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Artist News
Can we write about RATM every day this week? Yes we can
By CMU Editorial | Published on Friday 18 December 2009
I really thought we might get through one day this week without talking about this whole Rage Against The Machine v ‘X-Factor’ thing, but then Zach and the boys performed live on BBC 5Live’s breakfast show and everything went all Bruno Brookes.
The band joined Nicky Campbell and Shelagh Fogarty from a US studio for an interview and, perhaps bizarrely for a talk station, a live performance of ‘Killing In The Name’. Prior to the performance, guitarist Tom Morello said that the campaign had “tapped into the silent majority of the people in the UK who are tired of being spoon-fed one schmaltzy ballad after another”.
Frontman Zach De La Rocha added: “Simon [Cowell] is an interesting character who has profited greatly off humiliating people on live television and has a unique position of someone who can not only capture the attention of some people on television but also on the airwaves”.
The band then performed the song, with De La Rocha initially removing the swearing from the lyrics, but managed to shout “Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me” four times over the end of the song before being faded out. Fogarty then announced, seemingly without irony: “We asked them not to do it and they did it anyway”.
But you don’t need me to tell you all this, the BBC videoed the whole thing. You can watch it here (with bleeps) right now: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8418158.stm
A spokesman for the BBC said in a statement later: “We had spoken to the band repeatedly beforehand and they had agreed not to swear. When they did, we faded the band out and said sorry immediately. We apologise again to anyone who was offended”.
Meanwhile, back to the RATM v ‘X-Factor’ battle itself.
And what does Simon Cowell think of the whole thing? Well, he thinks it’s stupid, we already know that. But now he’s come out and accused everyone who’s bought the Rage Against The Machine single of bullying. He told The Sun: “If you take me out of the equation, you have a teenager with his first single being attacked by a huge hate mob on Facebook. It almost feels like a little kid being bullied. It feels like a spiteful campaign aimed at an eighteen year old who won a talent competition. It’s David versus Goliath and it’s not fair on Joe. It’s getting out of hand”.
Just to clarify, he’s saying that the ‘X-Factor’ winner is David and RATM is Goliath. Though he did then concede that it was good to have a bit of competition for the Christmas number one, and agreed that the result would be close, saying: “One part of me says, good for you guys for bringing on some competition. The other part isn’t sure about the point they are trying to make. I think they’ve got a shot at making number one. The retail numbers are very, very encouraging for us but this Rage record now has a momentum of its own”.
But what does Joe McElderry’s ‘X-Factor’ mentor Cheryl Cole thing about the whole thing? Well, she’s none too happy about it and is starting her own campaign to rid the charts of foreigners (possibly). She told The Sun: “I would be devastated to see Joe lose out. He put his heart and soul into every single week of ‘The X-Factor’. I cannot bear to see him lose to a mean campaign that has nothing to do with his efforts. If that song, or should I say campaign, by an American group, is our Christmas number one I’ll be gutted for him and our charts”.
But what does last year’s ‘X-Factor’ winner think of the whole thing? Well, she’s backing Joe McElderry. Alexandra Burke told The Sun: “I think Joe McElderry should be number one because it’ll be his first number one, bless him. I support him dearly. It’s all about what the public want Christmas number one to be – nobody else can dictate that, it’s what they want to buy. End of”.
She also said that she would have been upset if a similar campaign had been launched against her after she won the show last year. You know, say, if people had tried to get Jeff Buckley’s version of ‘Hallelujah’ to number one instead of hers, or something like that. She said: “I would have been upset for sure but what people fail to remember is that the ‘X-Factor’ isn’t forcing someone to be number one. This is not what the show is about, it’s not about forcing people to buy into the single”.
But what does Dave Grohl think of the whole thing? Well, he’s backing Rage Against The Machine. He told Rock Radio yesterday: “We were on our way here and we stopped at a rest stop. It was 4.30 in the morning, I hadn’t slept all night and there was nobody in there except the one guy who works at the sandwich stand. I was paying for my sandwiches and he said: ‘Are you going to buy the Rage Against The Machine single this week?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I think I might have to!’ There’s some music that I question for its intention. I think when people rise up and decide, hey man, I’m sick of this, let’s derail this other thing for something real – I’m all for it. It’s an incredible song and it’s meaningful – maybe people are craving something that actually means something”.
But what does Paul McCartney think of the whole thing? Well, he’s leaning towards Rage Against The Machine, despite appearing on the ‘X-Factor’ final last week. He told Sky News: “Everyone expects Joe to do it. If he goes to number one then good luck to him. He’s just some kid with a career ahead. I’ve got nothing against that, but it would be kind of funny if Rage Against The Machine got it because it would prove a point”.
