Sony Ericsson have just launched Battle Fingers, the global competition to find the world’s best fingerdancers. There is a fantastic prize on offer, the chance to win VIP tickets to the B-Boy Championships World Series in London, as well as star in the new Tha Breakadelics music video.
For three weeks from today, aspiring fingerdancers can visit www.youtube.com/sonyericsson to upload a one minute video of their best moves along with their own music or to the beat of the Tha Breakadelics track – Da Phunk – featured on the XPERIA™ X10 mini and mini pro TV advertisements.
Even untrained fingers can take part by learning the moves in the online tutorial videos featured on the Sony Ericsson YouTube page. Once the clip has been uploaded, entrants can share their video with friends and grow their fan base. The winner will be decided via a dance off, with people voting for their favorite routine.
To get yopu inspired check out this finger dancing version of Michael Jackson’s Thriller.
To help you, here are some battle finger tutorial videos.
Comedy gigs are always an enjoyable night out, you can laugh so hard till your belly hurts, cringe at a risqué joke or even go as far as heckling a poor act, either way you’re getting your money’s worth. The stand-up nights at The Highlight are no different and offer a diverse range of acts and entertainment for all.
The Highlight comedy clubs were launched last year and broke off from the well-respected Jongleurs brand. They currently have 10 venues around the country including ones in Battersea, Edinburgh, Camden, Leeds, Birmingham and Reading.
Whilst still being relatively new by name, The Highlight offers an unparalleled experience for large groups and small parties with both their great food and excellent waiting staff.
Recently my jaunt on a stag do to a comedy club was less than successful; naming and shaming the venue wouldn’t be my style, through nothing more than fear of being hunted down by sharply dressed people wittier than myself , but it did feel awfully restrictive. The stag do kind of played out like a glorified ten year olds birthday, and for me and my brother, it was pretty horrendous stuff all round.
Upon arriving at said club, we proceeded to try and get the stag a shot of sorts, being the clown that he was he declined. The worst was yet to come. We had already been bowling, that’s right, bowling on a stag do and had even been go-carting earlier on in the day. It’s fair to say that this was organised fun at its very best.
When everyone sat down to watch the acts, they were all very well and good but my cousin, somewhat worse for wear by this stage as it was the late night showing, which at most places means it’s a bit looser format wise and laid back, he then proceeded to get ejected from his seat for snoring to his little heart’s content.
What attracted such fervour was that he was actually getting more laughs than the compare from the bedraggled hen party behind us. So heckling was obviously frowned on upon in this place, despite being the bravest and undiminished sort of heckling ever seen, or even seen since, the much feared snore.
Over at Highlight there’s no need to doze off as nights include a fantastic comedy night full of fun, food and frolics which will regularly feature three top notch acts as well as a much vaunted compare.
The acts are original and appealing, and the banter that goes on with the audience is first rate and can often provide a highlight of the evening. Stand-up comedy is always a difficult art to master, will your jokes fall flat, will they divide the audience, but the experience offered at Highlight is a jovial one to say the least and will leave you in stitches.
The Highlight comedy clubs cater to stag and hen parties, and there’s no doubt in my mind that your experience won’t be as tarnished as mine was recently. The service available is first rate and they staff will plough you with as many drinks as you can handle….from looking at you, I’d say four, you’re a lightweight at heart admit it, none of this ‘ oh I haven’t had much to eat today nonsense’ or ‘I can drink really well, just not vodka’, those excuses don’t wash.
Check out the website too, as there are frequently offers on for all you prudent little savers out there keen to snap up the cheapest comedy tickets you can lay your scrawny little hands on. The recession it has to be said hasn’t been a barrel of laughs, but a night of stand-up comedy should provide plenty of reasons to be cheerful and it’s definitely something to look forward to.
The atmosphere between acts is also brilliant, and can be likened to that of a nightclub. It’s the perfect way to start your night off and the music being pumped out really keeps the energy up in the place and the audience in anticipation.
They have shows every Friday, Saturday and most Sunday nights and if ‘living for the weekend’ is the way you roll, then look no further. They also have live music nights and cater to a diverse audience throughout from those lads on their last night of freedom, to ladies having a girlie night out before tying the knot and just your Average Joe out for a good laugh. It’s come one come all down there.
Highlight venues showcase top comedian circuit talent, week in week, out as well as dipping their toe into theme club nights. The place caters for company night outs, stag & hen parties, birthdays, leaving do’s, anniversaries, product launches, Christmas party nights & friend’s nights out.
