Stars in their eyes

By Frances Grant

"We're not talking about art here," warns Rikki Morris, host of TV3's new talent show with a twist, Get Your Act Together. "We're talking about TV."

Television's a ruthless beast, muses the songwriter who knows first-hand how tough it is at the top. "It's so disposable. But the kinkiness of it is what I like about TV, the fact that after two shows we might get canned is so perverse I actually quite like it."

The Rikki Morris story explains the former pop star's attitude towards disposability. Back in 1988 Morris had a surprise No 1 single in New Zealand, with his hit Nobody Else. His follow-up single Heartbroke stayed in the local charts for 12 weeks.

Morris won awards - Songwriter of the Year and Rising Star at the local music industry's annual prizegiving and two years later, the Silver Scroll Award - and co-hosted a TV show, 3.45 Live.

He headed off to Australia where he got a recording deal with Mushroom Records, but before he completed his debut album he was one of a number of artists culled to cut costs.

He eventually released the album, Everest, back in New Zealand. "It stiffed basically. It took eight years to record a debut album which I still think is one of the best albums ever recorded in this country. But no one else seems to think so."

Contestants picked for Get Your Act Together have been getting the benefit of Morris' experience. The show gives contestants 48 hours and professional help to record a song and make a video which is put to viewer vote.

"It's like a dream come true for them," he says of the opportunity the show gives hopefuls to work with top producers like Eddie Rayner.

Some have come on the show for that once-in-a-lifetime experience. But others, he predicts, will go far provided they have the "Neil Finnishness" - the ability and absolute dedication to succeed.

"There are a few who are incredibly focused and are very sure of what they want to do and they're really looking at this to maybe launch themselves into a career."

But the starry-eyed deserve to know the truth. "I have ended up being a bit of a confidant to these people in a way because I've been there, done that ... I'm pretty honest about the demons of the music industry because it is - it's a bloody horrible industry, even more disposable than television."

"They ask me `how do you get record deals?' and I go, `I don't know, I haven't got one. I haven't got a record deal, I haven't got a publisher.' I find it really perverse that someone who has had a No 1 single, who has won Songwriter of the Year and the Silver Scroll has no publishing deal.

"So I tell most of the artists on this show `if you are really, really serious about making music go overseas, because even if you have a number one single here, I'm living proof that it doesn't mean anything'."

Morris says he isn't bitter. Cynicism born of experience describes his feelings "now." His career has reached the stage where he wants to produce other people and concentrate on what he loves best - writing songs.

"As far as releasing records and things is concerned, I'm kinda over it," says the 38-year-old father of two. "And it's such a business now. In the past 10 years it's changed a lot and I sort of realised - it's a bit like what's her name ... Geri Halliwell from the Spice Girls ,who said `I always wanted to be famous but as soon as I got famous I realised I didn't actually want to be famous and it's kind of a little bit like that with me'."

Hosting a new television show, however, could be called getting back into the limelight. Why did Morris want to do it?

"I thought it was a great idea. It's just a really good concept, although the competition thing niggles me a bit. There's no winner or loser in music - all contestants are winners because they write songs."

"Anyone who writes songs is a winner in my book because it's bloody hard to write a song whether you're Neil Finn or Joe Bloggs from Ekatahuna. You're laying your heart and emotions and everything on the line."

The television beast, however, is not as pure of motive. The show contestants, he points out, have not been selected solely on musical ability. "They were looking for personality, for people with interesting backgrounds because it's not just a music show, it's a TV show."

A couple of episodes into filming Get Your Act Together, he says with disbelief, the telly people were demanding the show be more fun. Making a recording is hard slog and he hopes the show will help viewers to understand that.

When the hard work is done the fun is in the transformation from raw recruit to well-finished product. "It will give a lot of people out there who are bedroom musicians a lot of hope and confidence."

Another piece of advice he shares with the talent is a lesson he says he maybe learned too late.

"Unless you're prepared to go out there and knock on doors and sacrifice your life for your art then it's not going to happen. And I'm guilty of that because I'm very shy and find it hard to say `I'm really good, I'm great, my songs are great ...' but you have to have that self-belief."

We're talking about art not television. But back on the subject of the show, Morris says he still encourages the hopefuls: "I keep telling them there's going to be a lot of people out there who are going to get off on what you're doing."

In the ruthless entertainment world, he has learned that essential survival skill of ignoring those who might knock. "I just cannot stand reading record reviews. It's just like garbage. It's a waste of paper and that goes for TV reviews as well."

Who: Rikki Morris

What: Get Your Act Together

Where: TV3

When: 7.30 pm Thursday

Pictured: Rikki Morris.