For that matter, I feel that songwriting is an art form requiring a great deal of skill that cannot be mastered by everyone. However, songs that have been able to cross generations, cultures, and time barriers do share some commonalities, which I don’t believe is mere coincidence.

The tunes that make an impact and continue to maintain their popularity 20 years later are memorable for more than just their catchy melodies. The songs to which I’m referring have been repeatedly listed in the Top 100 lists year after year. Though these songs are dissimilar in genre and methodology, what makes each and every one of them able to claim “greatness” is this: simply put, they are extremely well-written, and therefore have mass appeal.

For starters, the lyrical content of said songs tends to prey on social and/or political mentalities/issues that drive a solid point home with the listener. But, the message of each of these songs is presented in such a fashion that it is accessible to even the status quo. Nothing too complicated. Nothing too convoluted.

When John Lennon asked us to “Imagine” a world without violence, poverty, hunger, and religion, he painted a crystal clear picture. He blatantly probed listeners to question their existence, and rethink the structure of society. He ended on a hopeful note stating that he knows others like himself are out there, and he looks forward to the day in which everyone in the world, despite their differences, will learn to “live as one.” The purpose of his song is self-evident: to make listeners question that which is presented to them, rather than just accepting things as they are.

Another strategy of writing strong lyrics is delving into concepts that are relatable on a personal level. Everyone has had a point in their life in which they’ve felt like Mick Jagger: unable to get any “Satisfaction.” Though Jagger was referring to satisfaction in the sexual sense, a listener does not have to interpret the song in that manner because the lyrics remain open-ended enough to suggest otherwise.

Audiences appreciate the opportunity to take a song and apply it to their personal situation. As a consequence, most often songs that encompass complex metaphors don’t become hit singles, because audiences can’t get a grasp of what the songwriter is trying to say.

I’ve found that the best songs out there cover issues that are common and easy to understand. Hence, the reasons as to why we have so many popular cliché love songs. Everyone experiences love, romance, bad breakups, and broken hearts (hopefully not always in that order).

Next, comes the melody.

Writing a song that gets stuck in a listener’s head may seem like an easy task, however you want your melody to be unforgettable because it’s well structured, not because it’s extremely annoying.

I can count several instances in which I’ve had Britney Spears’(sorry to pick on her again, but it’s just so easy) songs stuck in my head on repeat, but it’s not as though it was an enjoyable experience. No one likes a broken record. Although Spears’ songwriters manage to write her material that is “catchy,” it’s not always catchy in a good way. There is a difference between good and bad catchy.

Good catchiness makes a listener want to sing along with the track after hearing only a few short moments, and without knowledge of the majority of the lyrics. Good catchiness also tends to stimulate movement; whether it be head bobbing, toe tapping, air guitaring, or drumming on the nearest object. These are the songs that you listen to loud and proud while cruising down the highway with all the windows open; songs such as ACDC’s “Back in Black” or Queen’s “We Will Rock You.” They are more than just an auditory experience.

And by melody, I’m not just referring to the vocal line. All of the instruments play a crucial part in writing a well-structured song. A great singer needs a strong band to back him/her, just as a talented musical act needs a charismatic vocalist to front them. Therefore, dynamics are of the utmost importance. A band needs to know when to go all out, and when to draw back depending upon what the lyrics suggest. Different dynamics constitute different emotional reactions. Thus, the instrumentation and the lyrics need to be in synch with each other in order to maximize the impact of your message.

Additionally, your songs need to be able to maintain the listener’s attention all the way through. Add solos, riffs, bridges, breakdowns, and highlight each of your instrumentalists’ individual talent. Keep switching it up so that the listener becomes entranced, dying to know what’s coming next. But, be careful not to go overboard with your verses, as above all, your chorus should be the section that sells the song.

When it comes to writing songs with mass appeal, writing a champion chorus is by far the greatest feat, and it definitely takes time to master. Eventually, songwriters are able to develop their own style, but not without years of practice and experimentation. Despite this, understanding the following general principle makes it easier to get a grip on chorus writing.

Using as few words as needed to get the main message across, and repetition of words and phrases will definitely assist in making your chorus a powerful tool. For that matter, some of the best choruses written in history revolve entirely around the repetition of a single phrase such as Alanis Morissette’s, “You Oughta Know.” It’s bold, in-your-face, and straight to the point.

Even if a listener only hears the chorus of this song, the main message Morissette is trying to make is still apparent. Nothing beyond those three simple words really needs to be said. With a single phrase, Morissette managed to write one of the most impactful songs of the 90s, especially for feminists, and one of the best “fuck-you” songs of all time.

The last rule of thumb that I will be discussing in regards to writing strong material doesn’t really come into play, until your group is ready to approach radio stations for airplay and/or record labels for roster consideration.

Few are aware of the fact that the first 30 seconds of a song is the determining factor in terms of whether or not a band gets radio play and/or a record deal. May I repeat, only the first 30 seconds of a given song! You’ll note that this is a very short period of time to grasp a listener’s attention. So, suffice it to say, you better make it good.

If you do manage to present something of interest within that time frame, both station managers and A&R reps will quickly flip through your other tracks to see if it was just a fluke, or if your band has genuine marketability. Therefore, your material must be consistently captivating.

When it comes to creating compositions that have the potential for mass appeal, keeping it simple in all respects predominantly seems to be the key to success. However, I will note that there are always exceptions to these general guidelines, and one can never be certain whether they’ve stumbled upon greatness or failure without testing their material amongst different audiences to gage opinion. By providing these songwriting principles I’m not trying to stifle your creativity, nor am I suggesting that the only songs that are any good are simple. Hell, I like my Deep Purple and The Doors every now and again. All I’m saying is that if you want your band to have commercial success, you'll need to buy into this formula to a certain extent.

Irrespective of this, the tendency these days is to release albums with only two to three strong singles. Therefore, if you’re a prog-rocker at heart, you may just be in luck. There’s definitely a market for what I like to refer to as “stoner rock,” but keep in mind, in order for songs of that nature to attain success, they usually need to break in through an underground movement first, which will obviously pose a greater challenge to your band. In addition, they will more than likely require a radio edit that will substantially cut down your 10-minute guitar solos. Though, I do wish you all the power in the world, if this is the route you choose to undertake.

