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False Idols
False Idols
21 July 2003
By Brett Thomas, The Sun-Herald
They are the next one-hit (or maybe no-hit) wonders,
writes Brett Thomas, so why do they bother?
There were 8000 hopefuls to begin with. In the past three
weeks, that number has been whittled down to 100, then
75, 60 and finally 40. The top 40.
In 16 weeks or so, one contestant will emerge via popular
vote as the first Australian Idol. He or she will be assigned
a manager, given a record contract with the multinational
company BMG and launched into the world as the very latest,
hot-off-the-presses, next big thing in pop.
If recent history is any indication, the career trajectory
of the new "star" will then take the following
course.
A debut single launched on the back of the Australian
Idol TV show, screening on Channel Ten from July 27,
will be a chart success as the performer benefits from
a ratings winner and lots of free publicity. A second
single, released when the hype has died down a little,
won't fare quite as well. A debut album, which will be
savaged by the serious music media as "manufactured"
and "plastic", no matter how good it actually
is, will then die a quick death.
A year later and the artist will be appearing in the "Where
Are They Now?" bit that accompanies the story about
Australian Idol II. If it's a young woman, she may have
picked up the odd Ralph cover shoot; if it's a
bloke ... well, good luck with the busking, mate.
It's an extremely cynical view, to be certain, but one
that has unfortunately been proven three years running
by the winners of Popstars, the first of a crop
of brilliantly devised, internationally syndicated reality
shows that try to make instant stars out of nobodies.
While TV shows such as Popstars and its Australian
Idol successor make for great viewing with their lashings
of real, unscripted pathos and drama, the reality is that
the performers who emerge have very little chance of music
career longevity.
Thrust into a pop world that's already transient at best,
and saddled with the dreaded "manufactured"
tag, they're in and out of the industry as quickly as
the people who voted them in have moved on to the next
reality show.
"You can't even name anyone from Scandal'us [winners
of Popstars II], and what about that guy, the solo
Popstar? Where's Scott Cain now?" asked music industry
analyst Phil Tripp. "He's on the Mickey Mouse channel."
Tripp quoted some startling figures that underline the
ephemeral nature of the music industry. Last year in America
there were 12,534 debut albums released. Of those, 23
broke even. "Also last year in America," he
said, "25 people were killed by lightning."
Tripp had an unlikely ally in Mark Holden, the former
1970s pop star turned hit songwriter, who now helps guide
the career of local singer Vanessa Amorosi. Holden is
one of the three judges on Australian Idol [with
singer Marcia Hines and BMG marketing general manager
Ian Dickson] and has concerns about what becomes of the
eventual winner once the TV cameras are switched off.
"None of the artists that Warner Bros developed through
Popstars has sold any records," Holden said.
"Not one of those is profitable. Some of the people
from Bardot have legs, but none of the records has been
profitable. Scott Cain was over before he started. It's
an issue, it's a real issue.
"Record companies are not interested in artist development.
It's something they don't understand; it's too difficult
for them. They want to get it right first time, otherwise
they just move on to the next one.
"[Australian Idol] is marketed as a TV show,
and what comes from it you'll have to see. We'll have
to see what records get made, we'll have to see what artists
come out of it."
Australian Idol co-executive producer Greg Beness
was keen to point out the difference between his show
and those that have preceded it. "I'm hoping the
Australian public will see someone who has a natural ability,"
he said.
"Those other shows manufactured the acts -we're saying
'There's the stage, show us who you are'. It's a different
kettle of fish.
"We are not teaching them how to dance, we're not
saying, 'Here, wear this because it shimmers', we're not
saying, 'Quick, show a bit of body line because the kids
love it'."
But, for however long the Australian music industry judges
credible talent by the number of years it has spent playing
the Annandale Hotel, it may be a moot point.
The judging panel consist of singer Marcia Hines, former singer
and now writer and producer Mark Holden and BMG record label
representative Ian Dickson.
