Rockstar Urged To Swap Suede For Velour

For Immediate Release:
4th July, 2000

Contact:
Andrew Butler 0181 870 3966

London – As part of their on-going campaign against the leather trade, People for The Ethical Treatment for Animals (PETA) have today written to Brett Anderson, lead singer with the hugely successful pop group Suede, asking him to ditch the band’s name in favour of a cruelty-free alternative.

During a year long investigation into the leather trade, PETA investigators witnessed cows being beaten, having their tails broken and chili peppers or tobacco rubbed into their eyes to get them to stand when they fall from exhaustion or injury. At slaughter cows are suspended from one leg and have their throats slit, often while fully conscious. Some cows are even conscious when they get to the peeling room, where their skin is literally peeled from their flesh.

“Why would anyone want to call their band something synonymous with pain and suffering?” asks Andrew Butler, PETA’s UK Representative. “Suede is, after all, nothing more than the skin of a dead cow. By choosing a synthetic fabric such as ‘Velour’, Brett can still make sure He’s In Fashion without endorsing Animal abuse. We are living in a material world, but it doesn’t have to be a cruel one.”

Photographs and broadcast-quality footage, narrated by Pamela Anderson, of PETA’s leather investigation is available on request. Further information can also be obtained from our website; www.cowsarecool.com