Rather, if you are simply a musician who creates art for art sake, never let these guidelines constrict your passion. They are merely meant to be used as a tool for bands wishing to obtain commercial success, and with that comes financial remuneration. And…let me tell you, there’s nothing better than getting paid for something you really enjoy doing.

Between Saturday 5th July and Saturday 11th July both Greg and I had a week off from work and decided to make the most of it. We had a lovely week, Greg came over and stayed at mine for the duration and we planned lots of fun things.

Saturday 5th

Greg's 29th Birthday - whoop! It was also London Pride on this day too. Didn't much fancy London Pride as it actually seems rather disunited and doesn't have the community atmosphere that Manchester Pride has... well in my opinion anyway, I am slightly biased hehe!.

Greg had planned to have a birthday picnic in Regent's Park, however due to the uncertainty over the weather, he postponed it until the Saturday after. Unfortunately/typically, the day turned out right nice (as we'd say up north) and so we should have stuck to the original plans really. Instead, Greg came over to mine a little earlier, we had lunch in 'birthday park' near me, and then Greg and I went to Ikea to pick me up some new pillows. I know it was hardly the best way to spend a birthday in the world, however with such short notice I couldn't really arrange anything else :o(

I got Greg a few presents, including naming two stars after us (romantic really, see!), I had a Lichtenstein-style portrait made for Greg (with the tag "Will they still need me, will they still feed me, when I'm thirty-four?!"), I spent hours and hours making a set of 10 mix-CD's for him (the personal present) and I also bought him tickets to go and see Wicked.

Going around Ikea was a lot of fun as always, and we even purchased a big bag of Swedish Meatballs, which we scoffed with chippy chips when we got back home.

Sunday 6th

Really lazy day - we basically planned what we were going to do in the week (on a geeky planner that I designed on Excel... well, I do work in accounting!). We also ordered some shopping to last the week from Tesco, to be delivered the next day.

Monday 7th

Shopping arrived - we'd ordered a little bit more for packed lunches than we'd planned to...

Oops! HEH!

Again, a bit of a lazy afternoon, in the main due to the rain that we had that afternoon. We figured that we'd be best indoors than outdoors splashing about.

In the evening we went off to The Dominion Theatre and went to see We Will Rock You (see earlier post).

Tuesday 7th

We had planned to spend the day in Southampton, and were fortunate that the weather held out for us. One of the reasons for us choosing Southampton had been due to their weather forecast! Alas, I really wish that we had not bothered. Greg and I found that we really really disliked the place! We arrived there at 14:10, and promptly left on the 16:10 train home. I was thinking "Titanic"; "Seafront"; "Harbour" and "Fish and Chips" - what we got was a deserted harbour area, a very thin strip of water, a tiny local museum which had a tiny Titanic area (we didn't even bother going inside in the end - it looked better on the website!) and a city centre that frankly looked like a council estate. It was really weird, as the local estate agents had some gorgeous new build properties for ridiculously low prices... but yet the city centre was like Beirut! Apologies to anyone reading this who maybe lives there or likes the place, it just really wasn't for me. Perhaps it's one of these cities that is just a city and not really for visitors...

We did come across Martin's Rubber though... apparently it humps for 320 yards...

... and the 'Yummy Yummy' Takeaway...

Wednesday 9th

We decided to go to the Vue cinema at the O2 Arena on Wednesday to watch the latest Indiana Jones movie; Indiana Jones and The Crystal Skull. I have a two-for-one card and this was one of the films that I could watch at a time that fit in with our schedule. The screen was pretty much empty, there was just Greg and I in there, and later on we were joined by one other person - delightfully quiet! The film was really good (up to a point) I thought... the ending was a bit rubbish though... it just seemed to build up to a hype and then deflate all at once. Certainly watchable though.

After that we headed across to the Tate Modern on the South Bank in Southwark. By this point it was hammering it down with rain, which really wasn't bestest. We managed to spend a few hours looking around the galleries and whatnot, though were frequently impeded by children and adults standing in the way of the picture/the tag and saying really loudly "I don't even like this picture". If you don't even like it, then move the fuck outta the way so that people who do like it can appreciate it properly! The people viewing the art in the Tate seemed to have no manners or sense of purpose whatsoever. Not a place I'm going to be rushing back to unfortunately :o(

We also went to see Wicked at the Apollo Victoria – one of Greg’s birthday presents. As always, the show was amazing, and I must say, I think that the current cast is the best cast that I’ve seen thus far! Alexia Khadime makes an excellent Elphaba and really managed to deliver her songs incredibly well. Mr Greg loved the show as I knew he would do and so a successful night all round!

Thursday 10th

Our Thursday morning was spent outside the Shaftesbury Theatre in the queue to pick up day tickets for that evenings performance of Hairspray. Having seen it numerous times previously, I knew that Greg just had to see this show! Day ticketing at the Shaftesbury costs £25 per ticket for that afternoon/evening’s performance, and you’re normally able to pick up tickets for the front row. Despite being right at the front, you still get a really good view of the stage, and the leg-room isn’t too limited (especially if you’re only between 5’8 and 5’10). We got there around 9am and there were already a few people in front of us, although they were largely queuing for matinee tickets.

After purchasing our tickets, Greg and I embarked upon our planned day at a few of London’s museums. The bulk of our time was spent at the Natural History Museum in South Kensington. I really enjoyed visiting the museum (and took an abundance of photo’s – honestly, I don’t think anyone will ever need to visit there in person again hehe) although I hear that a lot of the ‘better’ and more eye-catching exhibits were no longer there. We also briefly popped into the Science Museum and had a play around on some of the interactive bits and pieces for an hour or so (I also purchased some cool flying plane things), before heading back to Covent Garden for a spot of tea and then onwards to the theatre.

Whilst waiting outside the theatre, a gentleman was walking past me when his whole foot just fell off right in the middle of the pavement! Quite surreal – it was a prosthetic foot (obviously) though it was a bit weird handing it back to its owner!

