Triple J Hottest 100 under song fixing cloud
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This year’s Triple J Hottest 100 has gone ahead despite allegations of song fixing.
With large sums of money now being gambled on the annual music countdown, song fixers are allegedly going out of their way to influence the final result.
One high-profile Australian hip hop artist says he was offered money to wreck his songs’ chances.
“It was just after voting for the Hottest 100 started.”
“Some dude came up to me before a gig and thrust a paper bag at my chest.”
“He said, ‘Here’s ten thousand bucks. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll perform badly tonight.'”
“I just laughed in his face and walked away.”
“Funny thing is, I performed shithouse that night. But I’m sure it was the drugs and not the money I was offered.”
Other attempts to exert influence on musicians have been more subtle.
“We were set to do a Like A Version on Triple J breakfast,” recalls a Melbourne musician.
“In the week before we went on, all these people on our Facebook page said we should do a Rolf Harris cover and say on air that he was the greatest.”
“It was weird. If we’d done what these so-called fans were saying, everyone would have hated us!”
Hottest 100 song fixing everywhere
Even the voting public has been enlisted by the song fixers.
Jess, a 25 year old Florence & The Machine fan, says she was paid thousands to ensure more than a hundred of her friends and family members voted exclusively for Aussie hip-hop and dance music.
“I don’t even like the stuff but, by doing what these guys wanted, I’ve got enough cash to see Florence in the UK.”
Anti-Music Betting campaigner Sol Retchford is not surprised.
“There’s a well known saying that you should never bet on anything that can talk.”
“But let me tell you, kids, you should definitely not bet on anything that can sing.”
The Tunnel are satire writers from Australia. For more of our stories, click HERE.
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