X Factor

I would appreciate it if the following message was read by as many people in the UK as possible. So if you could pass this on via Facebook or some other social networking tool, I would be most grateful. There's a special button at the bottom of this post.

I am really hoping that X Factor do not murder another masterpiece in December. If you are not sure what I am talking about, cast your mind back to last December. The winner of X Factor released a cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah", and it got to Christmas Number One.

A lot of real music fans put up one hell of a fight though. The Facebook group, "Jeff Buckley For Xmas No. 1", of which I was a part of, amassed around 145,000 members at its peak, and all thirteen of us put on a valiant show at our Trafalgar Square flash mob. We managed to get Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah" to Number 2, and considering his version was released sixteen years prior to Burke's, I'd say that's not a bad achievement.

I just hope that Simon Cowell doesn't do the same thing again, in order to line his pockets. Because folks, that's what X Factor is all about. Its purpose is not to make someone a star, nor is it to turn someone's life around, its purpose is to make Simon Cowell - one of the richest men in the UK - even richer.

The majority of people who have won the X Factor have had very short music careers and I bet there's a lot of people out there who watch the X Factor and yet cannot remember all of the names of the X Factor winners.

Bearing that in mind, why on earth would Simon Cowell waste so much time on such a programme? It's simply because, ITV pay him a sum of money that could feed a small country in Africa, and he makes megabucks from the DVDs, the tours and everything else.

Is the music generated from X Factor really that good? Think about it.

Personally, some of the best music I've ever heard has been at a small pub in Bristol or in a tube station in London, where you are so close to the musicians you can touch them.

It's these people who spend their days carrying their heavy guitars around, composing their own music, networking with other musicians, honing their craft, working in recording studios who deserve the public's adoration and to eke out a decent living.

Not people like Alexandra Burke who are perfectly content to defecate all over some of the most beautiful and poignant music ever written.

Yet millions upon millions of people tune into the X Factor every week. I look at my Facebook and it's covered with people letting me know "in my pyjamas watching X Factor" and "so and so to win!"

But where does that actually get us? What does that do for us? It gets us a semi-talented, half-witted, puppet of Simon Cowell who will release one or two albums and then disappear into obscurity, with their million pounds or so.

I am asking you to stop watching X Factor, and instead, go to see a band in a pub. They would be so grateful for you to be there, and if you have any questions after the gig, they would love you to ask them.

If it is so difficult for you to stop watching X Factor, then please, do not buy or stream whatever cover it is they will be releasing for Christmas Number One.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if for once someone other than an X Factor winner made it to Christmas Number One?

Anvil: The Story of Anvil

I knew as soon as I heard about it on the radio that I had to see it and my goodness, it was better than I expected.

"Anvil: The Story of Anvil" is a DOCUMENTARY about a Canadian heavy metal rock group by the name of Anvil, consisting of "Lips" on lead vocals and lead guitar, Robb Reiner (that's two 'b's, and yes, it's just a coincidence; for all you Spinal Tap fans out there) on drums, and another two on guitars - the line-up of which keeps changing.

Reiner and Lips have been Anvil since the 1970s, and in the 1980s they played a huge tour alongside the likes of Metallica and Bon Jovi, who went on to achieve high critical acclaim and make platinum-selling records. This wasn't the case for Anvil, and pretty much as soon as the tour finished, Reiner and Lips had to get minimum-wage manual jobs. Near to the beginning of the film you see Lips working for a catering company for schools.

Since that tour though, Anvil has kept rocking. They are currently working on their fourteenth album, but they have had to remortgage homes and go through hell to do this; to follow their dream.

The reason why it seems like I'm doing a film review for a music blog is because this documentary is so important to music. It tells of the corruption in the industry, the heartache musicians have to face; how the vast majority of musicians don't make it and get screwed over.

I have to admit, heavy metal is one of the few music genres I am not too keen on, but, I must say, their song "Metal on Metal" is pretty catchy.

This film has just stopped being screened in cinemas (movie theatres for people living across the pond from I) and I've just looked, it hasn't been released on DVD yet, but I am sure that when it does it's going to be a bestseller.

This is a must-see film for any music lover.

Why The Cure are amazing

^ Neal Preston, www.thecure.com

The Cure is one of my top four favourite bands and I thought it was only right that I do a post about them sooner or later.

They only became one of my favourite bands very recently. Up until then, I'd just heard a song here and there, a theme tune to a programme (Close To Me), or a song on the jukebox (Boys Don't Cry), or on the soundtrack to a film (Just Like Heaven), absolutely loved it but not known who it was by and not really cared, until I discovered all of these amazing songs were by the same group.

I can't really explain why I like their music so much. I believe it may have something to do with the sound production. Their music really comes alive with a good sound system. A thought I keep having about them is that their music is like an "ear massage"!

Lady Sovereign fell out of my good books lately when she sampled "Close To Me" for her latest song. It just shouldn't be allowed. The Cure are unique and no good will come of meddling with their songs. If a song doesn't have all of the ingredients; the instruments, Robert Smith's voice and the sound production from another planet, it's not The Cure and it will just sound mediocre.

I just had a little peek at their website and found a beautifully written letter from the gorgeous Robert Smith to his fans on the first page. It's his argument against all music being free, and I totally agree with him.

I've always thought about the artists out there that are trying to put food on the table, hence why I started this blog.

The Cure have just finished a tour and I am absolutely kicking myself for not going, but I wouldn't have been able to afford it. Maybe next time.

They actually released a new album called 4:13 Dream last October, which I may just have to buy, and they are releasing another one this October! They are pure geniuses.

By the way, they formed in 1976.