I was also rather dismayed to find that Ben James-Ellis was not in my performance of Hairspray once we’d gotten into the theatre however, apart from that minor set-back, I enjoyed myself so much at Hairspray that I am already planning to go again (my fifth time) for my birthday in a few weeks. Greg absolutely loved it (surprisingly more than Wicked which I didn’t think he’d say as he loves Wicked) and has rated it his second favourite musical (after The Lion King). A whole heap of fun (I stand by my previous reviews completely!) and I sincerely can’t wait to go back!

Friday 11th

Friday was a bit of a wind-down day as we were coming to the end of our week. We went down to the London Aquarium (soon to be re-branded as a Sea Life Centre) on the South Bank, Waterloo and spent a good few hours in there, wandering around and whatnot. I was a good chap and only sang “Under The Sea” once… there may or may not have been some camp “Under The Sea dancing” which accompanied this…. Hehe! :oP Again, a huge number of photos were taken from the Aquarium – managed to get quite a few nice ones I think – hurrah! The Starfish which thinks it is Marilyn Monroe is my favourite (although it is digesting a crab - ugh!) along with the awesome picture of the Jelly Fish that I managed to take.

Saturday 12th

Due to the risk of rain, Greg unfortunately had to cancel the birthday picnic that he’d rescheduled from the previous week. Typically, and once again, the weather turned out nice. Grrr @ the weather man. Felt really bad that Greg hadn’t been able to celebrate his birthday properly – gah! I bought him a proper birthday cake on the way to make him feel a bit better though!

We decided to poke around the historic “City of London” and so passed the Stock Exchange, The Royal Courts of Justice and the Old Bailey on the way to St Paul’s Cathedral. St Paul’s itself wasn’t too busy given that we had gone on a Saturday afternoon in the middle of the summer and I for one really enjoyed looking around the place – the main dome is absolutely stunning! We were even brave and ascended the stairs up to the interior gallery, though once we got up there and saw how high up we were we quickly ran back down again after having spent about 60 seconds on the balcony hehe!

I finally managed to get to the Knight’s Templar pub on Chancery Lane at a time when it was actually open on the Saturday too. I’ve been trying for months to manage to get there for a meal, though usually without success. Unfortunately, the food wasn’t stunning and the atmosphere was non-existent and so it was a little bit of a let-down I thought, as I had built it up to Greg when describing how fab it is (you have GOT to see the ladies toilets at this venue [a few of my friends have pictures of them on Flickr]– they are the best that I’ve ever seen!). Still, we had a free meal out of it (I had some vouchers that their Head Office had sent me) and the peace and quiet was rather nice!

So there you have it, a rather action packed week spread into one blog post. I really enjoyed myself and it was really awesome to have Greg to myself for a whole week!

There are plenty of pictures of my week that I have posted to Facebook (far too many to post here – we’re talking around 600 pictures!) and so feel free to visit my profile and have a nosy through the galleries if you fancy it.

Thanks for reading xx

The final six girls were all rumoured to have been performing at Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sydmonton Festival, where he previewed some of the songs from his sequel to Phantom of the Opera. Apparently Rachel Tucker took the leading role - with more than a year until the show hits the West End, I wouldn't read too much into this choice, although I'm sure Rachel would be pretty keen to reprise the role.

But how have the girls done apart from a little help from ALW himself?

1. Jodie Prenger: Obviously no casting news, as Jodie will be playing Nancy in Oliver when it opens in December. She has been in the tabloid newspapers a fair bit though, after dumping her fiancee.

2. Jessie Buckley - no announcements yet, although there have been various rumours circulating. Some people seem to think she'll end up sharing the part of Nancy with Jodie, with others suggesting that she's being lined up to take the part of Sally Bowles in the upcoming Cabaret tour.

3. Samantha Barks - no casting news in the last month, although still rumoured to be in talks with ALW and Cameron Mackintosh about future shows.

4. Rachel Tucker - The talkboards suggested that Rachel was auditioning last month for the part of Sally Bowles in Cabaret tour, but she definitely won't be playing that role. In the last fortinight it was confirmed that Rachel will join the cast of We Will Rock You, playing the part of Meat. Full details can be found on Rachel's fan blog, written by close friends. What's On Stage are also now running the story on their site here

5. Niamh Perry - Despite being heavily rumoured to be joining the cast of (Andrew Lloyd Webber-produced) The Sound of Music as Liesl, Niamh has just been signed up to play a leading role in a new musical, Only The Brave. It will be on at the Edinburgh Festival this summer, and she's playing opposite 'Any Dream Will Do' runner-up, Keith Jack. Don't be surprised to see Niamh in The Sound of Music later in the year though.

6. Ashley Russell - no news that I've seen.

7. Sarah Lark - no announcement yet, although I have heard a rumour that she has just been cast in a show, so an announcement should be forthcoming in the next month. No idea what it is unfortunately, so stay tuned.

8. Keisha Amponsa-Banson - no news that I've seen so far.

9. Francesca Jackson - according to her spotlight profile, she recently workshopped All the Fun of the Fair, the new musical written by, based on the life of, using the music of, and starring, David Essex. However, it doesn't appear like she's in the cast of the show itself, now that it has announced its touring dates as she doesn't appear on the cast list. It will be interesting to see if she already had something else lined up...

10. Tara Bethan - remarkably, she has already cast by Bill Kenwright as the Narrator in his touring production of Joseph. Apparently being a reality TV star is sufficient to get work...

11. Cleopatra Royer - no news that I've seen.

12. Amy Booth-Steel - has already started, and finished, her first London run since the show closed, in the much-maligned All Bob's Women, closing after just 9 performances. Apparently she was already lined up to play the Governess in The Sound of Music, but there hasn't yet been an official announcement.

So, as you can see from this, there has definitely some activity over the last months, with Rachel's casting in We Will Rock You the most notable. However, there are still a number of girls yet to find work, including some of the favourites, so you can expect to see more announcements in the coming weeks and months,

WOW!

That was my third time of going to see the show, and each time it just continues to get better and better! The soundtrack is constantly on my PC, and seeing the show again last night reminded me why that is!

