Sugababes v4.0 - Branding A Band

So the Sugababes line up has changed once again, but this time a significant factor is that the lasting original member is the one to quit – or be politely asked to leave, depending on which red top papers you prefer to read.

Now with no founding member but a collection of 'replacements', can the new look girl group still technically be the Sugababes or are they just now trading under a brand name.
For an avid fan surely the change shouldn't matter, unless it was your favourite member who left, the fact the group are continuing would keep chins up.

Unlike bands before them, when a member leaves and is not replaced it normally takes a few months before the group finishes regardless, with Take That and the Spice Girls as examples. But why didn't these bands replace their members?

You can't deny the musical talent of the Sugababes members but they are clearly far easier to replace then your Robbie's and Geri's of this popworld.
This time it may be different, as Keisha was the founding, original member and therefore must have played a large part in the sound we now associate with the group.

The fans may come out in full support, after all, it's a little bit like your football team bringing in new players – it doesn't make you support them any less, it's normally a change for the better. And as before, depending on which stories you believe, replacing a member may rekindle some team spirit which may have been lacking in previous months.

All of this of course is not a new thing, Bucks Fizz toured the country in two versions with half of the group in each but under the same name, The Three Degrees performed with various line ups but it's the name and the music which brings in the crowd. The trade name, if you like.
But at least in these examples, some original members remained. The Sugababes now have none of these attributes, just the songs which made them famous – but not as infamous as their ever changing line up.

The Spice Girls were probably the ultimate brand band of recent years, like a Grand Prix team, they had numerous sponsorship deals with everything and anything from crisps, drink and bodyspray to cameras and lollipops. Attach their name to your product during the mid to late 1990's and profit would increase ten fold.
But this soon turned sour and the group were criticised for associating themselves with so many products, selling out and using their brand power, forcing their young fans to part with a lot of money (12 years on I'm sure I'm still counting the pocket money spent!)
Endorsements started to detract from the music and more to what they were trading and trading under.

The music business isn't called a business for nothing and unfortunately so many things apart from the music sell these days.

Whether the new line up of the Sugababes will prove as popular as the previous three changes, only sales and interest will tell. If the music remains and they maintain the sound, there should be no reason why the train shouldn't keep rolling – regardless of who is singing each line.
But for the business of show business, I think the Sugababes would be more interested in the music selling over any sort of branding.

However, with no long standing members and what could be a seen as a totally new group, they may have to rely on the Sugababes brand and maybe future endorsements to help with income. Only time will tell if branding Suga like Spice keeps sales nice.

Would the real Banksy please stand up?

Banksy fascinates me, and judging by the queues gathering outside his Bristol exhibition currently, it seems he intrigues more than just the usual art critics.
His art form for the most part involves spray paint and walls and whether you see this as expressionism, graffiti or crime, the fact that he keeps his identify from those who love him and those who loathe him is in itself a talking point.

No-one really knows who Banksy is, the only known fact is that he's from Bristol – hence why he returned to his roots for his first permitted artwork showing.
His funny, political, controversial or just beautiful creations would simply appear in the morning to bleary eyed commuters in London who had to double take at the thought-provoking stencilled work. Stencilled because that cuts the time down he has to stand there and do it, always minutes from being caught – for both defacing property and his personal identity being discovered.
Of course there have been 'sightings' of the man in the mac with the spray cans, websites have been set up where people can post their camera phone pictures but none have ever been proven to be Mr. B.

Such a concern to him at being unearthed, he even requested in his contract at the Bristol gallery that the CCTV footage leading up to the event would be destroyed so that no-one would see him viewing the items before it opened. Only four people at the gallery knew his exhibition was coming, all other staff were told not to come into work the week they were setting up, with just the explanation that filming was taking place and they weren't needed.

Most of his artwork is 'free', now to the point where companies consider it a privilege to have his art on the side of their buildings, unlike your average graffiti it isn't removed - especially when you consider his very few pieces of canvas art have sold for £260,000 plus.

It's one of those situations where the mystery remains and yet if you fulfilled your desire to find out the reality it would probably wreck the fascination of his enigma.
Put your hands over children's eyes, but in my age of 26 I think Banksy is my Father Christmas. Maybe if I replace leaving out a glass of milk with a can of spray paint he could do the honours on my front gate?

But with such a 'gimmick' of not being known, an almost superhero like existence whereby his calling card is his art, thankfully unlike other gimmicks, he actually has the talent to equal the hype – a two mile snaking queue outside his first and I don't expect last exhibition can't be wrong.
Public art and what is considered 'art form' has come a long way and for Banksy and that reason alone, I'm thankful.

Zzzz

Wowzer, a year since my last blog?!

*slaps wrist and gets re-writing my Banksy piece for your enjoyment asap*

On your marks...

It’s 08.08.08 and at 8.08pm Chinese time, one of the most controversial Olympics of modern times will open.
Following protests, torch hijacks and the approach to which families and homes have been ‘removed’ to make way for flower beds and athlete villages, the flame will finally be lit in Beijing – paving the way for competitors from all around the world to live out their career ambitions in front of a global audience.

I have no doubts that the protests will continue and probably intensify as the weeks go by, but for me as much as the political issues are important, growing up I have fond memories of Olympics gone by.

I was very much into my athletics as a child, still holding the secondary school record for 100m sprints (12.72 seconds – damn right!) and like many children had the dream of one day running for my country and for some reason, having the desire to be handed not just the gold but the smart Great Britain tracksuit too!

I guess my first memory then was of Linford Christie and Sally Gunnell at the Barcelona Olympics, as Linford dominated the track the sheer determination and focus in his eyes (yes at that young age I was looking at his eyes you dirty buggers!) was inspiring to anyone watching.
My more recent memories include the extreme lows and desperation of Paula Radcliffe breaking down in Athens and the sheer ecstasy of Kelly Holmes not only winning two golds but the look on her face as she crossed the line. I remember my whole family on our feet, screaming at the television – I swear as she finished, we were all as knackered as Dame Holmes herself!

