Easy Life frontman and songwriter Murray Matravers has issued an emotional update explaining more details surrounding the band’s ongoing lawsuit at the hands of easyJet and the easyGroup conglomerate over naming rights.
In case you somehow missed it, earlier this week the Leicester-based five-piece revealed they had been threatened with the prospect of being sued by the company owned by Greek-Cypriot billionaire, Stelios Haji-Ioannou, and best known for its budget airline, easyJet.
As ridiculous as it sounds (because it is), the multinational corporation intends to sue the band — whose name is stylised in lowercase as ‘easy life‘ — for using the word easy in their name, which they claim to have trademarked and have already been collecting royalties from other companies for some time.
Now, the latest according to Matravers is that the band and their legal representation have a clearer picture of how much fighting this in court will cost and when the wheels will really start moving.
Starting off by thanking fans and concerned parties in general for their “outpouring of love, anger, support and compassion” following the news, he labelled the reaction across the music industry and online as both “overwhelming” and “beautiful”.
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Despite multiple groups having “offered to crowdfund” to help the band take on the lawsuit, the singer, lyricist and co-founder reiterated that “this case is going to be extremely expensive to fight in the High Court” and wouldn’t actually begin until 2025.
“We would be undertaking an absolutely massive, potentially two-year-long fight against a billion-dollar corporation”, he continues. “We’re not a limited company: it’s our name on the lawsuit, they could take everything and we could be completely financially ruined — they know that and they are extremely aggressive”.
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With several dozens of ‘easy’-prefix businesses to their name, not mention countless more trademarks in existence (be they defunct, future-proofing or otherwise), the holding group has attempted to monopolise the word and already taken several other companies to court on the same grounds.
The full list of active easyGroup brands at present (Credit: Stelios Philanthropic Foundation)
The 27-year-old also commented on how both the company and other media outlets such as the Daily Mail are trying to discredit the group and “running [his] name through the dirt”.
Adding that he and his bandmates “feel intimidated” and “are going through it” during a very clearly emotional moment in the lengthy video statement, he went on to say that he believes they “have a very strong case” but warned they are going to need “upwards of half a million quid to get a fair trial”.
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Speaking passionately and defiantly, he ultimately declared that the ‘easy life vs easyGroup’ lawsuit is no longer just about the band but is instead “a case about corporate bullying” and merely one in a long line not just by this particular organisation but several others. Many of those commenting have been quick to draw comparisons between this situation and Joe Lycett‘s famous protest stunt against Hugo Boss.
As for the band, they have received a tidal wave of support from others in the music industry, with the likes of Arlo Parks, Mahalia, Professor Green and several others sending messages of solidarity and offering to help fundraise on their behalf. Murray was also praised for proving how the company doesn’t have a leg to stand on when it comes to who came first:
In their latest statement on the looming legal battle, the now deeply unpopular easyGroup labelled Matravers as a “brand thief” and argued that Stelios has owned the ‘easy’ family of brands since 1994, adding that he “needs to understand that he is not being sued by an airline” but its parent organisation.
Warning that the company “has a legal budget of £4 million per year with which to take action against brand thieves, big and small”, they even went so far as to highlight “negative PR about Matravers (for example having to be carried off stage for being too drunk to perform)”, suggesting that this could “reflect badly on easyGroup” and that “confusion is not necessary for such tarnishment to occur.”
They also drew attention to some of Easy Life’s previous merchandising such as tour posters with planes on and band t-shirts, both of which appear to mimic the company’s branding.
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The statement continues to progress in a rather personal manner, claiming that “Mr Matravers has also tried to develop the story that this is a ‘David vs Goliath’ and somehow the ‘little guy’ has the right to use any name he likes because he can’t afford lawyers.” Let’s just say we sincerely hope David wins this one.
Featured Image — easy life (via Instagram)/easyGroup
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The Pussycat Dolls announce major comeback with huge global arena tour
Daisy Jackson
Global pop icons The Pussycat Dolls have announced a major global tour, with 50+ shows across Europe and North America.
