Dan Sultan: Reality Singing Shows Are “Solely For Humiliation, Making Money”

July 9, 2014

Australian rocker Dan Sultan has spoken out against reality singing shows such as X Factor and The Voice, commenting that they are ruining the music industry he’s worked for years to be a part of.

“I think these shows are set up solely for humiliation and making money from [viewer vote] phone calls,” Sultan told News Corp. “They do it under the guise of art, but it’s not art.”

Sultan said these kinds of reality television shows send the wrong message to young artists looking to break into the industry. “It’s really unfair for them,” he continued. “It’s not good for the music industry; I’m in that industry, my friends are in it, and we earn our money getting out there and doing the hard yards.”

The comments come just days after the kids version of television singing contest The Voice came under fire, when a 12-year-old girl was left weeping on national television after all four celebrity coaches, Delta Goodrem, Mel B and brothers Joel and Benji Madden, failed to select her during her audition.

While many current Australian pop stars such as Jessica Mauboy, Guy Sebastian and Matt Corby first cut their teeth singing it out on the silver screen, Sultan says his beef is not with the artists themselves but with the corporate money behind the shows that are pulling the strings.

“I’m talking about the people making money, counting the phone calls, who have nothing to do with music,” he said. “It’s disgusting.” He also said he believes record companies have jumped on board because reality shows are the only platform promoting music on national prime-time television.

Dan Sultan is in the midst of his extensive national tour in support of his latest record Blackbird. The tour continues tonight at Port Panthers in Port Macquarie and will continue into August to finish up at the Roebuck Bay Hotel in Broome. See all the tour details below.

Watch: Dan Sultan – Kimberley Calling