Fun Lovin' Criminals' Huey Morgan has said an emphatic "hell no" to a return to Sky Arts’ ‘Guitar Star'. Hitting out at the shows producers the front man claims the experience was not “what it should be”.
By Eamon O'Neill on 27 January 2016.
Huey Morgan has hit out at the producers of Sky Arts’ ‘Guitar Star’, saying that they lacked direction and that the show was not “what it should be”.
The Fun Lovin’ Criminals frontman appeared on the British TV series as a mentor, along with classical musician Helen Sanderson, and world music instrumentalist Nitin Sawhney.
Airing in the U.K. in June 2015, ‘Guitar Star’ aimed to find the country’s next guitar hero, in a competition that saw eventual winner Gary Lutton play a set on the Main Stage at Latitude Festival last summer.
Speaking exclusively to Gigs And Festivals ahead of Fun Lovin’ Criminals ‘Come Find Yourself’ twentieth anniversary U.K. tour, Morgan was outspoken in his criticism of the show’s format.
The singer said: “The people that were producing the show didn’t really have a clear idea about what they wanted to do”.
Singling out the programme-makers’ dithering over the show’s format, he continued: “They were just asking the network what they wanted, and what’s the network going to know about guitar playing? They should have asked guitar players, but they never got around to doing that”.
When asked if he was planning to return for the second series of the talent show – which has just announced plans for open auditions taking place throughout the country during March and April 2016 – Morgan was emphatic. “No, hell no”, he said, adding; “I won’t be doing that kind of thing again”.
Explaining his decision, the New York native said that it was with his role as a mentor that he had the biggest issue.
He added: “I don’t think I did much mentoring, to be honest with you”, continuing; “I wasn’t allowed to do much, and that was kind of the problem with the show”.
However, as much as he was frustrated by ‘Guitar Star’s format, Huey said that overall, he had enjoyed spending time with both the cast and contestants.
“I love hanging with guitar players. There’s nothing wrong with the people on the show at all”, he said, concluding; “The direction of the show wasn’t really the way it should be, that’s all”.
Fun Lovin’ Criminals ‘An Evening With’ tour begins in Dublin on the 28th Jan 2016, with dates throughout the U.K. during February.
FUN LOVIN’ CRIMINALS 2016 U.K. TOUR DATES:
26th Jan – Dublin, Vicar Street
4th Feb – Leeds, O2 Academy
5th Feb – Newcastle, O2 Academy
6th Feb – Nottingham, Rock City
11th Feb – Oxford, O2 Academy
12th Feb – Worthing, Pavilion Theatre
13th Feb – Norwich, UEA LCR
18th Feb – Cardiff, Y Plas
19th Feb – Exeter, Great Hall
20th Feb – London, O2 Kentish Town Forum
25th Feb – Birmingham, Institute
26th Feb – Manchester, Cathedral
27th Feb – Glasgow, Barrowlands
First published on gigsandfestivals.com, 27 January 2016.
Huey Morgan has hit out at the producers of Sky Arts’ ‘Guitar Star’, saying that they lacked direction and that the show was not “what it should be”.
The Fun Lovin’ Criminals frontman appeared on the British TV series as a mentor, along with classical musician Helen Sanderson, and world music instrumentalist Nitin Sawhney.
Airing in the U.K. in June 2015, ‘Guitar Star’ aimed to find the country’s next guitar hero, in a competition that saw eventual winner Gary Lutton play a set on the Main Stage at Latitude Festival last summer.
Speaking exclusively to Gigs And Festivals ahead of Fun Lovin’ Criminals ‘Come Find Yourself’ twentieth anniversary U.K. tour, Morgan was outspoken in his criticism of the show’s format.
The singer said: “The people that were producing the show didn’t really have a clear idea about what they wanted to do”.
Singling out the programme-makers’ dithering over the show’s format, he continued: “They were just asking the network what they wanted, and what’s the network going to know about guitar playing? They should have asked guitar players, but they never got around to doing that”.
When asked if he was planning to return for the second series of the talent show – which has just announced plans for open auditions taking place throughout the country during March and April 2016 – Morgan was emphatic. “No, hell no”, he said, adding; “I won’t be doing that kind of thing again”.
Explaining his decision, the New York native said that it was with his role as a mentor that he had the biggest issue.
He added: “I don’t think I did much mentoring, to be honest with you”, continuing; “I wasn’t allowed to do much, and that was kind of the problem with the show”.
However, as much as he was frustrated by ‘Guitar Star’s format, Huey said that overall, he had enjoyed spending time with both the cast and contestants.
“I love hanging with guitar players. There’s nothing wrong with the people on the show at all”, he said, concluding; “The direction of the show wasn’t really the way it should be, that’s all”.
Fun Lovin’ Criminals ‘An Evening With’ tour begins in Dublin on the 28th Jan 2016, with dates throughout the U.K. during February.
FUN LOVIN’ CRIMINALS 2016 U.K. TOUR DATES:
26th Jan – Dublin, Vicar Street
4th Feb – Leeds, O2 Academy
5th Feb – Newcastle, O2 Academy
6th Feb – Nottingham, Rock City
11th Feb – Oxford, O2 Academy
12th Feb – Worthing, Pavilion Theatre
13th Feb – Norwich, UEA LCR
18th Feb – Cardiff, Y Plas
19th Feb – Exeter, Great Hall
20th Feb – London, O2 Kentish Town Forum
25th Feb – Birmingham, Institute
26th Feb – Manchester, Cathedral
27th Feb – Glasgow, Barrowlands
First published on gigsandfestivals.com, 27 January 2016.
