HAVEN FACTOR EXPRESS - introductory post

[Shireblogger]

Now that Haven Factor 11 has finished, I thought I’d post an introduction to Haven Factor Express, to whet the appetite and allow people to start thinking about their choice of act.


Firstly, four guiding principles:-

1. It is based on Haven Factor rules and format.

2. It is for lesser known acts.

3. It will be quick fire.

4. The quality of songs should improve as the competition progresses.



Quickfire

There will be seven rounds, including the final, if there are 15 or fewer entrants. There will be eight rounds if there are 16 or more entrants.

Each round, including the sing-off, will last a week. Five days for the regular round, two days for the sing-off.

To make this work smoothly, I will need sing-off songs submitted before we know who is in the sing-off. And I will need the next round’s songs submitted before each sing-off ends.


Quality Improvement

Regardless of the number of entries, there will be four finalists. And each finalist will enter just one song. Therefore, you should probably try to save your act’s best song for the final.

To get down to four finalists in just seven rounds, there will probably need to be double-elimination rounds. These will be the later rounds, not the earlier rounds. For example, if we have 13 entries, then rounds 1, 2 and 3 will be single-elimination, to whittle us down to ten. Round 4, the quarter-final and semi-final will be double-eliminations, to reduce the field to eight, six and then four.

No one will be eliminated without competing in a sing-off, except in the final.

If you play a good game, and don’t end up in a sing-off, then you will be able to win Haven Factor Express with just seven songs (or eight if there are 16 or more competitors).


Lesser Known

This means lesser known, not totally obscure. Although you are welcome to enter totally obscure artists if you want, please don’t start moaning if you’ve heard of most of the entries, and know that some of them have had number one hits on some Haven members’ personal charts. In fact, this is a great opportunity for you to take your own personal favourites, and share them with a wider audience.

The general idea is that we get a broad field of very good acts who you had been considering entering into Haven Factor, but were deterred because you didn't think they had enough hits to last very long in the game. Now they have a genuine chance of winning.

Four rules govern the definition of lesser known.

1. No acts that have already appeared in Haven Factor.

2. Your act can never have had a UK Top 3 album. (Refer to the OCC website to check this).

3. Your act can have a maximum of 3 “well known” songs. A song qualifies as being well known in two ways:- (a) by being a Top 75 hit (refer to the OCC website or Polyhex to check this), or (b) by being certified silver (refer to the BPI website to check this).

Thus, for example, your act can have two Top 75 hits and a different song certified silver, and be eligible. Likewise, if the same three Top 75 hits have been certified silver, that is fine. But as soon as a fourth song gets a silver disc or becomes a hit, then the act cannot be used.

Within these criteria, the magnitude is irrelevant. Thus you could pick an act with three number one singles, just as long as they never had any other Top 75 hits or tracks certified silver. Likewise, you could pick an act with three multi-platinum tracks, just as long as they never had any other tracks certified or in the charts.


4. No dubious entries. Don’t pick the former lead singer of a well known band, for example. Likewise, don’t pick a covers band like The Bootleg Beatles or Bjorn Again. This rule will be applied entirely at my discretion.


These eligibility criteria apply on the day the competition starts. Thus, if an act gains a fourth “well known” song, or a first Top 3 album, while Haven Factor Express is running, then that’s fine. They won’t be disqualified.



These three rules mean that there won’t be an album track round, or any other special rounds (e.g. covers, live recordings…). You will have total freedom to choose whichever song you want in whichever round you want.



The finer details and scoring system will be decided nearer the time. And the starting date has still to be decided.

When we are close to the start date, I'll create a sign-up thread. But note, as this is Haven Factor Express, the sign-up thread and choice of act will be first-come first-served. Premature entries will go to the bottom of the pile.

[Roo.]

Looking forward to this! I can think of a lot of acts I've been too scared will go out early to enter in Haven Factor properly (although plenty of acts have done well despite that)

[TheThorne]

I have two very different front runners in my head already now three hehe

[greendemon]

This is very exciting! (And I definitely have an act in mind!)

[Jordan]

I have a act already One I've been reluctant to play in a Haven Factor Proper since its inception

[Panda]

Sounds like a lot of fun. The rules certainly seem to offer a lot of scope to streaming era acts that don't make any impact on the singles chart but maybe we'll see some forgotten gems from the past too. I'm sure I'll be able to think of a few acts that I could enter for this.

[Whitneyfan]

I have an act in mind for this already, who I nearly entered the Haven Factor after an unknown act won...

I take it acts that have already conpeted in Haven Factor, who fit the criteria, won't be allowed?

[Shireblogger]

Apr 4, 2023 17:47:33 GMT 1 Whitneyfan said:

I take it acts that have already conpeted in Haven Factor, who fit the criteria, won't be allowed?

Good point. Yes, you are correct.

I will amend the first post.

