My Saturday night headline show at NHBD Weekender Festival will now not happen! I refuse to accept vaccination proof as condition of entry. Refunds are available!”
