'killing in the name campaign' to beat Simon Cowell

[Dr Mindbender]

http://new.uk.music.yahoo.com/blogs/touchingthevoid/19324/rage-against-the-x-factor/



Rage Against The “X-Factor”


Posted Fri 4 Dec 2009 4:06PM GMT by Johnny Famethrowa in Touching The Void (http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=11o1m3av4/**http%3A//new.uk.music.yahoo.com/blogs/touchingthevoid)
http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/touchingthevoid__1/touchingthevoid-986877565-1259942586_thumb.jpg?ym7asTCDd5wrCiKQ (http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=13fkmvcjq/**http%3A//a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/touchingthevoid__1/touchingthevoid-986877565-1259942586.jpg%3Fym7asTCDXzAtMcpy)

There are three things you can rely on in life: Death, taxes and the Christmas Number One being by the new "X-Factor" winner. Yawn. Because Simon Cowell's android pop stars have marched their way to the summit of the festive chart tree for the last four years running. But it seems his spell could be about to end, after a group emerged from the dark corners of the internet in a bid to jeopardise the pop mogul's domination and, in short, tell him where to stick it.

Tens of thousands of people have signed-up to a campaign organised online by Jon Morter, which calls on people to buy Rage Against The Machine's infamous, insurrectionary 1992 track "Killing In The Name" and send that to the top of the singles chart on December 25 instead of whichever contestant wins the 2009 competition. "Fed up of Simon Cowell's latest karaoke act being Christmas Number One? Me too... So who's up for a mass-purchase of the track ‘Killing In The Name'...as a protest to the ‘X-Factor' b******s?", explain the Facebook and Twitter groups.

The most memorable line in arguably Rage's greatest moment is probably "F*** you, I won't do what you tell me", which Morter describes as being "very apt". He says the Christmas Number One is a "great tradition", which the "X-Factor" has "taken all the fun out of". Last year, he unsuccessfully pitched Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" against Alexandra Burke's cover of "Hallelujah". But this fight is not over and the battle lines have clearly been drawn once again. To succeed this year music fans would need to buy the single in the week of 13th - 19th of December from either 7Digital, iTunes or Play.com to ensure the track was No.1 on the big day. Only one question remains: Whose side are you on?
You can pledge your allegance to the cause by clicking here. (http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=136vs1u1j/**http%3A//www.facebook.com/%23/group.php%3Fgid=2228594104%26ref=search%26sid=5718 16258.2295640310..1)

[Pirate Utopian]

So instead of cliche teenpop there's dire unoriginal rapmetal? Fantastic.

[Dr Mindbender]

So instead of cliche teenpop there's dire unoriginal rapmetal? Fantastic.

Eh, each to his own. Choose your lesser evil i suppose... :bored:

You have to admit it'll be funny if this is successful since RATM is pretty much the epitome of everything that isn't X factor.

It'll be worth it just to see Cowell's po-faced features. He was pretty pissed off when Peter Kay's Geraldine beat him, what more if it's this?

[Sam_b]

So wait, we protest the rapid commercialisation and capitalisation of music by buying another song?

Anyone fancy explaining how this works? RAH RAH FIGHT THE POWAAAH

[cleef]

Anyone else seen this FB group created to get RATM's song Killing in the name to top the UK Charts at xmas in opposition to whatever rubbish Simon Cowell + Co decide to peddle out by this years X Factor winnner

Link below for anyone who wants to sign up...

www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2228594104 (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2228594104)

[Sam_b]

There's already a thread on this, so merged.

[Dr Mindbender]

love rage or loathe em, i think everyone here should still support this.

Simon Cowell was blubbing today (http://tv.uk.msn.com/news/articles.aspx?cp-documentid=151303381&ocid=today) about how they're being 'stupid' and 'cynical' (..pot, kettle, black...) denying 3 people their 'big opportunity'.

Apparently their twitter page has 600 000 subscribers.

[The Ungovernable Farce]

The best comment by far I've seen on this was:
"My friend told me to buy "Killing in the Name of" so it'd be the Christmas No. 1. I replied 'fuck you, I won't do what you tell me'." ;)

[Sam_b]

I mean, yes it would be great to see from an objective perspective - something like Rage being number one and what its associated with. On the other hand we have to take into consideration that this may be one of the best bits of publicity that Cowell gets: he wants a singles war with two sides battering it out to get to the top spots, as it almost guarantees more publicity and extra sales, as well as the continuity of his X-Factor franchise. Remember this is the man who played a huge part in the bidding war between the Boy Bands of the 90s.

Dr Mindbender certainly makes a decent enough argument around this, and i'm not going to tell anyone whos for it to go massively against, but I don't think that somehow we can see a victory against mass-produced capitalism in music by scoring an apparent 'victory' against it: a victory that still helps capital one way or another.

