The ShadowMusic Web Community

Some time ago I chatted to a young lady who had been to an audition for the X factor! She was a very good singer and much better than many I had heard on there, but she failed to get on the show. One of the back room staff told her that they actually passed a number of acts who they knew had no chance of getting anywhere as it gave the show more entertainment value!

Sadly, these so called "Talent Shows for Music or whatever, are today a complete joke I.m.h.o.
Start at the top and work your way downwards!!!
So many of our own generation heroes worked their backsides off in crappy clubs , pubs etc learning their
musical craft the hard way before even a sniff of a recording contract.
I might be wrong, but in the current series of Later With Jools Holland, no actual 60s Legends have appeared which
says it all.
Some of the recent acts scrape the barrel and Jools face tells it all, acts he was Told to feature.
To his credit, sometimes good jazz and blues featured by up and coming artists, and he certainly warms to this
especially if gets a wee shottie of the piano to back the artistes!!!

Hank Marvin did appear in a fairly recent Jools Holland show but, for whatever reason, didn't play.

Not surprised about "The X Factor". With all reality shows the TV company is trying to make entertaining television as well as pursue the aim of finding a winner. Judy Murray would never have appeared in "Strictly Come Dancing" as a potential dancer but she gave it her all with the jokes against herself!

Back in '64/'65 the acts for "Opportunity Knocks" were chosen on merit ie. the quality of their performances. How we got through, God only knows, but we certainly weren't there because Hughie Green fancied our (male) singer!

The good bit is that there was no intention of humiliating anybody, although some did deserve to be.

How times have changed.

Pat.

OP Knocks wasnt all on merit - one audition I attended resulted in the only two acts chosen were both known to Hughie Geen or his side kicks! It was fairly obvious by the way they greeted each other on arrival!

neil2726 wrote:OP Knocks wasnt all on merit - one audition I attended resulted in the only two acts chosen were both known to Hughie Geen or his side kicks! It was fairly obvious by the way they greeted each other on arrival!

I remember it well - 'for the boy with the sore ass, opportunity knocks' - fact ! we were propositioned

From what I saw Hughie's sidekicks were all over anything in short skirts!