Sunday, June 25, 2006

Fictional Myspace Band Booked

Hype and glory
fictional myspace band hope against hope
As Alan McGee books a made-up band, Dave Simpson looks at the science of creating a buzz

Tuesday June 20, 2006
The Guardian


It worked for Arctic Monkeys; it worked for Sandi Thom. No one should be too surprised that another act have now used the MySpace website - which spreads word of a band (and their downloadable songs) via a growing network of internet "friends" - to launch themselves to stardom. The difference is that Hope Against Hope are a scam, a spoof indie band "with no talent whatsoever" invented by Q magazine in order to prove that the Rupert Murdoch-owned site is now just another cog in the older industry phenomenon of hype.

After just four weeks, Hope Against Hope had a devoted fanbase. Alan McGee - once a member of Tony Blair's Creative Industry Taskforce, and the man who discovered Oasis and the Libertines - even offered them a gig at his influential Death Disco club night...

Hope Against Hope Myspace