I'm so glad that they didn't end up closing the show a few years ago so that the ill-fated Lord Of The Rings, The Musical could go there, as the longevity of that show was nowhere near as long as they'd anticipated. Now in the middle of it's seventh year, and surely easily to make it's eigth, the show remains as stunning and breathtaking as always. The frequent update of jokes within the performance to reflect the current audience is an innivotive way of helping to keep things fresh. Conversely, I was VERY pleased to see that Mazz Murray and Alex Bourne remain cast in my favourite roles of Killer Queen and Khashoggi respectively - they've been doing it for years now!

If you're crazy enough not to have been to see this yet - GO!

Currently Oyster Card holders can get two top price tickets for the price of one (two people for £55) via the Oyster Card offers website.

Greg and I are also heading to Wicked tomorrow evening (my third time) and Hairspray on Thursday (my fourth time). Hurrah!!

Mister Greg's not seen any of these three astounding musicals and so if last night knocked the socks off him, then heaven knows what Wicked and Hairspray will do! :oD

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Anywho, the thought was this: why hasn't anyone tried to jump on the "let's write a poorly scripted musical based on popular music by a band that everyone loves" bandwagon using the music of multi-platinum Canadian prog-rock band Rush?

Well, I saw "We will Rock You," the poorly scripted musical based on popular music by Queen about a year ago. Seeing how easily a musical can become a hit by coming up with a pointless plot as a means of stringing together popular songs (instead of appropriate songs), I am now inspired by the fact that Rush's epic songs actually have a plot of their own, courtesy of Neil Pert's lyrics.

I thought it wouldn't be too hard to connect the 20 minute "2112" with the approximately 30 minute "Cyngus X-1" duology. that's almost an hour of music right there. Throw in some dialogue, and a couple of other songs and you've got yourself a decent musical. So, here, for your pretend-enjoyment, is a mock-up plot synopsis of a hypothetical "2112: the Musical."

Act I:

The not-so-distant future: Man is on the technological verge of intergalactic space-travel, but no life outside of earth has been discovered as yet. The black hole of Cygnus X-1 in the constellation of Cygnus is found to be sending X-rays through the galaxy. One of the scientists who discovers the rays becomes obsessed with the possibilities of a black hole emitting anything at all, and endeavours to travel to the blackhole, to investigate. When he gets within distance of the black hole, he is sucked inside, and compressed by the gravity of the vaccuum.

Back on earth, the technological advancement of certain countries leads to another space-race, spurring international warfare. As the death-toll rises, the world's artists and visionaries attempt to destroy all advanced technology, fleeing into outerspace in hopes of finding their own Xanadu (eh?! eh?! *nudge*).

Thus ends act one, as the survivors on the planet earth are left without technology, barbarous and chaotic.

Act II:

The year is 2112, and the people of earth have taken what little technology they could salvage and recreated a civilization under the totalitarian rule of the priests of Syrinx, who have built temples everywhere, and eliminated all forms of expression but those they deem acceptable to their plan. One man working in an assembly line escapes his factory and takes refuge in a cave, where he discovers a guitar. Unaware of what it is, he teaches himself to play it, and discovering the power of emotion through music, he realizes that the people of earth (and the solar federation) are missing emotion from their lives. So, he presents his guitar to the Priests, who destroy it and send him on his way. He returns to the cave, and in a dream meets an oracle, who shows him a vision of the past, in which an elder race lived happily, and traveled to Xanadu, where they've continued to explore open-minded behaviours. The oracle says that one day, they will return to destroy the temples of Syrinx. On awaking, the man is so depressed by the state of affairs, believing his dream to be an illusion, he kills himself. However, as civil wars break out in the solar federation, the elder race returns from Xanadu, alerted by the sound of the guitar, and assumes control of the Solar federation.

The act ends with the outbreak of a war between the passionate elder race, or the Dionysians, and the logical, emotionless people of the Solar Federation, or the Apollineans.

Act III:

As the Apollineans and Dionysians fight, the spirit of the scientist is sent through the blackhole and through time, back to earth where the people are warring. Seeing the chaos, he crise out for them to stop, and they suddenly realize that they require balance to co-exist. They declare the spirit Cygnus, god of balance, and he teaches them that a balance of passion and logic will mold a new society that is closer to the heart...

The end.

Yep. It'd kick ass.

You get a full cast recording of "closer to the heart" as a finale. Tell me that wouldn't kick ass. Yeah, it'd kick ass. Now, who wants to help me ask the members of Rush to produce?

Thrilling stuff yesterday: Judaism exam!!! As this was an actual GCSE paper, I managed to get myself very worked up before hand, and so tried lots of things to calm myself down, including singing 'You Spin Me Right Round', which seemed to work before Space Mountain, that shit scary ride at Disneyland Paris. But thank "God", as with SATs, it was way easier than I'd hyped it up to be. The first question I had to answer was on synagogues, followed by one that I chose to do on Sukkot, a festival that Jews have to celebrate the fact that God looked out for them in the desert when they were fleeing Egypt. To celebrate this they build shelters in their gardens and (the bit I forgot in the exam) wave the Lulav around, which consists of a load of branches and a lemon that isn't a lemon. Isn't Judaism great? Anyway, provided I haven't make a total cock-up of this one, I won't have to repeat the paper and so I will never have to know about anything Jewish ever again. Honestly, learning about Brit Milah (ie. compulsory cirumcision) was ugh. In fact, I think I can take something away from this exam; I've learned that God is selfish. Yup. I mean, come on, the whole religion is centred around him anyway, and then he goes and commands loads of wierd festivals to celebrate his greatness (or words to that effect). On top of that, he commands that all Jewish males must be circumcised at 8 days old. I mean, was he bored or something when he wrote his commandments?
"Hmm... praise me, build shelters, bugger off to synangogue, celebrate me again, and... hmm... I know! Circumcise all baby boys at 8 days old."
Sorry God, but that is ODD. Although saying that, Jews tend to celebrate nearly everything with wine, so at least they'll go to heaven with normal livers. It still doesn't make up for a life without bacon though.

