Camden New Journal - The Bad Robots

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The Review - MUSIC - grooves with CHARLOTTE CHAMBERS
Published: 22 November 2007

I, Robot, take thee, television...

THE Bad Robots are a Camden Town fourpiece who have emerged as the local stars of TVs mobileAct Unsigned on Channel 4’s T4.
Described by guest judge Lily Allen as boring at the start of the competition, they are now in the final five, and have supported Athlete onstage and had mentoring from Roisin Murphy.
Programme presenter Alex Zane wants the Robots to win.

How did mobileAct Unsigned all start for you?
Ben Larsen: We assumed it was a Battle of the Bands-type thing – which we wouldn’t normally enter – but the TV exposure was a tempter. The initial bands got in on website voting – the 25 bands with the most votes got in – but we didn’t know enough IT people obviously!

Why were you then picked as a wildcard?
BL: We queued up from 8 in the morning and got seen at 2 in the afternoon. We were the only ones given a wildcard straight away, the others were put into ‘maybe’ piles.
How did you feel about the negative comments you’ve received on the show?
BL: We’ve had generally quite positive comments but the one that got the most publicity is Lily Allen (who said they were boring). We’ve gone back and listened to her comments and she actually said it’s a great song which will sell a lot of records but she didn’t like it.
Fil Surtees: Mutya [Buena, another guest judge] was crap. Calvin Harris was the best – he was objective and constructive – he thought about more than just what he liked. He was the only one who wasn’t pitching for a TV career if his music career flops – which is what Lily Allen was doing.

How much of the show is for TV and how much is real?
BL: We have taken a bit of time to realise how big a pinch of salt we need to take it on.
Nick Edney: That’s been more and more a theme.
BL: We tried to read into everything they said at the start, but now…
Carl Mason: The crowd’s reaction has given a better indication of how we performed that night than what the judges said. They got booed for their comments.
How is mobileAct Unsigned different from X-Factor?
NE: The format’s exactly the same but it’s original bands playing original music. It’s the first of its kind and it’s the first time bands have had that kind of exposure – the show’s going to be huge. There’ll be a lot more bands applying for it next year.
BL: You’re taking bands who are already doing it – but they’re now doing it on a much bigger scale. You’re not taking unknowns who’ve never done it before.

Can you name me five credible reality stars?
(Together): Erm… Lemar? No, that’s it.

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