"And then there's all these other creeps that surround your band and suck off you like leeches and try to manipulate you and your business. You have to watch like a hawk. I'm always ready to fight. I see it very much as a battle"

In this quote, Shirley Manson, the renowned diva of the band Garbage, provides an honest glance into the frequently cutthroat and predatory nature of the music market. Her words clearly stimulate the image of a battlefield, where the main goal is to safeguard the creative and monetary stability of one's work against external threats.

Manson's use of the term "creeps" describes individuals who surround successful bands with ulterior motives, seeking to exploit their success for personal gain. These people are metaphorically compared to "leeches", creatures that acquire a host, draining it of its vigor. This contrast highlights the parasitic nature of particular service relationships in the music market, where some individuals or entities look for to benefit disproportionately from the labor and imagination of artists without providing reasonable settlement or assistance in return.

The expression "attempt to manipulate you and your company" highlights the active and often concealed attempts by these "creeps" to control or influence the choices and directions of a band, perhaps guiding them far from their creative vision or monetary interests. This adjustment can manifest in various methods, from contractual traps and bad offers to excessive influence on artistic options.

Manson highlights the requirement for alertness with the expression "watch like a hawk", indicating the consistent awareness and alertness needed to safeguard oneself and one's band from such exploitation. Her readiness to "combat" and view the scenario as a "fight" suggests a combative stance against those who might harm her career or creative vision. Here, Manson encapsulates the durability and decision required to browse an industry that can often be as predatory as it is fulfilling.

In essence, Manson's words paint a photo of the music market not simply as a space of imagination and expression but likewise as a terrain filled with potential hazards, requiring both strategic acumen and a fighter's spirit to flourish.