Search results matching tag 'arts'

Why you should go clubbing if you work at an agency

2292853 — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:15:00 GMT

We all know that the day-in day-out work-a-day world of being in a creative agency is not always filled with euphoric moments of creative epiphany, and that's why nights and weekends should be for seeking out inspiration, sometimes in the form of wild, decadent good old-fashioned 90s-style night clubbing.

If you are pressured to consistently develop creative campaigns, be it digital or traditional, in advertising, marketing, public relations or social media, it is the world around you that is going to give you that jolt of insight for a client. For this I prescribe clubbing. Iggy Pop's song Nightclubbing should be ringing in your head now. Can you hear his lyrics about exploring urban delights until the wee morning hours?

However, your inspiration may come not from dull mega West End night spots, but from the pits of seedy grime in far flung postal codes. I'm thinking about this now, because I went out over the weekend for Halloween, but was a little surprised at the lack of outrageous costumes I found across London, clearly the clubbing generation has changed a lot from my 90s heydays. In fact, most people didn't bother to dress up at all.

I'm told that is because Halloween isn't really big in the UK, and that part (I'm a New Yorker living in London) is one of my cultural learnings here. So, being one of a handful of people who dressed to the nines for Halloween, and felt like more of a spectacle than I expected, I'm encouraging all the young creative people I know at agencies this week to go out clubbing, 90s-style and bring back some inspiration that might apply to a client campaign.

I'm showing my age, as I remember going out clubbing and finding the legendary "club kids" showing off like peacocks like Richie Rich, RuPaul and Amanda Lepore (who some of my friends affectionately nicknamed "Amanda Le Whore".) Back in the 90s club scene, nearly everyone would be out showcasing creativity with outfits, dancing and sometimes outrageous antics. My day job at the time was with a big agency, and unfortunately, a lot of the executives made fun of me for clubbing, as I'd get outted because it was awfully hard to get all the glitter off by Monday morning. Yet, many of those same executives dragged me into numerous brainstorming sessions, when they wanted some creative insight.

Now, mentoring junior creatives, I'm encouraging them to seek out the most creative night club scene they can find and come come back and report in Monday AM meetings. How can you be creative if you aren't living creatively?

Still creativly clubbing now and then,

-Lisa

*Photo of Richie Rich courtesy of Newyorksocialdiary.com

Sing along with Iggy Pop:

Nightclubbing we're nightclubbing
We're what's happening
Nightclubbing we're nightclubbing
We're an ice machine
We see people brand new people
They're something to see
When we're nightclubbing
Bright-white clubbing
Oh isn't it wild?
Nightclubbing we're nightclubbing
We're walking through town
Nightclubbing we're nightclubbing
We walk like a ghost
We learn dances brand new dances
Like the nuclear bomb
When we're nightclubbing
Bright white clubbing
Oh isn't it wild...

A Festival Without Brands: The Secret Garden Party

2292853 — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:29:00 GMT

Last weekend’s Secret Garden Party had a few usual suspect guests absent from the festival. Brands were nowhere to be seen, and if they were there, they were virtually invisible to the human eye.

The brand-less festival let a few hundred artists emerge for attention, and allowed the mass of quirky creative ideas shine through. Instead of tribute banners to lager, you’d find Action Camps inviting guests to make their own superhero costume, listen to an experimental musician or watch a performance.

I peeked at one tent, a retail outlet for cigarettes, one of the more unpopular destinations, who was forbidden to showcase any branding, and was so minimal that you didn’t even realize that the venue was selling cigarettes at all. I thought 02 or Orange may have been secretly sponsoring the mobile charging stations, but it turns out that these were also independents, staffed by volunteers who were running the gadget-charging facilities on solar power.

Nope, no brands in sight.

Did I miss them? Hell no!

With Glastonbury becoming a parade of brands and many attendants getting irritated by the brands-in-your-face that some festivals has become, the UK’s summer festival lovers are seeking out new places to enjoy a goodtime without the brands. Want proof? Check the ticket sales that for the first year in a long time did not sell-out for Glastonbury immediately, and consider the number of artists that decided to tour The Secret Garden Party, Bestival, Latitude and The Big Chill – instead of Glastonbury. The Independent is calling some of the smaller festivals examples of “Poshstock”.

Granted, smaller size (Secret Garden Party had about 7K attendants to Glastonbury’s 200K +) means the organizers don’t need as much sponsorship as Glastonbury requires to manage the masses. The Secret Garden party does trump its horn about its brand-less status, and, as a guest artist performing at SGP, my own suggestion to get a sponsor for our bit of the festival – an all-female revue of The Wind in the Willows, was not accepted, with good reason. Still, the festival has to be funded somehow, and here is a breakdown of how they split profits from ticket and drink sales:

Music and Performance: 19%

Sound, Stages and Lights: 10%

Decoration and Sculpture: 6%

Event Staff: 17%

Facilities: 23%

Mangement Team: 10%

Event Running Fees: 11%

Marketing: 4%

What’s the secret to success? Seems this formula is working for Secret Garden Party, and the other secret to success is having private land to party on semi-legally. The secret location is at Abbots Ripton Hall, near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, and the property belongs to wealthy land holders of the ancestral family of 4th Baron de Ramsey, specifically John Ailwyn Fellowes, who's son Freddie Fellowes, is one of the Head Gardeners who makes the festival possible.

