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Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Try Hard but don't be a ..Try-Hard

Hi there and happy new year!

Try Hard. It used to really bother me that these two words, when used as a noun, could be negative - how could there by anything wrong with trying your absolute hardest? Call me a try hard and shouldn't it be a compliment? 

But I think I get it now. Recently a newbie pop artist directed me to their YouTube videos. I saw an impressive stage, custom-made sets, multiple back-up singers and slickly-choreographed dancers - all there to support this artist who strutted the stage, changed costumes multiple times and... sorry, but could barely sing in tune! I respect and almost envy the confidence he has to organise and finance what were obviously his own productions, but it all looked very, well... try-hard! Some style perhaps but very little substance.

He was skipping all of the vital steps - he had some of the trappings of the popstar but none of the goods, yet at least. Talk about putting the cart before the horse - and I know a thing or two about going bass ackwards, having announced my CD Launch before actually recording the CD!

Do you remember the 'Marcus is Coming' campaign of the late '80s in Australia? Those three words adorned hundreds of billboards and bus-sides - one of the first examples of a teaser campaign that went viral, before the internet even existed. So much attention ensued that when this singer-songwriter was finally revealed and his song launched, it was slammed viciously from all quarters. It had no chance of living up to the hype.

It might be something to do with our instant celebrity culture, but this kind of thing seems even more common nowadays. Kids (I know, that makes me sound old doesn't it?) want the end result without all the hard work, all the trying hard! 

I say, let it flow naturally man and those set designers will soon be knocking down your door. 

See you next week,
xAmanda

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