BRITISH RESOLVE

How many Brits, here and abroad, do we in the U.S. music biz communicate with every day? How many friends do we, in New York, L.A. and London, share on both sides of the pond? The English-speaking music biz is for the most part a small U.S.-Anglo world, and our two countries are more closely tied than ever thanks to technology and the artists and execs we share. We are, in a way, one nation.

For several generations now, the resolve of the British people has been the stuff of legend for Americans. We saw how the parents and grandparents of today’s Britons showed their mettle by surviving the blitz and fighting tirelessly against fascism. Their soldiers and ours battled side by side on the beaches of Normandy. The U.S. was late to the party—our involvement was delayed by isolationists and nativists here at home with an “America first” message that sounds alarmingly like what’s coming out of DC today.

For several generations now, the resolve of the British people has been the stuff of legend for Americans.

What we saw coming out of the U.K. this weekend, in the face of terrible grief and fear, was that same storied courage we’ve seen for generations. Still reeling from Manchester, British people faced the additional shock of attacks in London. But the One Love concert went ahead and was a massive outpouring—both in the Emirates Old Trafford cricket ground and worldwide online and via TV—of positivity and compassion, and a refusal to bend before evil.

This response is in marked contrast to the dark fear-mongering emanating from both the White House and Downing Street. Can the message of One Love prevail? We won’t hazard a guess. But we wouldn’t bet against the resilience of our friends in Blighty, or against the power of music to unite and mobilize people.