Highlight can organise an evening of entertainment from 100 to 350 people. They organise the comedians, the food menu and have staff waiting on you for drinks & food all night long, so you can sit back and have a fantastic experience at Highlight.
Every night offers great food, excellent service and ridiculously funny acts, but the fun doesn’t stop there, oh no, fret not, Highlight will not let you wonder off lonely into the night, sullen at the taxi rank or the nearest kebab shop, it offers a complete night out with explosive after party’s that put most nightclubs to shame.
Well there you have it, quite the package really and at a reasonable price. If you take comedy seriously, I know that’s not the point of it but please hear me out, The Highlight offers a great experience full of atmosphere, and good laughs. You can’t put a price on that really and they remain at the forefront of the comedy scene and are really the best kept secret in comedy.
The Palace Theatre is a 1400 seat theatre set in an imposing red brick building, based in London near Cambridge Circus and is located at the junction of Charing Cross Road and Shaftesbury Avenue. The design was considered to be quite original when it opened as it made use of heavy steel cantilevers, which were built into the back walls and thus prevented the need for supporting pillars, which previously obstructed the view of the stage. The imposing structure is Grade II listed by English Heritage.
Richard D’Oyly Carte commissioned the theatre to be built in the late 1880s and was initially opened as the Royal English Opera House, but despite it originally being intended to be the home of English Opera, it was not successful and instead was reopened two years later as The Palace Theatre of Varieties, a music hall, in 1892. The name finally changed to the Palace Theatre in 1911 and has been known as such ever since.
In the late 1950s some refurbishment was undertaken and the interior was repainted, covering much of the original design but during the 1980s the theatre underwent a huge refurbishment being newly painted and restored and was transformed back to its former glory and now features the original marble walls, onyx panels, original features and new chandeliers.
The Palace Theatre has mostly been home to musical theatre ever since the mid 1920s and musicals shown there have included No, No, Nanette which with 665 performances made it the third longest running show of the 1920s. Other shows have included Rogers and Hart’s The Girl Friend and the last stage musical by Fred Astaire Gay Divorce.
Musical theatrical works shown at the Palace Theatre have also included Anything Goes, Cabaret and The Sound of Music which ran for 2,385 performances. Of the long running performances at the Palace Theatre Jesus Christ Superstar ran for eight years while Les Misérables ran for an amazing nineteen years, after transferring to the Barbican Centre in 1985.
As well as musical shows the Palace Theatre has also seen the likes of illusionist Derren Brown performing during his live tour and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Woman in White saw its world premiere here in 2004 before running for 19 months. Monty Python’s Spamalot ran for three years before finally being replaced in 2009 by Priscilla Queen of the Desert as the current running performance.
booktheact.com, The Stage newspaper’s the newly acquired entertainment booking site, has joined forces with Festival Republic in a competition to give its featured acts the chance to win a primetime performance slot at the fifth annual Latitude Arts and Music Festival in July.
The competition is open to all live performance acts with active fully featured booktheact.com profiles, including sound and/or video samples, at the entry deadline of Friday 14th May 2010. With promotion on the site completely free during the site’s extended beta test phase, new acts are welcome to register with booktheact.com and enter the competition.
The winning act, to be decided by a panel of judges chaired by Tania Harrison, Arts and Special Events Promoter at Festival Republic, will perform in the Cabaret Arena from 9.30-10.00pm on Friday July 16.
The Latitude Festival has built a reputation as one of the most respected and highly anticipated cultural events of the season. It is set in the beautiful countryside of the Henham Park Estate on Suffolk’s Sunrise Coast from Thursday to Sunday, July 15-18, and is a unique celebration of the best from the worlds of music, film, comedy, theatre, cabaret, dance, poetry, literature and art. With stunning individual performance spaces dedicated to each of the arts, its arenas are treasure troves of talent, with open doors and inviting atmospheres. Over 27,000 people are expected to attend this year.
The winning act will enjoy the spotlight surrounded by outstanding talent across the 700 performers appearing over the weekend. Florence + The Machine (Fri), Belle and Sebastian (Sat) and Vampire Weekend (Sun) are headlining in the Obelisk Arena and acts appearing in the Cabaret Arena include Perrier Award winner Laura Solon, the 2009 Edinburgh Comedy Award winner for best newcomer, Jonny Sweet, and American comedian, writer and improviser Rich Fulton, best known for his role in the hit comedy series The Mighty Boosh.
The prize consists of a paid gig, weekend ticket entry for the act (or act plus guest if solo performer), plus associated publicity, including additional on-site promotion and editorial coverage by The Stage.
