The folks who brought you 'American Idol' turn voters loose on bands

"American Idol" rules. Will "American Band" rock?

Fox's new reality/talent competition, "The Next Great American Band," is the brainchild of 19 Entertainment, creators of the all-powerful "American Idol" franchise and "So You Think You Can Dance."

Though its pedigree is good, the show airs in an often risky Friday-night time slot.

"Am I worried?" asked Nigel Lythgoe, 19 Entertainment executive producer. "I think people find programs that they want to watch. If we're a good show, people will find us."

Viewers will find many familiar elements, beginning with the stage symmetry of three judges and a gregarious host.

The judges are Goo Goo Dolls lead singer John Rzeznik, percussionist and band leader Sheila E. and music industry veteran Ian "Dicko" Dickson, who has already made his mark as the acerbic Simon Cowell-esque judge on "Australian Idol."

Cowell and Dickson once had offices next to each other in London and it was Cowell who persuaded Dickson to move to Australia to host "Australian Idol."

The weekly competition kicks off with a two-hour episode on Friday.

It will operate on a familiar formula: The judges will narrow the field to 10 finalists who will perform live each week, playing a mix of their own music and cover tunes. The judges will offer commentary and guidance to voters, who ultimately will decide the winner with telephone and text message votes.

6,000 bands entered

After soliciting performance videos from "musical groups of all ages, styles, and genres" and promising "a record contract that could be worth millions," the producers of "The Next Great American Band" were deluged with audition tapes from more than 6,000 bands.

Sixty were chosen to participate in live auditions in August at the Montelago Resort in Lake Las Vegas, Nev., which turned out to be more desert than resort.

"Auditions sometimes started at 7 o'clock in the morning in the baking sun," Lythgoe said. "It was so hot, I think it went up to about 140."

The first episode will be a synopsis of the 60 auditions, but "Idol" fans who most love bad auditions may be disappointed, Lythgoe said.

"What we have got is zany bands rather than being bad. Working in a band, you tend to iron out people who aren't good and sort of squeeze them out. It's not a program where we're going to be celebrating Sanjaya. We'll be celebrating the talent."

The bands will perform before an audience at CBS Studios in Los Angeles, also home to "Idol" and "So You Think You Can Dance."

They'll play original music if they choose and/or covers in a range of genres. The show plans to push contestants' comfort zones and limits, and the judges will offer advice on what -- or who -- isn't working so that a band can then shed members or remain together. And that, Lythgoe said, "causes friction and drama and interest. It's not just a music show. It's the same as 'Idol' -- it's a people show. These people have been struggling to be successful and here comes this opportunity and there they are to reach out and grab it."

According to Dickson, "That's the reality of the record industry.

No one can survive without a charismatic front man, and we've seen some really good musicians in this competition who just lack that star quality."

Basic rules: There was no age limit; a band had to have at least two members, with at least one playing an instrument (no a capella groups); bands could have put out their own CDs but could not be signed to a record contract.

"We're expecting the majority of them to be professionals, to actually live by playing their music," Lythgoe said, noting "a lot of them have come close to getting recording contracts."

Dickson originally thought the show was "a ridiculous idea -- just what the world needs, another talent show." (He also may have been thinking of the weekly commute between Los Angeles and Sydney, where he's hosting "Australian Idol.") But, he said, "having seen the auditions, I'm absolutely in now. I didn't know we'd get such diversity and so many bands that reflect the rich tapestry of music in America. I was desperate we would avoid a show that had 10 Good Charlotte look-alikes."

As for the divide between original music and covers, "we asked for both," Lythgoe said. "We said we'd like to hear what you're about, what you like to write, what you like to do, and we'd also like to hear you do a cover version of something, again, in the style that you like. I must say, I was very impressed with some of the bands' original music -- very impressed."

Unlike "Idol," bands won't be asked to attempt a music style they're not familiar with or are unequipped to handle.

"We're not asking them to change their style, we're asking them to change the song," Lythgoe explained. For example, "doing songs that are not necessarily bluegrass music -- maybe a David Bowie song -- and turning it into bluegrass with a clever arrangement."

The final episode of "The Next Great American Band" will be a winner-takes-all showdown among the top three bands.

source: http://www.modbee.com/life/funstuff/story/88227.html