But what do the record buying public think of the whole thing? Well, they’re still backing Rage Against The Machine, too. Just. The band maintained their lead after their first day of competing with sales of the CD single of the ‘X-Factor’ track, which, unlike most physical singles, is expected to sell very well. Yesterday morning the band’s lead had dropped from 65,000 to just under 37,000, and as of this morning it stands at just 9000, having sold 306,000. Just over half of McElderry’s sales have been physical CDs so far. As previously mentioned, the true test for RATM will be Saturday, when shoppers most likely to buy the ‘X-Factor’ single on CD will be out in force.
But what do Ladbrokes think of the whole thing? Well, despite reopening the book on the chart and putting RATM at the top on Wednesday, they’ve shifted their allegiance back to McElderry. The company’s spokesman, Nick Weinberg said: “Joe has recovered from his black Wednesday. Earlier this week there was a very real chance that he could miss out. But that’s diminishing with every day that passes”. William Hill have also made McEldery their favourite.
We’ll have to wait until Sunday to find out the result, of course. The votes (or sales, if you want to call them that) will continue to be counted up until midnight on Saturday.
PS: While many people have pointed out that Sony Music, and therefore the mainstream music industry, will be the winner either way in this battle, because they released both songs, the wider record industry will, in one way, be the loser again. That very well made mash-up video making ‘X-Factor’ contenders seem to sing the RATM song has been taken off YouTube because of a copyright claim made by record label trade body the BPI. Others have re-uploaded it, but presumably YouTube will continue to take it down when they can. It means that when people click on the video snippets many media have posted on their websites people see “removed because of a copyright claim by British Phonographic Limited”.
Presumably the BPI are acting on behalf of Sony, or someone else related to the ‘X-Factor’ or ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ machine, on this. But when people see ‘BPI’ they read ‘the record industry at large’. So, once again the industry looks, at best, like a bunch of boring spoilsports, and worse like a bunch of evil bastards. When will the major labels and their trade body learn about the importance of public perception towards their businesses and industry if they want political support for anti-piracy measures and copyright extension? Can I come and give every record label chief some basic corporate PR training in the New Year please? Things like this drive me insane.
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UPDATES ON THIS STORY…
FRI 1.30PM: According to 7Digital sales of the two tracks are now neck and neck.
FRI 4.30PM: I see the Daily Mail is quoting sources who say Team Cowell think BBC TV and radio are giving RATM excessive plugs as revenge for the ‘X-Factor’ trouncing ‘Stictly Come Dancing’ in the TV ratings. That assumes a lot more coordination than the Beeb is probably capable off.
FRI 5.30PM: Former CMU columnist Ben Myers shares some interesting thoughts on the chart battle in The Guardian here. You should read it. We did.
SAT 9.00AM: Last day of record buying begins. Joe McElderry’s CD single is expected to sell well today. RATM fans have one last push. Meanwhile, overnight Tom Morello announced RATM would play a free gig in the UK if they get the Christmas number one.
SAT 11.00AM: 7Digital report that X-Factor Joe is now 11,000 sales ahead of the Rage boys. I wonder if there’s a bunch of RATM fans thinking of buying last minute?
SAT 12.00PM: The Sun played Joe X ‘Killing In The Name’ and wrote down what he said – “They can’t be serious! I had no idea what it sounded like. It’s dreadful and I hate it. How could anyone enjoy this? Can you imagine the grandmas hearing this over Christmas lunch? I wouldn’t buy it. It’s a nought out of ten from me. Simon Cowell wouldn’t like it. They wouldn’t get through to boot camp on ‘The X Factor’ – they’re just shouting”. [Insert your own variation of “well, duh” here].
SAT 11.30PM: Oh look, the cut off for buying RATM or Joe X in the race for Christmas number one approaches. We’ve just heard Jedward have approved of the RATM campaign. Good job this only came to light this late in the day – I’m guessing Jedward support could have seriously hindered the RATM campaign. They’re quoted in the Birmingham Sunday Mercury: “Every ‘X Factor’ winner knows they will be No 1, but we think the competition is a good thing. It is cool that someone else hasn’t just sat back and let it happen. We think it is cool there is competition”.
SUN 12.00AM: Race over, now just 18 hours and 50 minutes until winner announced. Apparently the snow might have hindered Joe X’s retail sales today. See, God did his bit too.
SUN 7.00PM: And so, the big count is done and RATM are victorious – more here.