To enter the competition, acts simply email their registered booktheact.com name to winagig@booktheact.com no later than Friday May 14. Candidates not currently registered must first create a complete promotional profile, published on booktheact.com (free of charge) that will serve as their submission material. Registered booktheact.com names are given to all acts with published profiles. Details of the winning act will be announced on Tuesday June 1. Terms and Conditions apply.
A unique and surreal new cabaret show hosted by and featuring Blaheen of the Roads… the indescribable and unforgettable alter-ego of maverick artist Kevin Sharkey.
Blaheen will be joined for her premier show by a memorable line-up of ‘Friends’ including: mesmerising legendary singer Shaz Oye, sublime solo harmonica songs from Ger Foley-Arguello, passionate & powerful songs and vocals from singer/guitarist Paddy Sharkey, gorgeous acoustic indie-pop from Snowdial, golden-voiced Lisa Hynes and some thought-provoking comedy-poetry from Chris Wilmers.
Doors open at 8.30pm on Thursday 1st April 2010 (then the first Wednesday of every month thereafter)
Upstairs @ The Legal Eagle (next to Four Courts) 1 Chancery Place, Dublin 7
Ticket price: 5 euro in advance.
Advance booking strongly advised as space is very limited.
Blaheen’s is gaining a following for his celebrity interviews including Lady Gaga, Angelina Jolie, Madonna and the
Obamas. Check out this Robbie Williams interview.
Grammy performing rising rap royalty Drake explodes into action for his latest video. Having come up under the tutelage of Lil Wayne and the Cash Money Crew, Drake is now trading verses with superstars such as Jay –Z , Kanye West and Mary J Blige.
With a major label deal under his belt, a classic debut mixtape album not to mention two hit singles ‘Forever’ and ‘Best I Ever Had’, Drake is set to be one of the rising stars of 2010.
Drake’s debut studio album ‘Thank Me Later’ will be released early 2010 through Island Records
The first ever global commercial from Sprite entitled ‘Spark’ features Hip Hop star Drake struggling to find inspiration in the studio while recording.
Due to be launched in the US in March, Sprite Spark Music is an online iphone app mixing tool that enables teenagers to make their own tunes using samples from Drake’s music and remixing them with music from talented artists from around the globe.
Skinny Water, have partnered with Music Crowns to offer the winners of each crown the chance to participate in one of their forthcoming Television adverts.
Music Crowns have developed the concept to offer an alternative to ‘X Factor’ style TV shows following recent backlash.
Each winner will also secure a 1 year management contract, a website worth £1,000 and will be presented with the Music Crowns trophy for each category. Music Crowns are currently taking applications for Rock Music Crown & Urban Music Crown with the Pop variant coming shortly.
Budding artists can apply via www.musiccrowns.co.uk in the UK until June when it will go to public vote for each category. Winners will be announced in September.
Confirmed judges for the Urban Music Crown include UB40 Legend Ali Campbell, 2009 Mercury prize winner Speech Debelle and US Star Montell Jordan.
A very rare leather jacket worn by the legendary Bob Dylan in the 1978 film directed by Martin Scorsese celebrating The Bands’ last ever live performance, and in which Dylan, along with other rock greats such as Van Morrision and Eric Clapton performed has come up for auction at Cameo.
Lot 401 in the upcoming music sale, a leather jacket, labelled ‘Jackson the Tailor’ was donated by Bob Dylan to the Bloodstock Cooperative and comes with a signed letter of authenticity dated July 1994 by the late Rick Dando, vocalist in ‘The Band’. Estimates on this lot range from £5-6000
Also in this exciting sale of over 600 lots is lot 470, a pre-release sleeve for the acclaimed ‘Double Fantasy’ album by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. There is a handwritten dedication on the rear sleeve to New York’s WNEW Radio Station which reads, ‘love John Lennon & Yoko Ono’. The signing took place at Studio One on the 21st November 1980. The sleeve is missing its disc as it was part of the stations collections, the sleeve was retained by Ken Dashow a DJ who later sold it via a New York Dealer. Estimates are £600-800.
During 2010 it looks like Vyelle Croom might be one of the talents to watch!
Vyelle is currently appearing in the BBCss flagship drama Material Girl (every Thursday at 80..pm on BBC1) alongside Dervla Kirwan. He plays the gay fashion designer Orlando in this fast-moving, no holds barred expose of the fickle fashion industry.
Vyelle graduated from the internationally famous London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (remarkably having been also accepted at the Central School of Speech and Drama), in 2006 and has been in demand ever since. His Gold Distinction in Stage Combat was put to good use when he played Aramis in the Three Musketeers during a sell-out run at the Bristol Old Vic.
He has numerous film credits include Souvenirs in which he plays the lead character in this independent film which explores the universal themes of conquest and possession. In fact, Souvenirs won the ‘Audiences Choice’ at the London Independent Film Festival and was also selected for the Palm Springs Film Festival where it outsold both Demi Moore’s and Courtney Cox’s debut films as directors. Souvenirs has also been selected for the Stuttgart International Film Festival and the Thai International Film Festival, both in 2010.
Vyelle has also played main character roles in other independent films including: City Rats with Danny Dyer, Bigger than Ben with Ben Barnes and Shouting Men.
In 2006, Vyelle played alongside Billie Piper in the BBCs production, Shadow in the North together with Matt Smith (the new Dr Who).
Golden Globe-nominated director Bharat Nalluri has launched a nationwide search to find the UK’s most talented professional or aspiring filmmakers, in a campaign to support the home-grown talent of Britain’s film industry. The 14 Islands Film Challenge will give 14 filmmakers a once in a lifetime opportunity to spend two weeks filming on an idyllic island in The Bahamas and use the challenge as a launch pad for their careers.
Supported by the National Film and Television School (NFTS) and The Bahamas Tourist Office, the challenge seeks to engage with up and coming or professional filmmakers and give them the chance to compete for a £14,000 cash prize and state-of-the-art camera equipment. This is combined with the opportunity to draw on scenery which has been the backdrop of many iconic films including; Pirates of the Caribbean, Casino Royale and The Silence of the Lambs.
Nalluri, whose rise to fame has included directing BBC-smash hits such as Spooks, Hustle and Life on Mars will Chair the panel of esteemed judges who will select the final 14 lucky filmmakers. Other judges include Finola Dwyer, Chair of the BAFTA Film Committee, Nik Powell, Director of the NFTS and Tommy Thompson, Deputy Director General of Bahamas Tourist Office.
With the British film industry seeing an unmistakable emergence of exciting new directors, The 14 Islands Film Challenge will give those selected a chance to learn from the industry’s finest. An experienced producer will help the finalists during the making of the films whilst in The Bahamas and provide guidance through the editing process, with use of the National Film and Television School’s editing suites in Beaconsfield on their return. All 14 films will be aired at a prestigious red carpet event at BAFTA in March 2010 when the winner of the challenge will be revealed.
To participate in the challenge, Britain’s rising directors are required to submit a 500 word treatment on an inspirational person from their local community and their reasons why they should be chosen. Judges will then select around 40 candidates to submit a short film based on their treatment and from those films, 14 finalists will be selected. All entries will be available to view on the challenge website.
The shortlisted filmmakers will take inspiration from the warmth of the Bahamian people to tell inspiring stories through their films. The filmmakers will be encouraged to show the islands in their own way and demonstrate their creativity and individuality through their final cut. Each filmmaker will be based on one of the 14 main islands of The Bahamas and assigned a local team, dedicated to helping them experience and capture true Bahamian life.
Bharat Nalluri, whose directing credits include blockbuster films such as Resident Evil and Alien V Predator, talks about how important it is to give new filmmakers a chance to prove their talent: “The chance to travel to beautiful locations, make personal films, mix with industry experts, have the best camera equipment to hand and showcase your finished work around the world – The 14 Islands Film Challenge is a wonderful opportunity for any aspiring filmmaker. I wish it was around when I first started in the industry.”
Tommy Thompson, Deputy Director General, Bahamas Tourist Office, comments: “The British Film industry has a wealth of raw talent, so by throwing the challenge out to all those upcoming directors waiting for their break, the 14 Islands of The Bahamas provide the perfect canvas for Britain’s next filmmaking star to show their ability by capturing Bahamian life, community and the beautiful surroundings.”
Nik Powell, Director of the National Film and Television School and also on the panel of judges, comments: “We are delighted to support The 14 Islands Film Challenge and look forward to seeing how upcoming filmmakers will respond to what could be the platform to launch their career in the future.”
Finola Dwyer, Producer and Chair of the BAFTA Film Committee, adds: “This is a fantastic opportunity for emerging, talented filmmakers to demonstrate their story-telling abilities in one of the most breathtaking locations in the world – The Bahamas.”
Comedy gigs are always an enjoyable night out, you can laugh so hard till your belly hurts, cringe at a risqué joke or even go as far as heckling a poor act, either way you’re getting your money’s worth. The stand-up nights at The Highlight are no different and offer a diverse range of acts and entertainment for all.
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