Tag Archives: JLS

Ending up with tweenaged children obsessed with JLS, Justin Beiber and One Direction is surely the price parents pay for neglecting their childrens’ musical education.

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Tim Hall | 2 Comments

Can’t help but laugh at this Gary Bainbridge review of boy-band JLS. But on the other hand, while we all love a snarky review of something we hate, those of us who are prog fans are all too used to seeing similar reviews of music we love.

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Tim Hall | Comments Off

Synchronicity in the news. Tory minister Maria Miller says “British culture must become a commodity“, a statement that speaks volumes for their values. Then the news that the manufactured talent-show boy-band JLS are to split up, but not until after they’ve raked in the money from a farewell tour and album.

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Tim Hall | Comments Off

JLS Britain’s hardest-working band? Churnalism at it’s worst

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Tim Hall

The story that boy-band JLS have been named “Hardest Working Band” by the Performing Rights Society is making just about every music fan and musician in my circle of friends throw up the hands in despair.

To call an act who have played 34 gigs in 2012 the “Hardest working band” is surely an insult to actual real hard-working musicians, the sort of people who slog round the clubs and theatres and form the backbone of real music in this country. As a friend on Twitter has pointed out, John Otway plays 200 gigs a year at the age of 60. The whole thing smacks of “biggest moneyspinner for PRS” rather than a reflection of any actual amount of work.

The way this non-story is all over the media is a textbook example of so-called “churnalism”, the process by which vapid PR guff is translated into column inches without any actual journalism having taken place. It’s risible nonsense to anyone whose knowledge of music goes beyond what’s available on the shelves of ASDA, and doesn’t exactly do much for PRS’s credibility, let along the media outlets that unquestioningly repeated the story.

Shame on everyone who had any part in this charade.

Posted in Music Opinion | Tagged , | 3 Comments