I feel like I’ve written about X-Factor on here a few times, but that’s mostly because it always seems to throw up some interesting issues that relate to Corporate Event Entertainment. This week was no different with wannabe Rock Star Frankie Cocozza getting himself into hot water for swearing and glamorising alcohol consumption during his bleary-eyed performance on Saturday Night. Read more »
Our good friends at Merlin entertainment (at least, I hope we’re friends) caused a stir last week by announcing a new Tesco Style ‘Price Matching’ initiative for hire of their venues – venues that include Madame Tussaud’s, The London Dungeons, the Sea Life London Aquarium and the Silver Barracuda among others. Initially the move drew criticism from some quarters but as the week went by, more and more people have come out in support of the scheme in the belief that it will make the industry more competitive and transparent when it comes to pricing. Read more »
Last week audiences are too quiet, this week they’re too noisy. Or at least, that’s one of the complaints in a recent Piece in The Times (now trapped behind the paywall) on the new trend of Living Room Gigs. “People are pretty disrespectful… if you look around a live music audience, about 70% of people will be talking” says SoFar Sounds founder Rocky Start (now there’s a name.)
Browsing through the Metro on the tube this morning, you may have
glanced through
Former Sugarbabe Keisha Buchanan’s ’60 Second Interview’ in which
she discusses the launch of her solo career and her passing through the
ever-revolving-door that is the Sugarbabes.
When interviewing new staff for jobs at Sternberg Clarke – one of the most attractive prospects to prospective employees is the thought of Talent Spotting. Understandably so; it’s a sizeable part of what we do after all – but some interviewees get the impression that it’s the only focus of the job. They’re excited by the idea of swanning into a Cabaret club and flashing a business card – then basically re-enacting the club scene from Goodfellas – (You know, cutting queues, people carrying tables, performers coming over and grovelling) It’s an enticing prospect and something that has never happened to any of us.
Entertainmentus
Agentus Corporatem Eventus! That, in case you were wondering, was how we
summon acts for Events and sometimes (often around Christmas) we shout Themium Harry-Potterius! put some
glasses and a scarf on a magician and generally cash in on people’s love of
what is – let’s not forget – a children’s book.
Read more »
Last weekend was a little more scrabbly for us than usual, the reason being that many of our acts are plying their trade at the UK’s most famous festival.
Anyone who, in their youth, has gathered together three or
four of their adolescent friends in the
garage of their parents’ house to form a band has no doubt been faced with the
toughest question of all – not “What should we wear?”, “Who should be the
singer?” or even “What will we sound like?” No, the most important question of
all is “What should we be called?”
Earlier on this week, we auditioned a new covers band. Nothing new there you might think – we’re always auditioning covers bands, but this one had two distinguisghing features.
AFC Wimbledon may seem like an unlikely topic for a blog post at Event Magazine, especially with my well documented Arsenal Fandom. What you may not know is that a certain Young Sternberg happens to be in the Youth Academy at the recently promoted club and with the Dons’ ascension to the heady heights of the Football League I can now begin planning my retirement (Provided the boy has some money left over from all the super injunctions that he may or may not be allowed to file… but lets not get ahead of ourselves.)
Haymarket © 1957 – 2012