In other news, school are organising another crappy production (I take that back, We Will Rock You was AMAZING. I miss being Madonna). So t'other day, Mr. Evans stopped me and informed me of a meeting about a school panto that is to be held in November. "Woah! Panto?", I thought to myself. So I decided to go to the meeting, to see what it was about, having already decided I had no intention of being in it (but what the hell). It is going to be 'Calamity Dame', a (very cheesy sounding) comedy take on Calamity Jane. Of course, I tried to slip out of the room unnoticed, but that wasn't going to happen, was it? Mrs. Lake managed to thrust a few audition scipts upon me before I left, but I didn't sign up. This is all because I've promised to do the panto in Ruyton, and I don't want to be a panto whore.

Oh dear. It appears my blog has once again become a big load of waffle about nothing. I evidently haven't mastered the art of writing interesting blogs, unlike Andrew, who actually has interesting stuff to write about (please leave comment if you're reading this Andrew, your blogs are ace =D ). Oh well. If I find time, I'll write a blog tomorrow about my new MP3 player, my upcoming audition and my upcoming work experience, which'll probably be quite dull. Oh, and our headmaster has "resolved" the planned timetable changes- more tomorrow. Yay.

Read on to find out what I think - I'd also love to know if you have any other ideas, or have heard gossip or rumours!

1. Jodie Prenger
There's not much to say about Jodie, as we know exactly what she's going to be doing for the foreseeable future. Whilst she's officially only contracted for an initial 6-month period, I'd be pretty amazed if she didn't end up staying for at least a year. If ticket sales are anything like as successful as Joseph, she's in for the long-haul, whatever Bill Kenwright's reservations might have been...

My prediction: She won't just be a one-hit wonder! I think that Jodie will remain a West End star, even after her time in Oliver finishes...

2. Jessie Buckley
Jessie was hugely popular over this series, and despite the doubts expressed by judges John Barrowman and Denise Van Outen about her readiness for the role, she made it all the way to the final, narrowly missing out to Jodie Prenger. I have absolutely no doubt that Jessie will be a big star - she has a fantastic voice, and real charisma. As with some of the other, less-experienced finalists, she could still do with some training - in particular, her acting and movement leave something to be desired. Once she's done that though, she'll unquestionably be on the West End stage.

My prediction: As the preferred choice of both ALW and Cameron Mackintosh, she is almost certainly guaranteed to make it. At her best with songs that require a big voice, but barely any movement, it's difficult to know where Jessie is going to get her break. Presumably a part that has more singing than acting? Of the shows currently on in the West End, how about Andrew Lloyd Webber's own show, Joseph?

3. Samantha Barks
Samantha had the biggest 'journey' during the competition, and has a big career ahead of her. Her voice is very powerful, although occasional tuning issues in more demanding numbers point to a need for some further training. She is also appears to have been one of the stronger dancers in the competition.

My prediction: she's too young for Cabaret or Chicago, but perfect for something slightly rockier. From what I know of the show, she'd be suited to something like Spring Awakening, which is coming to the Lyric Hammersmith later this year. Alternatively, a role in Mamma Mia, Grease or We will Rock You might be a good bet.

4. Rachel Tucker
Rachel was probably my overall favourite in the competition. With formal training behind her, she is a very assured performer with fantastic acting ability. She could definitely hold her own on the West End stage today, so I doubt it will be long until we hear a casting announcement.

My prediction: Rachel's acting is a major strength, so I wouldn't be surprised to see her in a show that demands those acting skills - an upcoming Sondheim at the Menier perhaps? Alternatively, her semi-final performance of 'Cabaret' was tremendous so maybe we'll see in a Kander & Ebb show - perhaps joining the casts of Chicago, now that Cabaret has posted closing notices? Alternatively, how about her joining the cast of Hairspray?

5. Niamh Perry
As you'll know if you have been reading my blog, I have never been Niamh's biggest fan. I think she was massively over-rated by the judges, and frankly, I find her voice quite unpleasant. She is too inexperienced and raw to deserve a West End role in my eyes, but then, I'm not a producer!

My prediction: the rumours have already started and apparently Niamh is going to join the cast of Sound of Music as Lisel - makes sense I suppose, given that ALW is the co-producer and seems to love her. If not that, who knows? Perhaps something in Grease?

6. Ashley Russell
One of my early favourites in this competition, I thought Ashley will treated quite unfairly by ALW. He didn't rate her voice and his criticism was over-the-top some weeks. I took a different view - her performance 'The Winner Takes It All' was brilliant, and she demonstrated a fantastic ability to vary the style of her voice. She's already got excellent professional training, and seems like a strong actor.

My prediction: Its difficult to know where Ashley will end up going next. She didn't look to be the best dancer, which might limit her slightly. Something like Blood Brothers perhaps? Alternatively, she always seemed to have a good sense of humour - how about Spamalot?

7. Sarah Lark
Sarah was one my favourites (if not my favourite) and I couldn't believe that she went so early. She might still look young, but her acting got better and better over the weeks. She also has one huge strength - a truly phenomenal voice is which is both beautiful and 100% secure at all times.

My prediction: I would love to see her on stage, and can't believe I will have to wait long. Glinda in Wicked would probably suit her? Or how about the next Maria in the Sound of Music?  Either way, it should be straight to the West End.

8. Keisha Amponsa-Banson
ALW was a big fan of Keisha, and was particularly grumpy in the week that he had to let her go in order to save Niamh. As John Barrowman noted when he was on the Jonathan Ross show last week, the upper end of her voice is not strong at all, which will limit the number of parts that she is right for.

My prediction: ALW offered to do everything he can to help Keisha so I think we can be confident that she'll be cast in something soon. Like some of the girls though, I think she would benefit from some training first, particularly vocally. After that, perhaps a role in one of Bill Kenright's touring productions rather than jumping straight to the West End?

9. Francesca Jackson
Of all the candidates, Francesca probably had most to lose coming into this competition, as she was already performing in the West End, most recently in Rent: Remixed with Denise Van Outen. I didn't think she exactly covered herself with glory over the competition, and she seemed to have tuning issues more often that one would expect of a professional.

My prediction: This won't have ruined her career, but I doubt whether it has done her any favours as directors might be more attuned to potential voice issues. Having said that, I expect that she will resume her West End career, without making it to leading lady status... Her voice seems to suit the rockier numbers better, so perhaps a role in We Will Rock You, Dirty Dancing or Mamma Mia will follow?

