‘Guitars’ adopts new rules New stringent song regulations keep some students out of show

Holly Arndt ARN02002@BYUI.EDU Scroll Staff

More than 50 acts auditioned for the upcoming Guitars Unplugged performances this semester under stricter rules.

Rules regarding song lyrics changed this semester, becoming more stringent, according to Gretchen Lecheminant, a student volunteer over participant relations.

All participants emailed their lyrics to the BYU-Idaho Talent Board prior to trying out this semester, per Guitars Unplugged policy. The board pre-approved lyrics ahead of time, said Lecheminant, a freshman from Sandy, Utah.

Participants Lance Briggs and Vinny Robinson felt the pinch of the new rules. The song they wanted to perform, “Man of Constant Sorrow” from O, Brother, Where Art Thou, contains a line that didn’t pass the Talent Board Test.

“They wouldn’t let us cut out the (inappropriate) verse, and they wouldn’t let us change the words,” said Briggs from Whitehall, Mont., “so they threw out the song.”

Briggs has performed in Guitars Unplugged before, but this semester was Robinson’s first try. Scott Baird, another seasoned Guitars Unplugged performer, said he, too, noticed the changes. “Everyone had to scramble to think of something else. Some groups were rejected multiple times,” Baird said. “It actually made some people give up and not want to audition.”

All participants in Guitars Unplugged sign a contract prior to auditioning, according to Lecheminant. Rules for participants go beyond pre-submission of lyrics. All participants must be in costume for their tryout and uphold the rules of the honor code. Also, all band members who perform at Guitars Unplugged performances must be present at the audition. There is also a mandatory meeting for those chosen to perform.

Of the over 50 groups who tried out, only 30 acts will perform in the Oct. 5 and Oct. 6 performances. From those two performances, a panel of judges will pick 15 acts to perform in the “Best of Guitars Unplugged” show Oct. 7, said Lecheminant.