[raliverpool]

Excellent, .... goes and looks at first choice act (now that my first, first choice First Aid Kit got used and flew high, then crashed out of HF11) whom I've been too scared to enter in a normal Haven Factor.....

Damn, My first choice act falls foul of the criteria, as despite it having spent just one week in total inside the UK Top 40, the act in question had more than three UK top 75 hits.

However, my next two acts I was thinking of for this concept whom I fancy entering sold significantly more records, yet both comfortably fit the rules criteria.

[Razzle Dazzle]

I have an act in mind

[o]

I have a few acts in mind, but think they may fall foul of the Top 3 album rule, but I'll double check and see what I can come up with.

[raliverpool]

Shireblogger, it is great you've opened this thread up to get us thinking about this in advance.

However, I have a couple of questions, that might help iron out the criteria.

Q1: For the act in question do features count (i.e. if the act featured on a track, can that track be included in this contest or not; and likewise does it count towards the 3 "well known" songs).

Q2: The 3 "well known" songs rule. There are several well known non British acts who fit this criteria; yet they were very famous in their major home countries (i.e. USA; Australia) going Platinum on several occasions; and have great streaming figures, and thanks to the internet are more well known now then they were back in their hitmaking era in the UK, which if any of them were entered I feel would go against the spirit of this contest, for an act far more suitable for a proper Haven Factor (I.E. An actual HF proper entry (so are ineligible) Styx had 3 UK top 75 hits only, yet scored 20 USA Top 75 hits) Or to flip the scenario: if this was a USA website with the contest based on the US Billboard charts then 3 US hit wonders Madness would be eligible).

[Smurfie]

Oh good - I’m looking forward to this. Great suggestion and rule proposal Shireblogger !

[Shireblogger]

Apr 4, 2023 18:34:01 GMT 1 raliverpool said:

Shireblogger, it is great you've opened this thread up to get us thinking about this in advance.

However, I have a couple of questions, that might help iron out the criteria.

Q1: For the act in question do features count (i.e. if the act featured on a track, can that track be included in this contest or not; and likewise does it count towards the 3 "well known" songs).

Q2: The 3 "well known" songs rule. There are several well known non British acts who fit this criteria; yet they were very famous in their major home countries (i.e. USA; Australia) going Platinum on several occasions; and have great streaming figures, and thanks to the internet are more well known now then they were back in their hitmaking era in the UK, which if any of them were entered I feel would go against the spirit of this contest, for an act far more suitable for a proper Haven Factor (I.E. An actual HF proper entry (so are ineligible) Styx had 3 UK top 75 hits only, yet scored 20 USA Top 75 hits) Or to flip the scenario: if this was a USA website with the contest based on the US Billboard charts then 3 US hit wonders Madness would be eligible).

Q1. Featuring credits count towards the 3 well known songs rule. However, if the act doesn't exceed the 3 well known songs rule, then you can enter them, and include songs where they are the featured artist. But, if you pick a David Guetta ft X song, or a Calvin Harris ft X song, then you might fall foul of my taking the p*ss rule.

Q2. Applies only to the British charts and British certifications. I simply can't be bothered to search websites for foreign hit counts and foreign certs. And neither can I be bothered to look up Spotify song counts or YouTube plays. Feel free to pick an act that was huge in the USA, and let the voters decide whether or not you are abusing the spirit of the contest.

However, FWIW, I'd say Styx would be within the spirit of the Haven Factor Express concept, and are possibly less well known amongst some of the people who'll take part than some more contemporary British artists who are eligible.

[Razzle Dazzle]

In the spirit but ineligible having already competed in Haven Factor of course

[Earl Purple]

First Aid Kit would not have been eligible anyway, they have had two albums peak at #3.

[Dave]

I was right in not holding them back to try and win this one. 
Brutus could have been held back

[greendemon]

I like the flexibility these rules offer to either go with a popular act who just haven't had many songs or a more obscure act. I had been thinking of going one way but there are plenty of acts that would qualify for either approach...

[greendemon]

Just a thought that just occurred to me...

Is there going to be any restriction on acts who have only been around a short time, and who therefore meet the criteria partly by just not having that much music yet? And if not, if they are used for this would that rule them out of an appearance in a proper HF in the future once they are more established?

[Shireblogger]

Apr 5, 2023 1:18:19 GMT 1 greendemon said:

Just a thought that just occurred to me...

Is there going to be any restriction on acts who have only been around a short time, and who therefore meet the criteria partly by just not having that much music yet? And if not, if they are used for this would that rule them out of an appearance in a proper HF in the future once they are more established?

I'm not inclined to say "no" to new acts. But if they've only released one album, and they end up in a sing-off, you'll need a minimum of eight songs, which could mean scraping the barrel a little bit.

The qualification criteria for future Haven Factor contests aren't down to me, so I'm not sure about the second point.