Outer Rim Territories

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A PR disaster for the Christian music industry

Faith and Theology: A PR disaster for the Christian music industry

his afternoon I was listening to the excellent call-in radio programme, Australia Talks. The topic was contemporary rock music. With intense fascination and amusement, I listened as one caller from a Christian band attempted to commit PR-suicide. The caller stated the name of his band, and went on to make these remarks: “I play in a band that goes with the Christian message…. We sell on the internet…. There’s six of us in the band, and in the last five years, we’re literally all millionaires…. I’m not a Christian, and none of the members in my band are either. But it’s a bit like The Wiggles. If you put yourself out there and find a market, you cater to it, and it’s as simple as that….” Taken aback, the host of the programme asked: “So you’re a Christian band doing well on the Christian rock circuit – well obviously doing very well if you’re millionaires – but none of you are Christians?” And he replied: “Well, it’s a market, that’s all you need to know really. You know, you cater to it. You write your songs to it. And that’s all there is to it. It’s no different to writing a jingle for Marmite…. I don’t really see why I need to be a Christian to play Christian music. If they want to buy it, that’s all that needs to be known.” I’m sure the other five millionaire-members of the band will be thrilled at the publicity this generates!
Even if this was a prank caller, this is exactly what I have discussed on this blog before. Marketing, commercialization, and industry have no place in church music. Greed, self-interest, and personal wealth have no place in church music.

Posted February 23, 2007 by Christopher Gillespie 
Feb 23, 2007
Steve said...
Good to know you don't have to be a Christian to demonstrate complete idiocy!
Wonder who this guy thinks make up his (their) fan-base...you know, the ones who've made them millionaires?
BTW: I'll never look at another jar of 'Marmite' on our shelves at Whole Foods without thinking of these guys. :-)
Feb 27, 2007
Jason Evans Groth said...
I just had a conversation about this very thing with some friends of mine who do rather well on both the independent and Christian circuit. None of them are Christians, either, and they don't say they are, nor do they play music with a Christian message. Christian promoters, however, think they are a Christian band. This band that shall not be named makes a lot more money on the Christian circuit than on the independent circuit, but they didn't go out of their way for this to happen. They also told me that Christians party a lot harder than they ever thought Christians would. I have a feeling this sort of thing happens a lot.
Feb 27, 2007
Christopher Gillespie said...
Hmm... I was just starting to think this was all a hoax and there you go, giving more evidence.

I don't think commercialized music is a bad thing by the way. It really is another service industry. People want to be entertained and they are willing to pay for it.

Hollywood might offer a similar parallel. Mel Gibson made one of the most critically acclaimed "Christian" films ever. His life and previous films don't all fit the "Christian" bill. Gibson does profess a Catholic faith but how often is this the case? I remember the young lady who played Mary in the Nativity movie announcing her teenage pregnancy after the film's release. Her actions would suggest she is not a Christian. (Oooh, that's a dangerous game! My actions do the same! Hypocrite!)

The point is Christians are willing to pay others for "Christian" media. They don't discriminate who the creator is for the most part. Lutherans will gobble up "Left Behind" merchandise without considering that the whole "Christian" franchise is contradictory to their own faith.

How many people really think about what they consume and also who creates it? They just snarf it up!