First the qualifier: I'm not a reality show junkie; in fact, I dislike them more than I dislike changing a flat tire on the Dan Ryan Expressway during rush hour in January. You get the point.
However, I'm hooked on the CBS show Rockstar: INXS. First, it is not like American Idol, which is a plus. Second, it is the most brilliant PR move for an aging band I've seen yet. INXS is definitely one of the most influential bands of the 1980s. But that's the problem isn't it? They sort of peaked in the 1980s and early 90s. Then their lead singer, Michael Hutchence, committed suicide, shocking the rock world. Unlike AC/DC recovering after Bon Scott's death almost immediately, INXS has been lying low for a while.
I think Rockstar: INXS is an excellent PR vehicle for an aging band without a front man for nearly 10 years. Think about how many bands out there couldn't survive the come-back world with a new lead singer. I'm talking about everything from one-hit-wonders like Better Than Ezra to stadium rockers like Judas Priest. As much as many bands hate to admit it, the front man is perceived to be the band.
Consider Rockstar: INXS to be INXS' market research and PR vehicle. They are obviously aging rockers who love music and love their history, as they rightfully should. They want deeply to continue the band's legacy and Michael Hutchence is a tough act to follow. So instead of secretly auditioning singers and launching a doe-eyed newbie to a world full of disenfranchised fans and overly-critical critics, they are publicly auditioning singers, instantly disarming critics. This strategy is effective in that the critics are already picking their own favorites and not debating if INXS should have gotten a new lead singer to begin with.
Another interesting issue with the show I enjoy is the feedback from the band. I can tell a lot was edited out, but some of what was left in was telling. For example, they are praising one performer who can take direction--so much so, they asked him for an encore. That tells me they want full control of the band and for the new singer to follow along, at least at first. I'm reminded of the movie Rock Star when Mark Wahlberg's character, Chris Cole, brings the band his own ideas and they lecture him on how they've been doing this for years and they know what sells. Naturally, the movie is sympathetic to the misunderstood lead singer. However, as with any business, the newcomer should defer to the experienced mentors. INXS has a lot to teach any young lead singer, and that singer can go on to bigger and better things with that knowledge.
Any business can learn a lot from INXS in that critics can be diffused with the proper PR. Major corporate decisions that are kept secret may be better accepted if they aren't so secret. I'm not sure how much the voting on Rockstar: INXS actually matters in the end. But the fact is the fans feel they have input. Keep in mind INXS already screened the singers before the show. So the public is picking from a limited menu, but the PR part of this is that the public has input. What if a company presented options like that to shareholders publicly? Maybe Donald Trump is on to something.
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