Why don't they have X factor for musicians?

[Damonjames]

So ill open myself up to ridicule, and it is probably deserved! But thank to Mrs DJ I have for sucked into X Factor, and I'm sat here watching the final and thinking to myself, why don't they have an X factor for musicians?
I mean surely it would e just as entertaining to see drummers, guitards, bassists etc go through the same process? And surely the commercial
Viability/return on investment must be higher with a group of people put together who REALLY understand music and more than likely write genuine original songs.
Maybe I just live under a rock and it's been done before?
I need a talent show so I can quit my day job!

[OliverBlackman]

They used to and they re-introduced it in some of the early phases of this years. From what I've been told it's very well paid. Phil mulford does all the pre recorded bass parts.

[thodrik]

Because it would be rubbish.

[Damonjames]

Surely it would be LESS rubbish than X factor though?

[JapanAxe]

Average ordinary non-muso folks connect most with a song's vocals, as the vocalist is communicating with them in the most direct way. In comparison, a musician-based competition will not be as accessible to the general public.

Can you imagine a musical version of Jedward?

[Damonjames]

Surely they would be culled early though? I realise that it's probably not a prime time tv slot, but maybe on MTV or kerrang or sky arts where you might get a slightly more interested audience

[Scorpius]

Well, Britain's Got Talent occasionally hosts musicians, but it's a variety show... I believe that X-Factor needs to have huge viewing and participant application numbers in order to compensate for the high salaries and big production costs while maintaining global appeal. The world's Joe Public is quite familiar with "songs", can relate to them much easier through life experiences and therefore much more attracted to these sort of competitions. Also, there's a proportionally higher number of people who can passably sing, than play an instrument. Well, they think they can.
A show based on musical performance - which would basically entail instrumentals - would mostly appeal only to musicians, their friends and families, and maybe some "guitar god" wannabes who feel they have lost their opportunity of becoming some sort of a musician on their turn... It would simply not have the mass appeal that a pop song performance could attract, whether terrible, mediocre, or great. You must keep in mind that this, and other similar shows, are Not really about the existence and nurturing of talent, but about the money. Simon says: "Show me da money!"

[Damonjames]

It would be far cheaper to produce, without the additional cost of backup singers, dancing troupe and about a thousand reverb units surely it could be done!

[Ian Savage]

There was a production company tried to do something like that a few years ago (I know, because I was going to be on it ) but it never got off the ground. As JapanAxe says, Joe Public often doesn't 'get' what makes a musician good or mediocre (witness the cheering at any of Tommy Lee's 'drum solos') so it'd come down to personality and who has the best 'nan in hospital' sob-story even more than the current one does.

[White Cloud]

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1387140726' post='2308677']
Average ordinary non-muso folks connect most with a song's vocals, as the vocalist is communicating with them in the most direct way. In comparison, a musician-based competition will not be as accessible to the general public.
[/quote]
The voice is the primary instrument.

[M@23]

Because, how many people can connect with musicians doing what they do well? Week after week? I would probably love it, as would a lot of musicians. But my nan wouldn't tune in to watch a drummer or bassist or what have you playing solo. Thinking about it, it would probably be really self indulgent too. Lots of horrendous shredding that whilst technically impressive is actually boring as f*ck to listen too.

I'd much rather X Factor just had a live band. If Strictly can do it, why not? Or, the show just stopped, as in it's current form it has well and truly run it's course...

[Grangur]

Record companies need to sign new vocalists to keep the public interested and buying recordings.

But its no problem for then to keep rolling out the same session musicians, drum- machine technicians come to that.

[cytania]

There was a series called 'Play It Again' and another called 'First Love' where celebs returned to an instrument they had given up on in their youth. Surprisingly emotional. I remember Bill Odie could play guitar lines but not chords...

[spacey]

Mr Cowel states he can pick up a telephone and have 50 musicians of the highest possible standard on stage within the hour.
The people he is looking for can not be found by picking up the phone book...


Wan*er ...

Edited December 15, 2013 by spacey

[mep]

Sky did [i]Must Be The Music[/i] back in 2010 if any of you remember that. There was a short running thread on it here during it's 1 series. Sky didn't recommission it for 2011 due to poor viewing figures. Apparently only 370,000 tuned in for the final.

[mr zed]

Why would we want to lower ourselves?

[danbowskill]

didn't they have a band talent/judge show on the box a few years ago?? it had Alex James, Lauren lavern and the bassist from New order on the panel. think it was aired on Sunday afternoon's?
I thought it was ok, all kinds of genres..... obviously never took off!

[xilddx]

X-Factor for musicians ?! Why not extend that to X-Factor for watchmakers, X-Factor for kitchen fitters, X-Factor for rock climbers ? Because no-one would watch it.

Despite us musicians thinking we are very, very important, and overlooked and undervalued, it's the singer in popular music that the audience identifies with. The audience knows what makes them feel good, they can identify with the singer. They understand words and the voice expressing them. They connect with the look and movements and facial expressions of the singer. Instrumental music confuses the average listener, they don't understand what makes a good drummer, a good guitarist, a good keyboard player, a good bassist. It's backing for the singer and if it sounds good and it makes the singer sound good, that's the extent of their interest. You may think that's unfair, but that's the way it is. That is why Edward Van Halen hardly got recognised in the street, and why David Lee Roth could silence any restaurant when he walked in.