The down side this year will be the time difference, but I don’t think that will stop the local contingent gathering to watch our local lad. Tom Daley, the 14 year old diver from Plymouth is preparing for his first Olympics and a mass gathering is expected at the giant screen they’ve set up in Plymouth’s city centre to show the Games.

Although technically brilliant for his age, his aim was always London 2012, the fact he has qualified to Beijing will give him a massive boost in confidence and experience – I just hope the media don’t expect too much as he aims to do his best.
Of course it would be amazing and he is more than capable, but to balancing at the top of one of those boards the last thing he needs is the pressure of performing, which the British press seem to put on any potential star.

A historic event, the Olympics is one of the last true experiences to test human endurance both physically and mentally. The variety of sports on show can truly unite a nation and fortunately you don’t need to rely on tactical country voting or text numbers to define a winner – it’s all down to who can live up to the expectation and perform on the occasion.

Sadly, there are dream, medals and careers to be lost – but thankfully, idols, memories and the inspiration for future athletes to be gained. And the best part? This time in four years, it’ll practically be on our doorsteps here in the UK and I for one cannot wait.

What a feeling? Sorry, WHAT feeling?

I went to the world premiere of 'Flashdance the Musical' this week.

My two word review? Meh, nearly.

My one sentence review? If you're going to do a stage version of such a memorable and iconic dance movie, make the end audition piece everyone's seen as energetic and inspired as the film version and don't try to fill the much loved legwarmers still being well worn by 'Fame' and 'Rent'.

On a lighter note, if anyone could recommend an alternative song to 'What A Feeling' to have stuck in my head since Monday - I'd appreciate any answers on a postcard!

*Takes deep breath...*

Here's a thought. Why put up petrol prices when you are closing post offices, therefore forcing us to drive further, therefore having to buy more expensive petrol, therefore inflicting more damage on the environment?

I appreciate it's a reaction to the current financial climate but can't someone just give us some slack or at least create a balance somewhere along the line?

I watched an old episode of 'I'm Alan Partridge' the other night and there was a scene in a petrol station, where unleaded petrol was 76p. Aah the good old days, when comedians were funny, British sitcoms were clever and even the cost of running a car was laughable.



Shortly after this blog was published, Helen had the soapbox removed from her feet following successful surgery. Normal apolitical service shall resume shortly.

A spoonful of sugar

While walking through the corridor of my local cinema to get to screen 9 at the weekend, I was faced with the exiting audience of screen 4. Bounding out like Labrador puppies after a roll of toilet paper, the predominately female crowd of varying ages were smiling, laughing and happily scoffing the last stray Revels whilst humming the hits of Benny, Bjorn and co.

For the last 2 hours they had forgotten about the problems in their life, the impending threat of a recession, the continued rising cost of fuel and car tax and even who the hell got kicked out of Big Brother on Friday. Thus is not just the power of the movies, but in particular, the warm, fuzzy glow of the musical and in this case, 'Mama Mia'.

The trend of the last 6 years of re-introducing musicals and stage shows to the screen comes at a time when our 'real world' isn't such a happy place - you only have to pick up a newspaper or listen to a general conversation to hear of the previously mentioned social downers as well as the increase in gun and knife crime.
In a similar vein, the musical first came to the big screen back in the hard days of war and in America, the great depression. Directors were specifically asked to produce uplifting, positive films and short movies to act as a form of utopia for the masses - to help them forget about the darkness that was looming outside the cinema.
Synchronised girls diving into lush blue pools as their make up remained immaculate, Fred and Ginger tap-dancing, and songs everyone could join in with certainly helped this.

You can't help but wonder if this has been the same thinking behind the reprise of the musical in modern day cinema, perhaps not in the same way that the directors have been told but instead the films are responding to society's reaction to bad times.

The first notable and successful musical of this kind was 'Chicago', which won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2003 - a memorably subdued affair for the biggest night in Hollywood as it coincided with the invasion of Baghdad. At an event where often you get as much if not more media coverage for what you wear instead of what you win, the evening was muted with many of the world's most beautiful actresses dressing down in black and acceptance speeches including support for the troops but disrespect for their President.

Although clearly a brilliant film, and one of my own personal favourites from the musical genre - you can't help but think that it winning the top prize as well as other accolades for its cast, gave the film the type of publicity to encourage everyone who hadn't seen the film to go along. This in turn would provide its audience with enriching, happier thoughts at the time of impending war, death and destruction.

Before and since this time we've had 'Moulin Rouge', 'Phantom of the Opera', 'Happy Feet', 'Hairspray', the 'High School Musical' films and now, 'Mama Mia'. Not only does it give us the chance to see if some of the most well-known actors and actresses can actually hold a note (some should definately stick to the day job...even if Daniel Craig now has it), it gives us the wonder of being able to break into song, knowing that the whole street will join in, complete with dance routine (me and my friend tried it in French class, aged 14, sadly it doesn't happen!) and the inevitable ending that everyone lives happily ever after (I can't promise that either).

It's escapism at its most colourful, camp and toe-tapping best and if its job is solely to help us forget about our day to day problems, then I'd happily sit there in screen 9 and watch it over and over again...if the pots of Revels could keep coming too then who am I to stress that £20 only gets me a quarter of a tank of unleaded these days.

Musical films certainly aren't the cure to the problems in our society, but if they try and help us look on the bright side and put a spring in our step for at least the rest of the day let alone the long term future, then as Julie Andrews once said in 'The Sound of Music'...

"...that's a very good place to start."