Tag Archives: Music

The NFL rumour mill: The Who do Super Bowl XLIV

The Who

The unofficial word on the street today (or rather the New York Daily Post) is whispering that Brit rockers The Who will perform during halftime at this season’s Super Bowl in Miami on 7th February 2010.

The band, led by surviving members Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, are all set for the big NFL season finale, according to Sports Illustrated - accompanied by a typical SI Swimsuit Tori Praver rocking The Who‘s band t-shirt.

The NFL hasn’t confirmed the booking, saying only that, “When we have something to announce, we’ll announce it.”

But the choice of the renowned British rockers makes sense, since CBS uses Who songs as intros for all three of its “CSI” shows: “Who Are You” (“CSI”), “Baba O’Riley” (“CSI: NY”) and “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (“CSI: Miami”).

The NFL Super Bowl, which draws TV’s biggest annual audience, is traditionally a huge showcase for A-list acts during the halftime show.

In past years, the roster of performers has included Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson (and her infamous “wardrobe malfunction“), Paul McCartney, U2, The Rolling Stones, Prince and Bruce Springsteen.

CBS officials had no comment yesterday either. Sadly, despite having the inside track on Elton John at the Wembley game earlier this year, this one as it remains an unconfirmed unofficial rumour. Chances are that the official line will be announced during the Thanksgiving broadcasts in a couple of weeks’ time, so watch this space.

Perhaps though, this is a premonition that the Who Dats (otherwise known as the New Orleans Saints) might just make it all the way to the Super Bowl. Based on their form so far, it’s more than likely (plus we love them since they came to the UK last year, and won).

Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints? Well, err, maybe The Who.

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JWUnsigned: when fashion meets music

Frukt, the leading music strategy and communications agency, usually has its finger on the pulse of brands, bands and fans, educating the marketing industry on how brands can use music to leverage their message.

Shame they seem to have overlooked the latest in fashion/music integration: JWUnsigned. Because Jack Wills is jumping into the brand/music marketing mix head first with some pretty cool stuff.

JWUnsigned

As a means of reaching out to an expanded youth market, JW has embraced the unsigned indie music crowd, providing a platform for new talent and a portal for new fans to find them.

JWUnsigned.com showcases the talent of any band or artist who spends a few moments registering and uploading their tracks. They immediately get exposure to a key demographic (the JW market) who vote for their favourites online. Those with the most votes stand a chance of even greater fame and fortune, being invited to headline at a number of JW music events across the country – the star prize being the headline act at Jack Wills Varsity Polo 2010. Thereby increasing their fan base ten-fold.

(And if you want a snapshot of the genuine talent on show, have a quick listen to the Wills Fm radio while you’re reading this…)

In turn, Jack is seen as the gateway to a whole host of the freshest burgeoning young music talent in the UK. Jack rewards the bands with gig opportunities, and its fans with invitations to secret shows, festival stages, basement gigs and other exclusive events. Everyone wins.

JW_Francesqa

Francesqa take to the stage in this week's basement gig at the JW Kings Road store

As evidenced from the good fun had by all at the latest JWUnsigned gig (held at their split level Kings Road store this week), the talent on show is not too shabby either. While American band Hockey headlined, it was actually the slightly less polished sounds of Brit support acts Fluid Lines and Francesqa that caught our ears more readily (and eyes – Francesqa’s bassist Ben is CUTE). Taking us back a mere four years to uni days spent clasping plastic pint glasses of snakebite, rocking out in intimate venues to the sounds of Sugarcult, Zebrahead, Taking Back Sunday and Fall Out Boy – it all came flooding back.

Anyway, top night bringing together the brand that we know we love, with brand new music we’d only just been introduced to. It’s definitely an interesting route for JW – clearly growing their market whilst retaining that all-important preppy youth culture. Just now with a little more edge.

How long before JWUnsigned develops an official label? Fashion brands representing artists? I’ve heard worse plans for brand expansion… Watch this space.

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Filed under Brands & Branding, Celebrity, Experiential marketing, Fashion & Style, Marketing, Music, Parties & Social, Social Media, Youth Marketing

A little nostalgia for the Brighton Tsunami Wavettes class of 2005

The Tsunami Wavettes sideline c.January 2005 (yes, we were as cold as we look)

The Tsunami Wavettes sideline c.January 2005 (yes, we were as cold as we look)

I really have no idea what prompted me to post this today. I suppose recently I have been thinking about a return to the world of cheer performance, given how much I miss it, but mostly I just enjoy looking back at what was without a doubt the Best Year Ever.

Rather than ramble on endlessly about why, I wanted to bring back into circulation our unofficial song from that year, which quite frankly sums up all the best bits of the season. For guidance, it’s to be sung to the tune of Don McLean’s American Pie (in honour of Wavettes founder Kristina Hultman)  – the short version, not the 5 hour one, though granted we probably could have found enough material to fill the long one too.

Anyway, as we bottled out of singing it at the 2005 Awards Dinner, here it is in it’s entirety. Enjoy – we certainly did…

The Greatest Year of Our Lives

A long, long time ago, we can still remember
How it felt to be the winning side.
The Stags and Kent were washed away
The yards were gained, the plays were made
A season full of promise, started well.
Then someone had the bright idea
Of bringing girls along to cheer,
But with this ‘good luck’ token
Their winning streak got broken.
But on they fought and on they played
Against Bullets, Stingers, Wolves and Blades.
They fought and lost, but still got laid
And so, the cheeries stayed..

My, My, Brighton Tsunami guys
Never weaken when they’re beaten and will always aim high
Win or lose we all still have a good time
And it’s been the greatest year of our lives
It’s been the greatest year of our lives

Did you learn the sacred ways
Of peaks and troughs in that book of plays
Cos Coach Chris told you so?
Or were you out all night again
At the Honey with Ali, Nick and Ben?
(Where they go to dance together real slow)
Cos Wednesday Nights are why we’re here
Forget the game, embrace the beer
The game is what we cheer for
But it’s the socials that we live for… and
Though the President is drunk by ten
And the Social Sec is late again
And there are fights and tears every now and then
Still, the cheeries stay

Because we know that: My, My, Brighton Tsunami guys
Never weaken when they’re beaten and will always aim high
Win or lose we all still have a good time
And it’s been the greatest year of our lives
It’s been the greatest year of our lives.

For the Warwick game we were up at 3
On the coach for hours, stopping just to pee,
Hawaiian was the game-day theme.
From the sideline we all cheered our best
But Warwick put us to the test
And soon, it looked like another defeat..
But as those Wolves were looking down
Potter waved his wand around
Tsunami took the lead
But the Wolves caught up with speed..
To the Superbowl we fled with glee
Where the boys all drank until they couldn’t see
And though the girls wound up in A&E
Still, the cheeries stayed.

And so we sing it: My, My, Brighton Tsunami guys
Never weaken when they’re beaten and will always aim high
Win or lose we all still have a good time
And it’s been the greatest year of our lives
It’s been the greatest year of our lives

Remember, now the season’s done
With battles lost but Little Victories won
You’re still the best team in the league.
It’s not about the final score,
Who won and lost on that field of war,
It’s all about the spirit of the team.
But there’s rumour of a cheerie curse:
That girls in skirts just make things worse;
That player interaction
Is just one big distraction..

But jinx and curses cast away
We know you’ll win the league someday
Tsunami can go all the way
That’s why we cheeries stay.

And we’re still singing: My, My, Brighton Tsunami guys
Never weaken when they’re beaten and will always aim high
Win or lose we all still have a good time
And it’s been the greatest year of our lives -
It’s been the greatest year of our lives.

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