I've said it before but so many posts on here about X-Factor indicate the poster has no idea what the programme is. They think it is about music. It isn't, music is simply a conduit for the competition and the associated entertainment. Singers generate reaction and opinion even if those reactions and opinions are from the clueless, they generate in the audience a passionate sense of good and bad, right and wrong, justice and injustice. So they watch and vote and help create the hysteria. Show me an instrumentalist who can generate that kind of reaction.

[steve-bbb]

they sort of do already - thing is it's percieved as a rather niche environment often for nerdy music geeks

unfortunately it doesnt have the instant mass appeal of an ordinary person who happens to be 'brilliant' at singing just because they open their fat gob and a 'nice ish' sort of sound comes out compared to a program full of music swots who practice 25 hours a day since they were three years old and are on their way to a serious professional career in classical music

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2013/young-musician-2014.html

[Telebass]

Musician + X-Factor = contradiction in terms.

[Telebass]

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1387184552' post='2308991']
X-Factor for musicians ?! Why not extend that to X-Factor for watchmakers, X-Factor for kitchen fitters, X-Factor for rock climbers ? Because no-one would watch it.

Despite us musicians thinking we are very, very important, and overlooked and undervalued, it's the singer in popular music that the audience identifies with. The audience knows what makes them feel good, they can identify with the singer. They understand words and the voice expressing them. They connect with the look and movements and facial expressions of the singer. Instrumental music confuses the average listener, they don't understand what makes a good drummer, a good guitarist, a good keyboard player, a good bassist. It's backing for the singer and if it sounds good and it makes the singer sound good, that's the extent of their interest. You may think that's unfair, but that's the way it is. That is why Edward Van Halen hardly got recognised in the street, and why David Lee Roth could silence any restaurant when he walked in.

I've said it before but so many posts on here about X-Factor indicate the poster has no idea what the programme is. They think it is about music. It isn't, music is simply a conduit for the competition and the associated entertainment. Singers generate reaction and opinion even if those reactions and opinions are from the clueless, they generate in the audience a passionate sense of good and bad, right and wrong, justice and injustice. So they watch and vote and help create the hysteria. Show me an instrumentalist who can generate that kind of reaction.
[/quote]
Exactly.

[xilddx]

[quote name='Telebass' timestamp='1387186776' post='2309013']
Musician + X-Factor = contradiction in terms.
[/quote]

They have some very good musicians on the show. And some of the contestants are very good.

[steve-bbb]

if they did there would only be [url="http://newsthump.com/2011/12/12/simon-cowell-wins-x-factor-for-record-8th-time/"]one winner [/url]

[color=#808080][b]Simon Cowell shocked morons everywhere last night by dramatically securing his tenth successive victory in ITV’s X Factor.[/b][/color]
[color=#808080]The victory has come as a shock to millions of people who appear to have no idea what they are watching, and who for some unfathomable reason seemed to think victory belonged to a female singer called ‘Sam Bailey’.[/color]
[color=#808080]Cowell told reporters after the win, “This is just like winning the lottery. Again. For the tenth year running.”[/color]
[color=#808080]“People said it was impossible to win it all over again, but then I pointed them to a format that I completely own, and my record company that now owns all of the acts on the show, and then they have to admit it looks a lot like ‘winning’.”[/color]
[color=#808080]“I’m simply overjoyed, and I can’t thank the fans enough for believing in this money making charade disguised as a talent show. Without them I would be significantly poorer.”[/color]
[color=#808080]“Sam is quite pleased as well, and will be until she realises how little she actually stands to make from all this.”[/color]
[b] [color=#808080]Cowell wins X Factor[/color][/b]

[color=#808080]Experts have said that this latest victory yet again illustrates Cowell’s incredible natural gift for extracting money from simpletons.[/color]
[color=#808080]Music industry analyst Simon Williams told us, “He’s like a force of nature, and fully deserves this tenth successive win.”[/color]
[color=#808080]“Never before have we seen anyone so incredibly talented when it comes to turning the feeble-minded majority into cold hard cash.”[/color]
[color=#808080]“To be honest, I don’t see how anyone will ever beat him.”[/color]

Edited December 16, 2013 by steve-bbb

[Conan]

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1387184552' post='2308991']
X-Factor for musicians ?! no-one would watch it.

Despite us musicians thinking we are very, very important, and overlooked and undervalued, it's the singer in popular music that the audience identifies with. Singers generate reaction and opinion even if those reactions and opinions are from the clueless, they generate in the audience a passionate sense of good and bad, right and wrong, justice and injustice. So they watch and vote and help create the hysteria. Show me an instrumentalist who can generate that kind of reaction.
[/quote]

This. It may be a frustrating situation, but if we want more recognition for our skills/ability/devotion we need to become singers!

People notice singers, even if it is just to say "look at that w***er!!". Not many people leave gigs talking about bass players.... well, except other bass players of course, and even then - only if the singer isn't a w***er.

[krysh]

don't you have this already, it's called "later with..."

off with the coat....