Whoopi Goldberg

Now that is what I call a sound system

On Saturday evenings in our season at The Opera House in Blackpool [North East coast of England] we have a visit from probably one of the cleverest funny men in the Business.....Roy 'Chubby' Brown.  Our concert shows at 7pm and Roy is on stage, in his concert, at 9.30pm.

    In all my writings for performers I always stress the necessity of knowing and using every bit of technology available for a 'funny' presentation.  Roy is the living proof that this way of working is absolutely necessary....especially in  today's high-tech Show Biz world.

We have a very tasty sound system installed in The Opera House for our season...but, my Goodness, did Roy's knock the socks off ours.  He uses one microphone, a grand piano and a mini disc.....but that system?

Huge or what?

When the show fires up the ground literally shakes with the power of the sound.  His highly stylised opening is a joy to watch...I just love 'openings'.  Something that novices just don't seem to understand.   They can watch Madonna have a great opening, in concert, but would never dream of designing an opening sequence for their own act...why not?

Surprisingly, the opening he does is almost a carbon copy of the opening I suggest to performers...to get them into that 'great opening' mindset.  Hey, I wonder has he joined my 'Art of Live Performing' ten month program?  Maybe!  And he didn't tell me!

The rig he uses is a Martin Audio Arena concert rig with Camco amps....quite massive for a theatre...but the theatre holds just over 3,000.

Lights to die for.

The touring light rig he travels is quite something, again.  Not as comprehensive as the permanent light rig, in the theatre, but for a touring rig, quite something.  The beauty of a computer programmed touring rig is that all the cues are written in and the same effects are available each night of the tour.  Oddly, the touring light control desk and the in-house desk are identical.

In the 'Art of Live Performing' ten month program [ www.liveperforming.com ] I give chapter and verse on the importance of lighting in a live presentation...even if you are a juggler ... or even an actor.  It is a side of our business that I love....good lighting is like putting a good frame around the beautiful picture.

To watch a guy like Roy in action is to have a Master Class in comedy performing.  He is probably the 'bluest' comic in the UK, but the skill of his writing and delivery plus the attention to detail, in every single aspect of his presentation, is awesome....a good friend......a great talent..... 

Ian Warrener rises to the challenge

Ian started with me some years ago now and has an enviable reputation in the sound world...his company 'Nightfire' is now firmly on the map and his success gives me great personal pleasure.

Ian is chomping at the bit to show how powerful his speakers are and is coming to Blackpool this week to perform an A/B test ..... will his stuff outperform the rig we use?  I'll let you know.

Contact Ian at iannightfire@pa-direct.co.uk He makes pretty serious studio monitors as well....I use them!  With NS10S now unavailable Ian is filling a nice hole in the market...he can't manufacture his studio monitors quick enough.

A good thought from a good Guru:

Imagine the freedom we’d have, not attempting to impress anyone other than ourselves. Imagine the free time we’d have in our minds, dreaming of what inspires us…rather than wasting time attempting to please everyone else.

I suppose the lesson to be learned here is that this freedom can be ours . . . and already exists before us. We simply need to accept its challenge.

The challenge is this: For one month, make a conscious effort to do what pleases you. Be proud of your success (but don’t brag), wear the clothes that make you comfortable and happy, eliminate the fear to dance, take that risk you’ve been holding back, and whatever you do . . . Keep smilin’

By: Gregory Scott Reid
GregReid@AlwaysGood.com

Support Fellow 'One Minute guys?

Hard Rock Cafi Fundraiser - November 6th
John Denver Co-writer to support Project Warmth

The New Song Arts Center, The Salvation Army and the Hard Rock Cafi in Boston will be hosting a fundraiser for Project Warmth on November 6th.  Among those appearing will be Grammy award winning singer/songwriter Mike Asquino.

Asquino, known best as John Denver's co-writer for 'Sunshine on my Shoulder', 'Rocky Mountain High' and many, many more has over 30 gold records.
Mike will be playing songs he either wrote for others or performed himself, including some jingles he wrote for Coke, Pepsi, Total, Bumblebee Tuna, Budweiser, and many others while on Madison Avenue.

Mike's web site is at www.mikeasquino.com

For more information:
www.EveryDayAngels.com
www.newsongartscenter.org

==========================
Durutti Column plus special guests
Thursday 16 September 2004 7.30pm

Manchester born and raised Vini Reilly and his indie project the Durutti Column play their only gig north of Watford at Manchester’s stunning Bridgewater Hall. Celebrating 25 years as the Durutti Column this home turf concert is the launch event for the Definitive Durutti Column album release on 20th September and will be a monumental gig featuring the bands full repertoire.