[brigadista]

never mind RATM peter kay sorted this

[Dr Mindbender]

never mind RATM peter kay sorted this

theres a difference between peter kay and an obscure facebook user. Peter kay is already an established celebrity with access to the big media, this is people power in action.

Besides which Geraldine hardly conveyed any anti-establishment sentiment.

[Sam_b]

If we're talking about comparative experiences, remember the 'Jeff Buckley for No1' of the past.

[brigadista]

theres a difference between peter kay and an obscure facebook user. Peter kay is already an established celebrity with access to the big media, this is people power in action.

Besides which Geraldine hardly conveyed any anti-establishment sentiment.


it was funny though

[RedAnarchist]

Probably because I'm sick of hearing about this bloody talent shows/reality tv programmes, I'll be more than happy to see anyone with even a little talent win it (so noone from the x factor, then).

Also -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO0Auo50A1A

[Sam_b]

Another huge problem for those taking the ancap side of things is that both songs are owned by Sony/BMG.

[rednordman]

Another huge problem for those taking the ancap side of things is that both songs are owned by Sony/BMG.Yes, at the end of the day, even if ITNO wasnt owned by Sony (or anyother big corperation) RATM would still techically be cashing in on peoples opposition to the rather unnerving dominance of the 'mcpopstars' phenomenon, in the music sales market.

[Coggeh]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/MP3-Music-Download/b/ref=sv_m_h__9?ie=UTF8&node=77197031
Top of the download charts.

Success :)

I couldn't care less whether its a vain try to stem the growth of music purely for profit . I just can't fucking stand that stupid fucking x factor show any more .

[Sam_b]

To be frank, what do people have against buying a song they like?

[Dr Mindbender]

Another huge problem for those taking the ancap side of things is that both songs are owned by Sony/BMG.

Rage have said that they will be giving their share of the profits to Shelter so its a no brainer really.

Besides the organisers of the campaign have said that this is about what x-factor are doing to the music industry, it isnt a campaign against Simon Cowell/Sony.


To be frank, what do people have against buying a song they like?
I dont mind as long as the song doesnt come from a 'jumped up karaoke' contest that by rights shouldnt be there in the first place.

It's an insult to those artists that worked hard to be discovered.

[Invader Zim]

RATM are a fucking shit band that bring political music into disrepute. That said Pop Factor, or whatever the fuck its called, corrodes my soul.

Thank God Bobby D's come to rescue us this Christmas.

[Dr Mindbender]

RATM are a fucking shit band that bring political music into disrepute.

Your opinion.

[Invader Zim]

Your opinion.

Yep, and in my experience the opinion of the vast majority of rage fans once they reach their mid 20s. They have always struck me as that kind of band that you listen too aged 15 but grow out of eventually. Not that I ever liked them myself, their first album was just about tolerable I suppose.

[Devrim]

love rage or loathe em, i think everyone here should still support this.

Why on Earth should people support a rather limp attempt by the music business to sell more records? I think that Sam B has summed up most of the points here, but there are is one more I would like to add.


Rage have said that they will be giving their share of the profits to Shelter so its a no brainer really.

The article I saw on this said they were going to give some of their share of the profits. Now if that part of the share is 5%, and this selfish altruism brings in 10% more sales they are making money on it.

That is quite apart from the fact that charitable donations are tax deductable.

Devrim

[Led Zeppelin]

Thank God Bobby D's come to rescue us this Christmas.

Must Be Santa is an ok song (and has a cool video), but let's be honest; the rest of the album is total trash.

But I do agree with you that he's gonna rescue this Christmas, at least for me. His bootlegs that I started to listen to a few weeks ago will keep me busy for the holidays. :)

[RHIZOMES]

So instead of cliche teenpop there's dire unoriginal rapmetal? Fantastic.

How is RATM unoriginal when they were one of the pioneers of the genre? :rolleyes:

[Sean]

Yep, and in my experience the opinion of the vast majority of rage fans once they reach their mid 20s. They have always struck me as that kind of band that you listen too aged 15 but grow out of eventually. Not that I ever liked them myself, their first album was just about tolerable I suppose.
I'd agree with this I guess, but then last I donned a che tshirt I was doing my A-Levels too. Both might be a bit corny but I don't particularly find either completely abhorent. I actually do like Killing in the name of and would still mosh to it, pushing angry teens aside with my old man gut. I just like when people win by screwing with things. I voted tens of thousands times for Rick Astley to win the MTV award.

[Pirate Utopian]

How is RATM unoriginal when they were one of the pioneers of the genre? :rolleyes:
A genre based on unoriginality.