Anonymous: “The X-Factory”
March 20, 2009
Okay, these guys get full bonus points for intrigue (not to mention snark).
An excerpt from the e-mail I received today, from one Quentin Coward (all links are mine):
This year, as for several years, “The X-Factor” and its coven of related “reality” shows such as “American Idol” have been a subject of much debate, controversy and – in many musical circles – derision.
This year in particular, this began to rub a lot of people up the wrong way.
Hundreds of campaigns, backing alternatives from Jeff Buckley (whose version of Hallelujah in fact reached Number 2) to Rick Astley to Peter Kay to Terry Wogan to Chris Difford from Squeeze launched across social networking sites, radio and TV stations and press outlets.
“The X-Factory” is a response, from a group of musicians who are, for the time being, keeping their identity to themselves. They are also refusing to share their sandwiches.
The mission statement was simple and two-fold:
1.) The project budget must at no time exceed £15.
2.) Real instruments and players must be used at all times.
Also, it had to be fun. We had fun. And we hope you do too.
Can you guess who Anonymous are? There will be prizes and possibly hats.
http://www.myspace.com/xfactoryanonymous
Regards,
Team Anonymous
I think it’s highly likely that the artists involved are not quite as famous as the ones they cited, and I appreciate this mostly as a creative and humorous guerrilla marketing campaign.
MP3: Anonymous – The X-Factory
If sarcastic folky Brits are up your alley, you may also appreciate Mitch Benn‘s musical takedown of James Blunt, which I think is rather wittier, both musically and lyrically (“he’s the only man alive who’s his own rhyming slang”).
zed equals zee 
Cheers for the plug. We hope will continue to amuse as we go along. : )
We shall drop hint #1 here as reciprocal payback. The artists involved are DIRECTLY linked to AT LEAST one of the cited artists. abo So… mull… folks… mull…
: )
Team Anonymous
You missed the pub quiz a few weeks ago in which the theme was “In perpetuity and throughout the universe” because Vanessa had been approached by the American version of X-Factor, America’s Got Talent, and turned them down because of (among other things) that clause in the contract. Wednesday she announced she’s choreographed a routine with that title, as well.
Quentin, thanks for dropping by! The plot thickens…
Scott, that’s hilarious. Although, technically, if they are broadcasting the signals, they are heading out into the universe in perpetuity…