The pop icons will be performing a massive show here in Manchester as part of the tour, which kicks off this summer.
The Pussycat Dolls have been teasing their return this week, plastering hints on venues across the UK – including the Co-op Live, which displayed a pink digital ad reading ‘Don’t cha wish you knew who we’re announcing tomorrow??’
The multi-platinum pop supergroup will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of their debut record, PCD. They’ll be supported on the European leg of the tour, which will bring them to the UK in September and October, by Lil’ Kim.
The PCD Forever tour will span a whopping 53 dates, where they’ll perform their chart-topping hits including the 5x platinum Buttons, plus Don’t Cha, and Stickwitu.
The Pussycat Dolls were pop heavyweights in the 2000s, known for their electrifying choreography and live performances.
The Pussycat Dolls have announced a major global tour with a Manchester date. Credit: Rankin
Nicole Scherzinger, Kimberly Wyatt, and Ashley Roberts will be back together once again this year for what will be their biggest international run in years.
They’ll be releasing a new song for the first time since 2019 – Club Song is produced by Mike Sabbath (RAYE, Jade) and written by Nicole Scherzinger with Sabbath, Caroline Ailin (Dua Lipa) and Solly (Teddy Swims).
General tickets will go on sale from 10am on Friday 20 March, but fans can sign up for pre-sale at pcdforever.com by Monday to access tickets early.
Country 2 Country music festival is coming to Manchester next year
Danny Jones
Hold on to your cowboy hats, country fans: the smash-hit Country 2 Country music festival is coming to Manchester.
The massive live music festival specialising in all things country, folk, bluegrass, Americana and more has slowly been expanding its presence across the UK and Ireland over the last decade or so.
Starting in London at the O2 Arena, before hitting the Emerald Isle in 2015 and debuting in Scotland just three years later, it has seen some of the biggest acts from the world of country music cross the Atlantic to show off the Stateside genre, plus plenty from around the globe already immersed in the culture.
We’ll confess, even prior to the official announcement, we had a feeling this was coming when we spotted these posters dotted about in town:
Like so many of those buzzing in the comments, we cannot wait for this to come around.
With this year’s respective events taking place simultaenously place over the coming weekend, Friday, 13 to Sunday, 15 March, it’s fair to say they’ve timed the news perfectly.
Everyone from established names such as Carrie Underwood, Tim McGraw, Chris Stapleton, Kacey Musgraves, to up-and-coming bands as well as fast-rising artists working in and around the genre, like Nate Smith, Lainey Wilson and, of course, the now well and truly massive Luke Combs.
For instance, the likes of Keith Urban, Noah Rinker, Alana Springsteen – no relation – Zach Top and many, MANY more, are playing across London, the OVO Hydro in Glasgow and Belfast’s SSE Arena for the 12th edition of the now annual celebration.
Set to arrive in our city centre for the very first time, Country 2 Country (C2C) will be making its Manc debut at none other than the legendary AO Arena, where so many of the biggest names and current generation of stars alike have played.
You only have to look at recent examples like Darius Rucker last year and the ever-growing Tyler Childers, helping kick off this season of country gigs here in Manchester.
Meanwhile, as you can see for Country 2 Country music fest’s Manchester debut, it’s coming in March 2027, and they’ll be teaming up with other local gig venues and bars to turn 0161 into a little slice of Broadway – we just hope we get a bit of Austin weather to boot.
It’s fair to say that this particular part of the music industry is definitely enjoying a big boom right now, with lots of different acts dipping their toes into the bayou, if you will.
However, C2C have been flying the flag for country music over here for ages now, and with it being hailed as remaining “one of the UK’s most spectacular annual festivals” by the likes of The Express and countless, among countless other reviews, we think it’s time you give it a go.
Better still, let’s show everyone that we can do it even better up North, and here in what everyone knows is Britain’s real musical home: Greater Manchester.
Tickets will be available from 10am next Friday, 20 March, and you can sign up to get early bird pre-sale access right HERE.
Credit: Niko Moon/Luke Dyson Photography (supplied)
Danny Jones -
6th October 2023 
