A Call To Arms

This Christmas there was a noble battle in the world of entertainment; the war for Christmas Number 1.  Year after year Simon Cowell's endless army of reality TV stars invade the charts and take the previously coveted number 1 spot without blinking an eyelid.  So easily do they achieve this that huge stars of reputable ability avoid releasing singles at Christmas knowing that a number 2 would blot their copy book.  It's not worth going up against the machine... or is it?

2009 had a battle to remember.  Did Rage Against The Machine make it to Christmas Number 1?  No.  You did.  The people.  The individuals who remember how exciting the race for Christmas Number 1 used to be before it was watered down.  The people who chose not to look on passively. 

Now, I don't know a lot about war but if I had to pick an army to take on then I would definitely start with one made up of Shane Ward, Leona Lewis, Leon Jackson, Alexandra Burke and Joe McTalentless.  Granted, had Michelle McManus been warming-up at the opposing end of the battlefield then I probably would have downed tools and buggered off.  But she wasn't, and I didn't.  I joined the legions of music fans, young artists and fed-up punters who dressed up like Braveheart and discovered their collective voice.

Hold on a minute...Rage Against The Machine are signed to Sony!  All the money is still going to The Man via a different door.  What's more this song is seventeen years old.  Couldn't we find something a bit more modern?  Why were there no undiscovered contemporary artists that could have benefited from this campaign?  What's with the rose-tinted glasses - we must have forgotten about Mr. Blobby, Bob the Builder, Shakin Stevens and Cliff Chuffing Richard!  "But we stopped McElderry from getting to Number One" - no we didn't.  He went straight to number 1 the following week.

All the above arguments are valid.  But they completely miss the point.  If you're reading this Ideas Tap article then chances are you are either a young person finding your way in the creative industries or you are my Auntie Eileen showing me some support during your lunch break.  Apart from you, Eileen, we are all battling to keep our heads above water in extremely competitive industries.  Budgets are tight and broadcasters, creative directors and producers are turning to predictable and bankable projects.  If our generation is to be heard then we need to unite and make full use of all the tools at our disposal. 

By making Simon Cowell cack his ludicrously high-waisted trousers two young music fans pulled off an incredible coup.  As young artists we must continue to motivate people to make change; politically and socially.  Sony BMG were not ready for such a backlash and neither are the companies dominating our industries.  Never have we had such opportunity to reach people all over the world as we do now.  If we utilise the potential of the internet and the technology at our disposal we too can rally together and make an impact in our respective industries.  Collaboration is a wonderful thing.  Go and do it. Now.

Right, I'm off to enlist recruits to storm the studios of Celebrity Big Brother.  Writers, movie makers, choreographers, performers, designers, artists unite: Let's kick some ass!