There’s this programme on Sat/Sun called unsigned bands something, not sure what its called but it’s probably got a mobile phone name crammed into the title. The premise of it is x-factor for bands. So you all know the drill, bands enter their songs, go through auditions and the winner gets showered in riches.

They’ve got the usual industry jury who act as a buffer for the public making sure we dont get to buy anything that’s not good enough for us. The emphasis on the show is that these bands are unsigned but one of them will be given the prize of a record contract. But isn’t the internet giving bands/ artist the freedom to release their new music online to a mass audience? Well, yes and no. Yes but artists aren’t considered such until they’re signed to a label, (which by the way can be some guy mailing cd’s from his bedroom) and No because the record companies are trying their damndest to keep it that way. They know that as long as we/ you dont consider the masses of bands on myspace as ‘real artists’ then their artists are safe.

Why is this? The people who pick the signed bands and build them up have no more of an insight into music as the next person, believe me, ive met a few of them. So why don’t we start listening to music because we like the sound of it? I’ll tell you why, because thats not how it goes down. The reason such shows are made is to maintain the status quo that says that a rock bands worth is stuck at wannabe status until they get picked up by a label. Well I say we’re smart enough to find our own music and rely on our own ears to know what sounds good.

November 10th, 2007