Monday, July 30, 2007
Was the 106.1 KISS Party local band contest rigged?
The "facts" don't seem to add up concerning Rocket Summer's win over the other less-well known and unsigned local artists in the contest.
We received the following email from a concerned user questioning the validity of the results from the 106.1 KISS Party 2007 local band contest.*
Recently KISS-FM had a "contest" to give a "local band" a chance to win an opportunity to open for Avril Lavigne and Good Charlotte at their annual Kiss Party. After the first day of voting ended Rocket Summer had 0% of the vote. On day 2 the percents were gone. I sent an email to KISS and they told me the percents were up by mistake and that the information was "not supposed to be released to the public. After the last day of voting and Rocket Summer was announced as winner they also gave me this same line when I inquired about final voting. It struck me as funny to learn that Rocket Summer was also on the same record label (Island) as Rihanna (another artist playing at Kiss Party). Also the other 3 bands (A Thousand Miles From Home, Free Agent, and The Salutation) all had links to the voting on their myspace pages while Rocket Summer had no mention of the contest anywhere on his page, his real website, or Island's website. Just wondering how he ended up getting the word out or how payola (or pay-to-play) might have had an effect on the results. Below is the email I sent to KISS as well as the generic form letter I got in return.
-[name redacted]
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From: [email address redacted]
Sent: Monday, July 30, 2007 12:53 PM
To: Nitsche, Kevin
Subject: concert
Very disappointed to see the Rocket Summer won the contest. Just wondering if it had anything to do with being signed to a major record label -or that it was the same one Rihanna is on? Or because he just released an album that Island needs to plug? I noticed that the other 3 bands mentioned Kiss Party on their myspace pages which Rocket Summer made no mention of. I wonder how he got the word out about the voting or why none of his fans commented on his myspace that they had voted? It was my impression (and I'm sure the other 3 bands impressions as well) that this was a contest for local bands and not national acts like RS. Please disregard this if that was not the case. Also while I was looking at RS myspace page I noticed that he is playing in Penn. on the third and somewhere else up in the northeast on the 4th. How does he plan on doing both? -Or are extra plane tickets/hassle all included in Islands plugola budget? Hope to hear back from you.
-[name redacted]
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And here is the response I got back from KISS-FM:
Thank you for your email and participating in the Local band contest for KISS Party. We were very excited to see the caliber of the bands that were submitted and had a huge response from listeners. The votes were very close, but in the end it was Grapevine's The Rocket Summer who won.
I hope you can make it to KISS Party to check them out and continue to listen to KISS FM!
Sarah Hannon
Promotion Director
KHKS – 106.1 KISS FM
Dallas , TX
214-866-8540 (office)
214-866-8541 (fax)
*Links in the body of the email were added by PegNews staff.
Posted by Erin
Mike Orren, says:
Sam Machkovech's theory seems the most plausible. It would seem that the "contest" might well have been rigged from the start and a cheap attempt to garner a lot of MySpace buzz from the hapless other bands trying to win.
http://samred.com/bigdlittled/2007/07...
Even worse, it looks like RS is appearing on the Warped Tour in Philadelphia on Friday. Seems doubtful Bryce could make it here, although they are advertising him hard on the Kiss site. That's one helluva busy day...He plays at 11 AM in Philly, 7 PM here and then 11 AM in NY? Holy jetlag. It's possible, I suppose.
While we're on the topic of contests, I've been getting a lot of emails claiming shennanigans in the voting for http://famecast.com.
Oh, the example our Presidential hopefuls have set...
Staff
2 years, 4 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
David Gouldin, says:
Having been in a number of "battle of the bands" and having seen countless bands go through the process, I have come to the conclusion that most band contests are "rigged" in some way or are at best very heavily biased out of the gate. So I wish this news were surprising, but really it's pretty much par for the course.
Coincidentally, one of the fairest competitions I have been a part of is the Dallas Mavericks theme song contest run on this site.
Verified
2 years, 4 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Capital__P, says:
This is BS. I agree with the first comment that these kinds of competitions are just attempts to get more people to listen in to the upcoming event. I agree that if someone is promoting and marketing much heavier then someone else, yet the person who is not marketing wins...it's rigged!! and those that rigg it can go jump in a lake. that's not true music and in the end think of who takes a loss...the people really wanted to hear someone else (evident in true vote numbers) or do people want to hear someone they didn't vote for and don't care to hear.
change the game
Anonymous
2 years, 4 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Chris Bender, says:
Well there's three simple truths in life:
You don't dump your girlfriend till you have your next one picked out.
You don't ask a question for which you don't know the answer.
and you don't throw a contest without knowing the winner up front.
1000 Miles From Home for one isn't terribly upset by the loss. We increased our web traffic by 3x last week, got lots of great feedback on our video, and maintained our indie cred by getting pushed around by corporate music.
If Avril still wants to have a photo op with us though, we'll be happy to oblige.
-Chris Bender 1000 Miles From Home
Verified
2 years, 4 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
FreeAgent_Leht, says:
Can't say I didn't see this coming, but if a large corporate radio station has to go through these shiesty marketing methods for their concerts featuring platinum selling musicians, what hope is there for the 'lil guy?
Slashing the tour bus tires.
Anonymous
2 years, 4 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
AnnePal, says:
This seems pointless to me. The average listener and/or fan of these bands isn't going to even consider the possibility that a contest like this might be rigged. If they wanted The Rocket Summer to play at their party, why didn't they just ask him to play instead of getting the other band members' and respective fans' hopes up? If the only benefit is increased web traffic on their myspace pages, then KISS FM needs to think of a better way to support the artists they're promoting.
Anonymous
2 years, 4 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
thesalutation, says:
c'mon wasnt this predictable at first play of the big budget video ending with Island Records 2007... we're far from upset +<3
Anonymous
2 years, 4 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
christina, says:
actually, it seems that the contest was actually posted on the rocket summer's official website and that fans did get the chance to vote. so maybe the talented band won fair and square?
Anonymous
2 years, 4 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
topdog1, says:
Jealousy is the green eyed monster. They are a good band and deserve to have won. How many of you have been at Target and have seen those teenagers buying up the CD. That is who voted for them. They are local band that has it together and has done well. So they do deserve the exposure.
Anonymous
2 years, 4 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Brian Grossman, says:
I firmly believe that 106.1 is involved in a Payola scandle for this years KISS party and this information should be brought to the authorities.
It is no coincidence that you will find that Island records has other acts playing that same concert signed to their lable as well... There was no indication of any people voting for The Rocket Summer on their myspace nor from any people over the radio... i did happen to hear many requests over the station for The Salutation and for 1000MTH... if there were any votes for The Rocket Summer, then surely there would be comments on the band's myspace.
But i assume there were no Contest rules or Regulations for this for a reason!
(Also, i wouldn't be suprised to see if 106.1 has written certain "positive" comments on this thread... dirty radio station sell-outs)
Verified
2 years, 4 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Brian Grossman, says:
There are too many holes for that answer to hold any weight... 106.1 has done an aweful and in the respective music industy's opinion, horrible crime.
Verified
2 years, 4 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
chcougar1, says:
I HIGHLY doubt that it was rigged. The Rocket Summer is a national act, but is ALSO FROM Texas. I'm sure his local fans knew all about the contest, which helped him get on the show. Cool off geesh!
Anonymous
2 years, 4 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
chcougar1, says:
Also...how can you guys hate on the Rocket Summer...he is so talented and makes AMAZING music
Anonymous
2 years, 4 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal