Archive for 'Christmas 2011'
Christmas is Coming, the Goose is Getting Fat…..
Posted on September 5, 2011, by Su Skinner, under Christmas 2011, laughter, Parties, Rock with Laughter, rock with laughter show.
Well, of course I know you’ve only just come back from your summer holidays (did you go somewhere nice?) but the nights are drawing in and we do like having something to look forward to. And we all know how quickly the festive season comes around and smacks us on the back of the head, when we realise we have made no plans, we haven’t booked a band, we haven’t even thought about a venue and everyone at the office is asking “so, where’s the party this year?”
Of course, it’s not just a case of looking in Yellow Pages, closing your eyes and stabbing an entry. You’ve got to make sure it’s a memorable night (for all the right reasons) and your future career might depend on it. We asked a few people for their take on what signifies that a party is in trouble:
- The ‘few brief words’ that the Boss wants to share with you all after the dinner requires a PowerPoint presentation, projector and slides.
- Your sneak peak at the table plan tells you you’re seated between the IT nerd and the company’s Health & Safety expert, both of whom will be keen to share their expertise.
- Management make a decision to ban alcohol from the Christmas party this year – a nice fruit punch will be so much more refreshing…. Could this have anything to do with the debauched shenanigans at last year’s do?
- The ‘live music’ turns out to be Sid from Despatch (on keyboard) with his wife, Shirl, doing an excruciating Carpenter tribute.
- The theme this year is ‘Inner Child’ and you’re all expected to display your baby snaps in 10 x 8 format.
So our advice is get ahead of the game, book your Christmas party now and everyone will want to be your new best friend. Bring your party to our Party at this year’s Rock with Laughter, the glorious VIP experience in the ‘Backstage’ Party Pavilion. Not only do you get VIP parking and VIP access to the arena show, you actually walk past the backstage area, the artists’ “Green Room”, the dressing rooms and everything! Just the other side of the partition Jimmy Carr is tweeting his hilarious one-liners, Dara O Briain is warming up that delicious Irish voice, Sarah Millican is deciding which of the puddings is beautiful enough to join her gallery of pud pics on her website, Marti Pellow is telling everyone that Love is all around us, Gabrielle is asking for just a little more time and 10cc argue that none of them are in love, you know………
Well, what’s the deal, I hear you say? You may well ask. Here’s the thing, you don’t have to go to all the trouble of researching the best place to go for the best Christmas party – we’ve done it all for you and created the whole shebang. All you have to do now is book your place. Who knows, it could result in that promotion you’ve been hoping for, your partner may propose at long last and your aged aunt may leave you all her worldly wealth. Or not. If nothing else, you’ll have had a blast. And you don’t have to organise a huge number of people to be eligible for this stonking Christmas outing – 2 people or 200, you’ll all be most welcome.
Pavilion Hospitality Team
To reserve your place at THE party of 2011, go to the website – www.rockwithlaughter.com/party-packages or call the delightful Rock with Laughter Hospitality Team on 01527 894000. We hope to see you there – oh and just like the BBC, we must say that other parties are available – they just won’t be as much fun as ours!
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A Star was Born
Posted on August 12, 2011, by Su Skinner, under Christmas 2011, laughter, Parties, Rock with Laughter, rock with laughter show.
Do you remember? Rock with Laughter 2007, the year of Jasper Carrott, Chris de Burgh, Jack Dee, Dame Edna Everage, Jo Brand, Shakin’ Stevens, Jamelia, Tap Dogs, The Manfreds, Ray Quinn and Niki Evans…… a simply fabulous show, quite the most glittering line-up, I think you’ll agree. And that was the year that radio station Heart fm joined us in our Search for a Star, someone with the vocal talent, and the chutzpah, to perform on stage in front of 10,000 people and to do that on the Gala Opening Night of Rock with Laughter at the NEC Arena in Birmingham!
Out of the hundreds of applicants who sent in their demo tapes, the choice was narrowed down to three finalists and there was absolutely no hesitation in picking Emma Skipp as the winner – her voice was quite simply amazing and she was a truly worthy Star. On the opening night, she looked perfectly at home out there on that huge stage. Her stunning vocals didn’t disappoint, she absolutely held the audience in her hand, and if she enjoyed it half as much as we did, she had a pretty fabulous time. The VIPs at the glamorous ‘backstage’ party had a very welcome surprise when Emma also performed on the party stage later that night, together with X Factor finalist, Niki Evans, and the dance band TopCatz, entertaining the guests until the early hours. That was some party.
