Move over American Idol and The Voice, it's time for a music competition show that rocks. That's the intent of Hit Parader's new series, No Cover, which begins shooting in December at the world-famous Troubadour, in Los Angeles.
There is no Simon Cowell here, instead the judging panel include Alice Cooper, Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale, Bush’s Gavin Rossdale, alt-pop singer Bishop Briggs, and Animals as Leaders guitarist Tosin Abasi as judges.
The hosts of the show include former MTV personality Matt Pinfield, and Sleeping With Sirens singer Kellin Quinn.
As the name suggests, musicians will be judged on their original songs, no covers here. The winners of the season get a six-figure Sumerian Records contract, "at least" one slot on a Danny Wimmer Presents festival, Gibson gear, management by Shelter Music Group and "other opportunities."
Alice Cooper commented, “I can’t wait for No Cover. To me, a band really isn’t a band unless they are writing their own material, and if you know anything about me you know that I have a very high standard for not only the songs but also the performance. I’m looking for the band who has it all — the one who can not only write it and play it, but perform it and make me BELIEVE it.”
Lzzy Hale added, “I’m beyond excited to join my friends, peers and fellow rockers as a judge for Hit Parader’s music competition TV show No Cover. I hope that my passion and experience will help to inspire and encourage these young bands to carve out their own path in this world.“
Gavin Rossdale stated, “We’ve seen the shows singing the hits — finally the chance to find a real band with their own sound and their own vision. I hope we catapult some great artists into the spotlight.”
Bishop Briggs remarked, “I am beyond excited to be a judge on No Cover! Songwriting is such a therapeutic outlet for me to express myself so I cannot wait to dig deep and learn more about each person who gets on that stage.”
The open call for musicians looking for a break is now available on the No Cover website. There is an application fee, which the show compares to submitting to a movie festival. There are higher tiers of fees, where you can get a guaranteed critique from A&R experts.
No Cover has yet to announce a premiere date for the show, or where the show will be seen. We'll keep you posted with more info.
