Support act

There's a bitter irony in the fact that the readership of the Quietus has increased by 25 per cent in the last year, as has the number of articles read, and yet the best music and culture site around - my regular go-to for reviews, interviews and more - is struggling to stay afloat.

It's no doubt symptomatic of the general (and damaging) modern attitude that online writing - like music and so much more - should be free to access and consume. Meanwhile, the Quietus continues to do the decent thing and pay its writers for their labour - and, with advertising revenue having fallen off a cliff, someone's got to pay the bills.

Which is where the three-tiered subscription model comes in. In a post last week, co-founder John Doran set out the Quietus' predicament, noting that some sections of the site have sadly already had to be mothballed, and issued a plea for more people to sign up at reduced rates.

Thankfully, as was the case with Side Gallery, the response was swift and significant, with people backing up public declarations of support with pledges of cash.

While I can't afford to commit to the top Sound & Vision tier (for which there are perks galore, including lots of exclusive music), I have at least upped my regular monthly payment on the principle that every little helps.

If you're a regular reader, please do send some money and goodwill their way.