So, where is she now? Well, you’ll all be pleased to know she’s out there, performing her music as a fixture on the Midlands gigging circuit. However, what you might not know is that since Emma’s appearance on RWL, she has also made a single with The Enemy, ‘No Time For Tears’ in 2009, and the album reached number 2 in the charts. (The ‘Hit Parade’, for those more mature members of our audience…..) Emma toured the UK and Ireland with the group and even appeared on the Jonathan Ross Show – ooh, get her! Then with hardly a pause for breath, she was asked to perform backing vocals for the Ocean Colour Scene album ‘Saturday’ which also took her touring all over the UK, including a performance at The Royal Albert Hall, a first that stands out in her memory of all-time greats. (After Rock with Laughter, of course.)
“My Dad, always my Dad,” she said, fondly. “He had worked at the NEC since it opened!” (Actually, I think they built it around him.) He and Emma’s Mum nearly burst with pride when they saw their little princess on the arena stage, performing to 10,000 people. When asked to describe the experience, Emma said “Surreal, overwhelming. My Mum said to me ‘remember this moment, no matter what you do, nothing will ever compare to this first time’ and she was right, of course. Even singing at Wembley didn’t come close!”
Emma is a prolific writer of her own music and lyrics; trying to describe her style is evidently quite tricky: “I’ve been asking myself the question recently. It’s pop music, but not bubblegum, it can be almost folk, but not like traditional folk; the electric set is more lively, more soulful.” We think it’s great music for all seasons, but that’s just our opinion.
Has winning the competition actually changed anything for Emma? “Absolutely,” she said, enthusiastically. “Before the competition I was with my band, learning the hard way and business was tough, I was at quite a low point. Winning the competition, performing at such a terrific show, put me back on my game, gave me confidence to keep at it. It has certainly paid off!”
We asked Emma what advice she could give to the millions of other young people, hoping and dreaming of making a career in music. She was a little cautious and diffident, not wanting to sound pompous (as if!) but she thought about it and said:
“I would go the hard route, get in a band, learn an instrument, even if it’s only enough to help you write music, get out and play, do everything that’s offered to you, as a singer, do session work for producers and studios, get to know other bands and people involved in the industry.” One other nugget of advice occurred to her: “Oh, don’t let it rule you, have other interests, it will keep you sane.” Emma certainly has other interests – she has just picked up her BA Hons in Philosophy and Creative & Professional Writing - not just a pretty face, you know.
We’re looking forward to catching up with Emma backstage at this year’s Rock with Laughter shows, but who is she most looking forward to seeing on stage this year? “Gabrielle, of course. What a legend.”
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Girls On Top
Posted on July 29, 2011, by Su Skinner, under Christmas 2010, Christmas 2011, laughter, Rock with Laughter, rock with laughter show.
Well, the chaps had better look to their laurels – there may well be more male stars on the bill, but the ladies are hitting the headlines.
Sarah Millican
Gabrielle
In the Past
We’ve been looking back at previous Rock with Laughter shows, experiencing a touch of nostalgia, actually, remembering Summer Rock with Laughter when we took the shows to the countryside, Ragley Hall, Elton Hall and Somerleyton, in the summer of 2008. (Yes, it really was a summer, it only rained at Ragley!) Okay, the ‘boys’ did the announcements (Lenny Henry & Jasper Carrott) and very funny it was too – there are still clips on-line, have a look on YouTube. But surely the girls did the biz? Remember the shows with Jo Brand?
“If we aren’t supposed to eat animals, why are they made of meat?” She asked and really, nobody had an answer for that. But one of my favourite JB quotes is “Birthdays are nature’s way of telling you to eat more cake.” I can’t help thinking that Jo and Sarah may have more in common that we realised.
Of course, that was the year that Elkie Brooks joined us, too. A fantastic, timeless and stunning performer, I just wished we’d had more show time for her huge list of
hits. Mind you, as long as she belts out ‘Pearl’s a Singer’ we’re happy, aren’t we? I hear that she’s out on tour again this autumn, so I might just catch up with her later in the year when she swings by our neck of the woods.
Looking at the list of performers, we realise just how male-dominated the summer shows were – The Manfreds (all chaps) Jasper Carrott, Lenny Henry, The Blockheads with Phill Jupitus (not a feminine form amongst them) and the Bootleg Beatles – gosh, an excess of testosterone all around the tents!
Perhaps we need a bit of Girl Power here – how about commenting on the Rock with Laughter Facebook page with your favourite female performers.
Rock with Laughter is at the LG Arena Birmingham Friday 16 & Saturday 17 December 2011 – more artists to be announced.
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