Here’s ten quick peeks at what I did enjoy at the beautifully brand-less Secret Garden Party:

oOOo Dancing in the sunset on top of the lake at the Pagoda venue to the tunes of up-and-coming DJ Marshall Hackett, who was dressed up like a cuddly cat. Top favourite were his re-mixes of 70s classics like Funky Town. Listen to Marshall’s set here.

oOOo Skanking to the brassy funky soulful beats of The Fontanas , and having a fireside chat with lead singer Gavin Skeggs and finding out that he is also in a band called The Tarantinos, inspired by Quentin Tarantino’s films.

oOOo Getting a huge kick out of the performance antics and musical skills of The Ratfinks who delivered big sound and big fun.

oOOo Watching the pyro-technical extravaganza of the Pirate Ship getting blown-up, a very Burning Man-esque moment.

oOOo Checking out the legendary Grace Jones.

oOOo Hanging out in the tree house of the Where The Wild Things Are venue.

oOOo Making a cape at the Superhero Action Camp, making a carnival hat at another Action Camp and listening to Green political talks at the Green Action Camp.

oOOo Not spending endless amounts of time waiting in queues for food, drink and loos.

oOOo Bumping into many friends, something that is less likely to happen at Glastonbury, where everyone gets lost in the crowd.

oOOo Unwinding in the Lost Horizons sauna.

And…performing in my company Hai Media Group’s all-female revue of The Wind in the Willows – we were a hit! The cast and crew presented adventures of the lovable Toad, Ratty, Mole, Badger and supporting Weasels and Rabbits, festival style, including inviting the audience to feast on a banquet at our make believe Toad Hall. Here’s some quick peeks from our show:

*Photos courtesy of photographer Jim Hanner

Lucy Lowe as Ratty

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The Wind in the Willows Rabbits

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The Wind in the Willows Cast and Crew

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Still grooving on the Secret Garden Party,

-Lisa

Today is Co-Dependence Day

2292853 — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:07:00 GMT

America's birthday is today and folks in my country will be enjoying BBQs, watching parades in their communities, and selecting a spot to go and watch fireworks tonight.

oOOo How do you feel about the relationship Britain has with America?

Well, I guess we all have to face the fact that:

"Get used to it, you're stuck with us, so we might as well just have some fun!" said Cheyne Pride, also American.

She once topped the USA dance charts for her 80s pop single Call Me Mr. Telephone, and, together, we have been busy getting ready for celebrating this big American summertime holiday, here in London. You can hear her singing on her MySpace site.

We both have a mutual mission to passionately bring Londoners some of the great music and entertainment style that we think our country is best at.

We'll leave the politics, the War, and the Credit Crunch mess to Gordon Brown, and whoever George Bush's replacement is going to be, for them them to sort things out, or muck it up some more.

oOOo Take a peek at Cheyne on stage:

London's Country Western & Rock Singer Cheyne Pride

Please come out and join us as we have a HEE HAW! of a goodtime tonight as we present:

In Co-Dependence Day

*Part of Cheyne's new London club night A Little Bit Country A Little Bit Rock n Roll

oOOo Have a peek at the line-up!

We've pooled some fantastic entertainment with everything from an Opera signing hillbilly, as part of my comedy cabaret act House of Hee Haw!, to band -- including a debut night of Cheyne's new band Wildcat Tamers.

We've also got Cheerleaders! And guests get a FREE hot dog from the grill, and a complimentary cowboy hat to wear for the night.

Featuring...

♥♥♥ Cheer-A-Go-Go! ♥♥♥

(Sweet & Innocent Go-Go Dancing Cheerleaders!)

☻☺☻House of Hee Haw! ☻☺☻

(Hillbilly Comedy Cabaret)

*Find out more about my House of Hee Haw! here.

♫♫♪♫♪ HellzaPoppin’ ♫♫♪♫♪

(Rockin’ Stray Cat-Style Trio)

London debut of:

♫♫♪♫♪ The WildCat Tamers ♫♫♪♫♪
(Country,Soul,Rock’n’Roll)

♫♫♪♫♪ DJ Jon the Boatman ♫♫♪♫♪

& Surprise Special Guests

Barbecue & Grill. Very Reasonable Bar Prices

Friday 4th July 2008. Doors 8 ‘til late. £6/£5 concs.

Inn On the Green, 3-5 Thorpe Close, Portobello Green, London W10 5XL.

1 minute walk from Ladbroke Grove Tube Tel: 0208 962 5757 www.iotg.co.uk

How can you miss out on this kind of fun in London? Here's a flyer for ya'll:

Much thanks to Dave Wilson of FlashMonkey and Ali Rawlings an A&R music wizard and production manager for making tonight possible, and Tina at Inn On The Green, and Paul.

I hope that ya'll can come on out and celebrate with us tonight!

-Lisa