10. Tara Bethan
Tara seemed pretty good in week one when she sung 'Suddenly I See', but it was very quickly downhill from there for me. She had major voice issuesa and I just don't know if she is good enough to make it to the West End. For some reason, Zoe Tyler (former 'Any Dream will do' judge, thinks she'd be good in Grease.

My prediction: Remarkably, Tara has already been cast in a decision that smacks of crude commercial focus by Bill Kenright. She is playing the narrator in his touring production of Joseph, a role which I don't believe she is up to vocally. But I guess she will help sell tickets. I can't help feeling that there are plenty of more talented girls who aren't getting the chance - but then, they haven't been on TV.

11. Cleopatra Royer
As the 2nd contestant to leave the show, we didn't have much chance to get to know Cleo, and from what I saw, I would have liked to see her stay slightly longer. Untrained, and still slightly rough around the edges, she seemed to have something worth developing.

My prediction: Of all the girls, Cleo seemed slightly less sure about wanting a West End career than the others (even if she did want the role of Nancy). I wouldn't necessarily expect to see her on stage anytime soon, but could easily believe that she will go and get some formal training before trying again.

12. Amy Booth-Steel 
Amy left the competition, despite what seemed a decent performance, so its almost impossible to pass judgement on her overall ability.

My prediction: As with Tara, Amy has already been cast. She's already scheduled to be in the cast of a new musical, All Bob's Women. She is also rumoured to be in the running for a part in The Sound of Music as the governess. Presumably she must be quite good as I can't imagine she's much of a draw commercially after only 1 week in the show!

Subject: 1977 'News Of The World' promo Robots - Where are they now???

On BBC Radio 2 in the UK, there is a Sunday afternoon item called 'Where Are They Now?'
This is for people trying to trace a long lost friend or ex-girlfriend/boyfriend, or a family member they've lost contact with. Details of where they once lived or worked are read out and then sometimes people are reunited. It's a rather nice concept.

Anyway... I was thinking that perhaps in the I WANT IT ALL! memorabilia book we could do a NOTW Robots Where Are They Now. I mean of course those wonderful old grey (person size) promotional robots of 1977.

I would love to hear from anyone who has a robot, no matter what condition. Great, bad, terrible, battered to Hell!!!

Where did they all end up?? What are they doing now?? How many ended up in dustbins, attics, garages, sheds, married, divorced, in prison, on bonfires, or in the old promotional shop in the sky??

Even if you know where one ended up but you don't have it now, it would be good to know.  But most of all I'd like a photo or two of the surviving robots, and details of their location. I'd also like to know how and where you obtained them.

Brian May has one, my friend in Holland has one, and a guy in Belgium was selling a FAB condition one a few years ago.

Please write to me with your Robot updates, photos, to gb.queen_archive@btinternet.com    Please title your email NOTW ROBOT, otherwise it will be filtered away by my spam filter.

HERE IS A LINK TO SEE ONE OF THE ROBOTS... courtesy of the German Fan Club.   http://www.queenfcg.de/forumneu/viewtopic.php?t=3087

Thanks

Greg Brooks (Queen Archivist)

Dus heb je deze robot neem even contact op met Greg Brooks hij en Queen zal er heel blij mee zijn.

Maar hoe zal de album hoes er uit zien, niemand weet het maar er zijn genoeg speculaties in omloop, en da meest voorkomende is de versie die ook als tourposter gebruikt wordt.

Via Amazon kan je al inschrijven voor de nieuwe album, en hier wordt een album cover weergegeven die het waarschijnlijk gaat worden.

Dus wie weet is de afbeelding de juiste afbeelding dei gebruikt zal worden voor de nieuwe album.

We Will Rock You, the musical by Queen and Ben Elton is an electrifying show that's guaranteed to blow your mind. Now is its 6th year on London's West End, where it continues to play to packed houses. Thas captivated 6 million theatre goers around the world form London to Las Vegas, Toronto to Tokyo and beyond.

We Will Rock You is a futurist adventure set in the year of 2350, a time when live music is banned on earth, but the kids are rebellion, fighting against the all powerful Globalsoft Corporation which controls their lives and feeds them a diet of synthesized pop. The show features 26 of Queen's legendary hits ncluding Bohemian Rhapsody, We Are The Champions, Radio GaGa, Another One Bites The Dust and Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Tour details for Hong Kong:

Venue	Lyric Theatre
Address	Hong Kong Academy of Performance Arts in Wan Chai
Tel	+852 8203 0299
Price	HK$350 - 895

Quando eu falo que japonês é um povo deveras retardado, ninguém acredita! Ou senão me dizem: "Como você pode falar assim de seus conterrâneos?". Porra, é por isso mesmo que eu posso afirmar isso com tanta certeza! Vocês não estão botando uma fé, né? Outro dia, navegando pela internet, me deparei com um vídeo retirado de um programa (de televisão) japonês. Aliás, diga-se de passagem, a televisão japonesa (segundo me contam) é tão inútil quanto a brasileira.

Peço que vocês assistam o vídeo e depois me respondam: "Japonês é um povo doente ou não?".

E então? Qual a resposta de vocês? Eu tenho razão ou não? E o pior é que este vídeo é apenas um, dos diversos exemplos que posso dar a vocês. Pois sim! Existem milhares de vídeos na Internet que podem exemplificar meu ponto de vista.

Mas existem coisas boas vindas do Japão! Dois bons exemplos são o Wii e o PlayStation (rs). Brincadeira, não é só com tecnologia que os japoneses nos abençoam. Além do mais, existem as pérolas que povoaram a minha (e de muitos outros) infância: Jaspion e Changeman. Há também as novelas de época que, diferentes das brasileiras, são verdadeiras aulas da cultura e da história japonesa. Na música temos: o JPop e o JRock; além do Yoshida Brothers (do qual eu já falei).

