Monthly Archives: February 2008

Sugarbabes @ Plymouth Pavilions

The Big Stage, ,

sugarbabesSugababes have been named the most successful all-female act of the 21st century.

The group formed in 1998. To date the band have sold over 2 million singles, hitting Number One five times. They’ve sold more than five million albums (including three triple-platinum discs in the UK) and have amassed more Top 10 singles than the Spice Girls, All Saints, Destiny’s Child or Bananarama and more Top 10 hits with original songs than any girl group since The Supremes.  They’re also the first girl group since the 1980s to release more than three hit albums – trouncing Destiny’s Child, The Three Degrees, the Spice Girls and The Bangles.

During this time the band have become synonymous with imaginative, cutting edge, daring and effervescent pop music, turning in several defining moments in the modern pop era along the way and picking up plaudits including: a Brit away (along with various nominations), a Q award, a Smash Hits award, two TMF awards, 2 Capital Radio awards, two Elle Style awards and a Glamour gong.

Following their smash performance at Plymouth Pavilions back in April 2006, the Sugababes are heading back to the city on Sunday 16 March as part of a 20 date tour of the UK.

Tickets are on sale so contact the Box Office on 0845 146 1460

For more information check out the website  www.plymouthpavilions.com

John Hogarth (Palm FM Presenter)

Local Radio,

johnPalm 105.5’s Drive time presenter John Hogarth is no stranger to the air waves. He’s been on the radio for ten years and he has worked all over the country, however, he’s finally settled in the area he loves and grew up in, South Devon.

‘This is the best place I’ve ever worked. We sometimes take for granted all that we have in South Devon. We’ve got the countryside, the cities and the coast line. This area’s perfect,’ he says, with a cheeky grin, ‘and now we’ve finally got a truly great local radio station too.’

John (or Hogie as he’s known) is currently the head of music at Palm and says ‘The number of comments from our listeners about our music is astonishing. I think we’re slowly perfecting a distinctive and unique sound with a well-received blend of music, chat and local information.’

Talking to Hogie it’s obvious that he doesn’t take himself too seriously, and listening to his show, that certainly comes across even more so, with his own distinctive laidback style.

‘I’m very fortunate to work with some great professionals too. The whole team pulls together nicely, which makes my job even easier. There’s also a real buzz on the street about Palm that’s very infectious. The response I get on the phones is astronomical. Even if I say something stupid like “I’ve forgotten the name of a road,” instantly I’ll get a full switchboard of enthusiastic listeners, all happy to point out my mistakes, it’s brilliant.

‘Compared to other stations I’ve worked on the response from our listeners is truly staggering. They really want to get involved. They’re actually listening to what we say which means that we’re not just on in the background.’

Hogie has tons of great features planned for 2008 and looks forward to your company. Join him for Drive time, 2 til 6 weekdays on South Devon’s No 1 talked about radio station. Palm 105.5

2008 Review

The Big Stage,

U2By all accounts the word on the street is that 2008 will be a ground breaking year, especially in the music industry. For the first time in years there is a massive “wind of change” happening in every quarter. It is like a cloud reforming, it’s a slow process but believe me it really is happening right under our very noses.

For example look at 2007 – It will take something pretty special to beat this year in regards to some of the biggest bands that ever walked the planet that have reformed and performed where it was established years ago that this would never happen. The Spice Girls and Take That, who were both pioneering in girl and boy bands, have performed a fair amount of live shows –The Spice Girls did 10 nights at the O2 arena in London, it’s great they actually finally found a use for that venue as before it wasn’t worth the cost of explosives to blow it up.

Prince performed nearly a full calendar month and just prior to that he gave away half a million copies of his new album in a Sunday paper, considering Princes’ history it is quite hard to define if this was the ultimate ‘dig in the ribs’ to a fading music industry or the ultimate marketing concept.

We also had the return of some of the most iconic bands in history includingThe Police. For decades these guys could hardly face being in the same room as each other but it is amazing how a £30 million reward heals old wounds a lot quicker than any prescription.

Genesis returned to the arena stage to perform sell out shows all over Europe & the UK, alongside The Who and the ultimate reunion has to go to Led Zeppelin who played a one off concert in London which crashed websites for a pastime and found die hard founds paying up to £80,000 for a ticket. The long-awaited performance was the headline slot at a tribute show for Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun, who died in 2007 and was instrumental in building the band’s career in the 1970s.

As for 2008 we are already hearing murmurings that bands like U2, Coldplay, REM, Oasis, Madonna and a whole host of others are due to grace the big stage this year. Other than acts like U2 one shouldn’t get too excited with the possibility of new material, I mean it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that a band could spend £50,000 making a new album with sales resulting in 79p downloads and 60% piracy as apposed to playingWembley Arena with 12 thousand capacity at £35 a ticket. In my opinion the whole structure of album/touring has changed – which is fantastic if you are into real live music. Playing live and touring now will be a lot more of an integral part of making money as opposed to releasing an album and relying on sales.

So here’s to a great 2008! Go and check out some live music –You would not believe how wonderful it is and of course the ultimate band touring this year, celebrating 30 years in the industry, which means you can still see the best live band that you will ever see in a million years, Simple Minds!

I heard an outrageous reference where someone referred to Pete Doherty as a modern day member of The Rolling Stones. What an alarming statement and if he was to be the next ambassador for Rock and Roll we would all be in serious trouble but then again as the old saying goes “Moss doesn’t grow on a Rolling Stone!”