Virtuoso guitarist Vini Reilly was encouraged by his parents to be a classical pianist but at the age of 15 he grew the fingernails on his right hand and became a guitarist. As front man and driving force behind the Durutti Column Reilly has created a band whose music is designed to break whatever structures support the foundations of musical formalism in order to create a new sound which really can belong to everyone.
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A good upload site for your music?

Hiya Dec, how's things?

I thought your 'One Minute' subscribers should know about a website I've just found where you can have up to 3 tracks on-line plus photos, bio etc all for FREE.  Visitors can download, rate & add comments on your material.

Here's the link to my stuff:  http://www.mp3unsigned.com/Showmp3.asp?mp3id=5826&aid=3009

All the best

Mick Lee

=================================

Hey Dec... here's a question for you...

If a person was a better piano player than Elton John...
a better vocalist than Beyonce...
a better hit songwriter than the best hit songwriter in the world...
and was funnier than Dec Cluskey...
and was also a better businessman than Donald Trump...
and was more dedicated to their career than Diane Warren...
and had a modern hit performance that had never been seen or done before...
 
Would they be successful in music? 
 
Meant to be read with a smile :)
 
Regards,   Steve Zaborski

Just a quick note to say 'thank you so much' for calling back yesterday!  We know that you are very busy and having your 'ok' for the publishing deal was very important for us.

You really care about your members! THANK YOU!  I have been contacted to produce a remix for the German release of 'R********** feat. M**ia - F**ry T***', which is from the Australian charts!
 
YEEEEHAAAA!

Kind Regards  ... Flo [Germany]
=================================
You may recall me as the guy from New Zealand whom some weeks ago, upon receiving your publishing product, I'm pleased to announce my
happiness with the product.

The links that Clive sent were indeed helpful, and I might add, his extra efforts with a view to helping me were beyond the call of duty. I appreciated that. Thank you.

Peter Kearns [New Zealand]

=================================

UK

1)  ERIC PRYDZ -  'CALL ON ME'
2)  RONAN KEATING -  'I HOPE YOU DANCE' 
3)  DEEP DISH -  'FLASHDANCE'

Download Chart

(1) 'These Words' - Natasha Bedingfield

(2) 'American Idiot' - Green Day

(3) 'She Will Be Loved' - Maroon 5

Chart Comment:

Amazing happening in the UK chart this week.  Donny Osmond's last chart comeback came in the late 1980s. For this new single he has enlisted a man who knows only too well what it is like to be the subject of mass teen adulation - none other than former Take That star Gary Barlow. Together the pair have taken an old George Benson hook and created a light, breezy pop tune that against all expectations has all but blown away the chart competition. Suddenly Donny Osmond is a pop star again with his first Top 10 hit since November 1973. We talk of artists having comebacks - effectively Donny Osmond has now managed two.

Celebrity News:

Ewan McGregor: When the Moulin Rouge! star recently said, "we live in such a comfortable and easy time that it doesn't do yourself any harm to go and test yourselves and survive with just the bare essentials," he was explaining to reporters why he and friend Charley Boorman spent four months to travel by motorcycle over 20,000 miles through the Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, Siberia, Alaska and Canada to get to the United States. He just as easily could have been describing the plight of millions of children all over our planet who also survive with the bare essentials, and less. McGregor plans to do something about that. The actor confirmed this week that he has signed on to be a celebrity ambassador for UNICEF. During his transcontinental journey, McGregor saw first-hand some of the horrible conditions children are forced to endure. The Scottish father of two didn't let the images get lost in his memory banks. He chose to help with UNICEF. McGregor's motorcycle adventure was filmed for a special series called The Long Way Round that will debut on cable channel Bravo on Thursday, October 28 at 10pm ET.

"God gives every bird his worm, but He does not throw it into the nest"

p. d. james

Subscribers Section:

MY REPLY

It is simply based on the fact that the music industry evolves and changes...it always has done.

The advent of domestic copying equipment [cassettes] was supposed to herald the demise of the record business...it didn't.  CDR the same.

Computers similarly....with thousands of guys making their own music....it did not harm the industry, simply showed how diverse music could be.

Downloading, in it's 'free' sense, could have spelled the end of the music industry, but steps have been taken to eliminate that wholesale 'stealing' of intellectual property.  It will always be there, but then, shoplifters and burglars will always be there?

The inclusion of download charts in the main chart is simply recognising a new form of 'appreciating music'.  And just like MP3, CDR and similar copying to give enjoyment, it will be absorbed into the mainstream music industry.  We are seeing the first faltering steps of an Industry that must change with the times to survive.

As I always say: "There is too much money involved to let anything go wrong"

Regards

DEC [Cluskey]
dec@makehits.co.uk