E agora, também na música, temos a orquestra Ooedo No Hikeshi. A qual eu só fui conhecer através do Post "Rock com Orquestra Tradicional Japonesa" do Sedentário & Hiperativo. Esta orquestra japonesa chamou a atenção dos internautas por causa de duas versões (que caíram no YouTube): Smoke on the Water (Deep Purple) e We Will Rock You (Queen). Sendo que, estes vídeos foram retirados de um especial gravado para a TV Asahi. Segue a versão da música We Will Rock You:

Fonte: Sedentário & Hiperativo

Importante: Infelizmente o vídeo da Smoke on the Water foi retirado do YouTube! Mas eu consegui encontrá-lo no MySpaceTV. Clique aqui, para assistir.

Observação: Para aqueles que, assim como eu, ficaram com saudades das pérolas da nossa infância. Segue os Links para as aberturas: do Jaspion e do Changeman.

listen.php?v=62ae33aQueen era un grupo britanico de rock de los años 70's y 80's. al principio tuvieron poco exito pero despues de publicar algunas de sus famosas canciones como "bohemian rhapsody" , We Will Rock You" , y "We Are The Champions" se volvieron increíblemente famosos.

Ahora seguramente todos nosotros hemos escuchado algunas de sus canciones , y desde mi punto de vista todas son muy buenas.Aunque el oersonaje principal de la banda , el vocalista , (Freddie Mercury) era homosexual , y se decia que gastaba su fotuna comprando peces exoticos,esta fue una banda de rock que recordaremos por todos los tiempos.Para que esto no se hiciera tedioso , pense hablar solo un poco de este grupo , pero para los que lo deseen, pueen leer algo de su biografia que se encuentra mas abajo

Queen, el principal grupo británico de rock, estaba formado por cuatro miembros: Freddie Mercury, Brian Harold May, Roger Taylor y John Deacon.

Todo comenzó en 1968, cuando Brian May y Tim Staffel, dos estudiantes del Imperial Collage, crearon una banda llamada 'Smile'. A ellos se les unió Roger Taylor como batería. Un compañero de Tim Staffel, Freddi Bulsara, quien se convirtió en un gran admirador del grupo.

Cuando en 1970 Tim dejó Smile, Freddie se unió al grupo, junto a Brian y a Roger. Freddie cambió su apellido por el de Mercury y cambiaron el nombre del grupo por el de 'Queen'. A ellos se unió un año después, John Deacon como bajista. Con estos cuatro nombres se completaba el grupo británico de rock más importante de la historia.

Tras varios ensayos y algunos trabajos de poca monta, en 1973 grabaron su primer álbum, 'Queen'. Las canciones mezclaban la religiosidad de Freddie con el típico rock en su estado puro.

Tras una gira como teloneros del grupo 'Moot The Hoople', grabaron su segundo LP, 'Queen II'. Nuevamente emprendieron gira por Gran Bretaña y también iniciaron su primera gira por Estados Unidos, nuevamente como teloneros de 'Moot The Hoople'. Tras esta gira grabaron un nuevo disco, 'Sheer Heart Attack', en 1974, que supuso un gran éxito mundial y el reconocimiento de la calidad del grupo.

En 1975 comienza su primera gira por Estados Unidos en solitario, teniendo que hacer dos shows diarios ante el éxito recibido. En abril iniciaron una gira por Japón, donde fueron recibidos en el aeropuerto por miles de fans.

En 1975 lanzaron el single 'Bohemian Rhapsody', que se convirtió en un gran éxito. Estuvo en el número uno durante nueve semanas. Cuando el LP, 'A Night At The Opera', salió al mercado, se convirtió rápidamente en un éxito, dándoles su primer disco de platino.

En 1976 sacaron a la luz un nuevo disco, 'A Day At The Races', y en octubre de 1977 los miembros del club de fans fueron llamados para tomar parte en uno de los videos, 'We Are The Champions', grabado en el New London Theatre. Después de la grabación, el grupo ofreció un concierto gratuito de agradecimiento para sus fans.

En octubre de 1977 lanzan al mercado 'News Of The World' y un año más tarde 'Jazz'.

En 1979 lanzan su primer álbum en vivo, 'Live Killers'. Al poco, la banda recibió el encargo de hacer la banda sonora de la película 'Flask Gordon', que fue publicada en 1980.

Entretanto también habían editado el álbum 'The Game', el primero en que usaron sintetizadores. Fue lanzado en junio de 1980 y fue un superventas, así como el sencillo 'Another One Bites The Dust', que se convirtió en su sencillo más vendido en el mundo.

En 1981 iniciaron una gira por diversos países de Sudamérica batiendo récords de asistencia en países como Brasil y Argentina. En octubre de 1981 lanzaron 'Greatest Hits', 'Greatest Flix' (colección de videos) y 'Greatest Pix (un libro biográfico con fotos del grupo).

En 1982 lanzaron 'Hot Space' y en 1984 'The Works', cuya canción 'Radio Ga Ga' se convirtió en un nuevo gran éxito, asíí como 'I Want To Break Free', en cuyo video aparecían los miembros de Queen disfrazados de mujer, queriendo ridiculizar una serie de la televisión británica.

En 1985 se realizó el festival Rock in Río, el más importante hasta la fecha, en el que participó Queen, siendo los grandes triunfadores. El 13 de julio, participaron en otro festival, el Live Aid, el primero que re realizaba contra el SIDA. Antes del concierto, los miembros de Queen habían decidido distanciarse algo, pero debido al enorme éxito que tuvieron en el concierto, cambiaron de opinión y decidieron continuar con más energías.

En 1986 lanzaron 'A Kind Of Magic', que era la banda sonora para la película 'Highlander'. En diciembre del mismo año editan 'Live Magic', su segundo disco en vivo.

La cantante de ópera Montserrat Caballé, una de las fans incondicionales de Freddie, se reunió con él en su casa de Barcelona en 1986. Allí hicieron una gran amistad y acordaron grabar un disco en conjunto. Freddie escribió una canción de Barcelona a la medida de Caballé. El sencillo apareció en España en septiembre de 1987 y rápidamente el Comité Olímpico Español lo adoptó como himno oficial de las olimpiadas que se iban a celebrar en Barcelona en 1992. El LP salió a la luz en octubre de 1988.

