Mark
Strata Poster
furie said:I think the "X-Factor is strangling the music industry" thing is really due to the fact it doesn't encourage original artists.
You don't need to be anything other than a competent karaoke singer to get to number one. Forget about song writing, the ability to play an instrument (or program a tune one up, or mix one) or any real musical ability.
I'm shocked you don't realise this Mark, as somebody who has written their own songs and is trying to make it. You could have just gone on X-Factor and had a number one, based on the merits of the original songwriter, Simon Cowell and a bunch of people re-producing other peoples work.
Oh I totally get it. I am writing my own material and so on but if it was what the mass public wanted, I would be famous already perhaps?. All it takes is for a few people to hear a song and love it and pass it on to their friends and they do the same until it all snowballs. To the point where I wouldn't need major label backing perhaps? This has not happened yet and may never happen. This doesn' deter me of course and I will keep plugging away at it, working on it at a pace where I can just enjoy it.
I don't do X Factor (even though soooo many people keep telling me to try) because of the contractual restrictions in which they place you under, both throughout the run on the show and for a while after. They are beyond excessively harsh and it just wouldn't mesh well with what I want to achieve and create as an artist. GRanted, it may be worth adding that if I were in the show this year and I went out before idiots like Jedward I would have been infuriated.
I play the piano (not wonderfully) and I can chain together a song so yeah, maybe I do deserve it more to hit the big time but in the same breathe, there are people out there who are far better singers so why shouldnt they get a shot too?
In terms of reality shows, perhaps the BBC should consider bringing back Fame Academy... a much more well thought out show. They put each contestant through their paces a lot more. They had to take songwriting, dance, vocal, public relations and all sorts of "classes" making up the weekday show and then an xfactor style sing off on the weekend. Unfortunately the show didn't last long as it had to compete with Pop Idol and its far bigger names....
My main point here is that I neither hate nor love the show. It is a part of the music industry that in some ways has been very helpful. Emerging "artists" helping re-introduce older artists to a modern audience. Yeah sure it dominates the charts... for 1 week of the year.
My issue here is mainly that all this campaign is doing is adding fuel to the fire and referring people back to X Factor, giving it even more publicity and so on to the point where, in essence, the campaign is a back-fire.
I totally agree with Pierre when he says...
As long as it isn't RatM... their over-obsession campaign with making it number 1 makes me hate it. Anyone else who releases a song intentionally for Xmas #1 and makes it is fine, but to be number 1 just to spite somebody, lol childishhhh
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