British artist have started a crusade against the UK version of X-Factor. Last year they managed to beat the X-Factor winner, McElderrys, “The Climb” with Rage Against The Machines and “Killing In The Name”. It sold 50 000 digital copies more than The Climb.
The campaign this year, called “Cage Against the Machine”, have more than 78 000 likes on Facebook.
It’s fronted by the leader of Madness, Suggs. Other participants are musicians from The Kooks, Orbital and Mr. Hudson among others.
They have decided to use John Cages “4`33“” from 1952. It’s a song where no music is played for 4 minutes and 33 seconds. It is only the sound in the studio or background you can hear.
It will be released on December the 13th and the hope is that it will beat the upcoming release of the X-Factor winner’s song. All profit from the project will go to charity, among them the British Tinnitus Association.
The reason why they are doing this is, according to the Radio-DJ Eddy Temple-Morris who arranged the campaign, the way the participants on the show is treated.
I am sorry but to me this is a stupid project. So is the reason why they are doing it. It is difficult to understand if this is a stand against bad television reality shows, or the outcome of this particular show: the quality of the music.
I could understand the latter, but to me, the strongest way of showing this would be to record a song that people would actually buy because it was better than the song by the X-Factor winner.
Which of course would have a considerable risk attached to it since they could be beaten by the X-Factor marketing machine and because the show is very popular in Britain.
They have chosen a cowardly solution of just making this about the case, and using a song (or no song really – more a avant-garde art piece) that people would buy, not because of the quality of the alternative song, just to support the cause of the movement.
Love, Hate & Marketing 
I kind of understand your criticism, but still there`s nothing wrong with buying a product, not for the sake of the product, but for the sake of the case.
I`m sure we all have bought something really ugly from either a friend, a charity organization or someone else, not becasue we would like that ugly thing on our fireplace-shelf, but rather to support the case they are selling it for. A bit like the case is with this project.
Hi Audun
Thanks for commenting. And I totally agree with you. We have all done that for a good cause. But I was hoping for something more from them. At least there was a song last year.
If they made a song (I do not consider 4`33“ a song but a avant-garde art piece) that would be so good that it actually would top the charts because people wanted to buy it, not just because of the cause but because it was good.
To me that would be a strong show of power.