En 1989 salió un nuevo álbum de Queen: 'The Miracle' pronto se convirtió en otro gran éxito. Por aquella época, Freddie ya sabía que se estaba muriendo. Con el fin de la década, Queen fue elegido como el mejor grupo de los 80.

En 1991 sacaron un nuevo sencillo, 'Innuendo', de casi siete minutos. Ni qué decir tiene que se encaramó en las listas de todo el mundo. El álbum 'Innuendo' salió poco después y siguió los pasos del sencillo.

La enfermedad de Freddie Mercury influyó en los discos que la banda editaba y sus letras hablaban de la llegada de un final que el propio Freddie presentía pero que nadie conocía.

A finales de 1991 publicaron el 'Greatest Hits II'.

El 23 de noviembre de 1991, Freddie anunció al mundo que padecía el SIDA. Al día siguiente fallecía en su casa, rodeado de familiares y amigos. Este hecho conmocionó a sus millones de fans, que no habían conocido la enfermedad de Freddie hasta el mismo final.

Como homenaje a Mercury se lanzó un doble sencillo con dos temas: 'Bohemian Rhapsody' y 'These Are the Day Of Our Lives'. El dinero recaudado fue a parar a una organización para la lucha contra el SIDA.

El 20 de abril de 1992, se ofreció un gran concierto como tributo a Freddie. El escenario fue el estadio de Wembley, en Londres, y las 72.000 entradas se vendieron el apenas seis horas, sin saber siquiera quienes iban a actuar. El concierto fue televisado en directo para más de mil millones
de habitantes de todo el mundo.

En 1995, tras cuatro años de trabajo, salió al mercado el último trabajo de la banda junto a Freddie Mercury. Su título fue 'Made In Heaven', y Freddie colaboró con su voz en los últimos meses de su vida.

A finales de 1995 sacaron el que fue el último álbum de la banda, 'Ultimate Queen', una caja de lujo con los veinte discos de Queen. Pocos meses después editaron su último disco, 'Queen Rocks', con una canción dedicada a Freddie, 'No One But You (Only The Good Die Young)'. osea solo los buenos mueren jóvenes

Este es mi primer entrada , espera les haya sido de su gusto y pueden hacer sugerencias de los temas ke les gustaria que hablara o publicara.Segun sus comentarios seguire escribiendo mas entradas

After seeing jasmine's blog about her saying that We Will Rock You was great, I decided to book tickets to attend the musical too! Since I had only one paper left, I was rather free, and my fabulous bf accompanied me even though he still had 5 papers to study for. We booked the one which was performed last Thursday at 8pm at the Esplanade (I'm always skeptical about booking matinees because you probably won't get the "star" performers).

Pic of us! In the dark. Haha. I had to take this pic on the sly because those ushers of the esplanade are really irritating. They are SO observant and when they spot you with a camera, they will dart towards you and tell you that no phototaking is allowed. But I really don't understand why!?! Ya, I know that we're not supposed to take pictures DURING the musical, but what's wrong with during intervals? Don't you want bloggers to blog about your fantastic esplanade theater and showcase the interior to the rest of the world? I really don't understand. In Denmark, I could take as many pictures of the Royal Theater as I wanted. And their theater's interior has more intricacies than the esplanade's. Tsk. Will taking pictures ruin their architecture of something? Can someone please explain to me WHY THEY ARE SO STRICT?

Sorry about digressing haha... need to rant about that a little... (especially when I'm one who likes to capture memories by photos)

ANYWAY...

I was very excited to see the musical.. especially one that's about rock music :)

The tickets are great because for $52 (student price), you get to choose stall seats which were roughly priced at $140 (if i remember correctly)! We sat quite near to the stage, and were right smack in the middle. I'm good at choosing seats.. muahaha.

And you know what? The musical was absolutely fantastic!!!

Here's a brief summary: It's many years into the future, and everything is being controlled. What you wear, what you eat and even what music you listen to, is being controlled by some big Internet company (you're not allowed to compose, write or sing originals). Then there's this couple, who's just different from the rest. The boy seems to be labeled "the one" who will help to fight this monotony with the Bohemians (Bohemian Rhapsody.. get it?) to bring down the company and bring "real" music back to the world again. (The test to find out if he was "the one" was actually to make him sing Bohemian Rhapsody! Cool stuff!). So the Bohemians and the couple went ahead with their quest to find instruments that were hidden long ago to make music again.

You'd appreciate the musical more if you're familiar with Queen's music (at least their greatest hits). Because the musical is all about their music. But you SHOULD know a couple at least... cos their songs are REALLY popular.

Firstly, I thought that the storyline was very interesting and rather imaginative, and the singing was really awesome. The guy had a really nice voice! and so did the rest of the cast. But the thing that amazed me the most was that they actually LOCALIZED the musical!

Evidence of localization

1. When the lead "accidentally" knocked into one of the audience down stage, he said,"sorry lah."

2. One of the bohemians was named,"Dick Lee".

3. When the commanding and authoritative MOM asked whether her assistant's threads were from Chanel, he said,"No, actually they're from Bugis Street. You can really find some great and affordable stuffs there" (this is not the EXACT words that he said, but something of the like)

I think there were about one or two more instances, but I can't recall them. If you can remember do leave a comment! =D

Cool eh?

AND another amazing thing about the musical:

*** IT'S A TOTAL ROCK CONCERT!!!***

No musical (at least for those that I've seen, which is a rather substantial amt) was THAT interactive, THAT hyped up and THAT high!

I have pictures to prove! EVERYONE was enthusiastically standing up and cheering away.

I so regret wearing a stupid dress to the musical. I should have worn my skinnie jeans and thick eyeliner to blend into the mood! HAHA.

But it's kinda weird seeing those uncles and aunties who were just off from work, in their working attire, watching the musical, getting all high and cheering away. some even giving the rocker cool sign. z. a bit off... lol.

I'll definitely watch this musical again in time to come. and I'll be sure to prepare myself for the rock concert ;)

All in all...

WE WILL ROCK YOU... ROCKS! (*twang!* - sound effects... imagine a guitar haha)

También tenéis la versión japonesa de "We will rock you", de  Queen

Visto en: Pixel y Dixel