Dodgy sunglasses

I was outside one of my fave showbiz haunts tonight Panacea on John Dalton Street and thought I spotted Manchester United's Carlos Tevez... It wasn't him but the situation did make me laugh.

Imagine the scene early Wednesday evening and a good looking European guy walks right past me nods as if he knows me and then takes his sunglasses off and this is the bit I have the problem with there's no sun!!!!

Why do celebs and wannabe celebs wear sunglasses when it's not sunny. I mean you can understand Paris Hilton it's hot in the States but Manchester in Feb hmmmmm....

The big one for tomorrow night is The Hoosiers they will be at Manchester Uni, if you were hoping to go sorry to disappoint but it's sold out.

Also look out my good friend's and hot new Manchester band for 2008 The Ting Tings. Katie and Jules have just recorded a session for MTV. Actually the last time they were on MTV as Dear Eskiimo I got a plug for helping put the band together.

To watch their acoustic performances of that’s Not My Name, Traffic Light and Fruit Machine go to http://www.mtv.co.uk/overdrive/latest/id/101160.
Dx

Martika Song!!!

I find myself humming that song from the 80's 'I feel the earth move under my feet, la la la' why? Well because we've just had a small earth quake. Some reports suggest 4.7 on the richter scale others 4.5 either way it's not quite like the quakes of Mexico but sufficient to make my bed move and for me to wake up....

Just some thoughts there are over 6,000 earthquakes each year under 5 on the Richter scale so it's hardly a major deal but it does feel like a small atomic bomb!

Must attempt to get some sleep and get that song out of my head!

Dx

Brits

The biggest night in showbiz has now been and gone

The Brits.

Take That were definitely deserving of being best Live Act, they are incredible performers. I went to see them at The City of Manchester Stadium on their original come back tour and they were outstanding. The stage effects were incredible, they even made it rain!!! On the night Lulu appeared with the guys to do 'Relight my fire.'

It also got me thinking about Take That and I can even remember seeing them as guest PA at Discotheque Royale in Manchester just before 'It only takes a minute' was released. Also on the bill was Right Said Fred and The Bassheads!

Was nice to see Sir Paul Mc Cartney honored and is it just me or does Adele not look how you imagine her to look ???

Well done to Ossie and family, loved the Beckham esque thrones!

Dx

Doug Walker - What a story

Often people will say to me, Dominic, how do you get a song in the charts or how do you get your song played on the radio and the truth is there isn't an easy answer to the question... If there was my book would be on the shelves. It is becoming more and more difficult to get your song played on the radio because of music testing. Have a look at songpeople.com if you want to know more about music testing. However, in a nutshell radio stations won't play a song unless a large portion of their target audience either like or love the song.

The fact is when you hear of an artist the chances are they've played naff gigs, had rejection letter after rejection letter until before they get that one bite. Take The Ting Tings for example I first started working with Katie in 1999 when she was in a band called TKO and it's not until 2008 that she's getting thecredit she deserves.

I have to say the prize for the best story is Manchester's Doug Walker. He traveled from home to be outside BBC Radio 1's studios and handed Chris Moyles one of his demo CD's. Chris played the single an hour later and is still playing it now!

Doug's Myspace went mental as a result of the airplay and he then got signed.

Danton Supple has produced Doug's new single 'The Mystery' which is on sale from 10th March. Danton has also produced stuff for Warrington's Starsailor and Coldplay.

Dx

Justice in Manchester

Justice played Manchester Academy 2 on Thursday as part of the NME Awards tour and what a night it was.

The Electro Pop duo from France played to the 1800 strong crowd and showed them just why they have three Grammy Nominations.

Gaspard and Xavier played a selection of songs from their current album † and also played some exclusive remixes including the remix they did for the Klaxons last year.

Their Grammy Nominations are Best Short Form Music Video - "D.A.N.C.E.", Best Dance Recording (for D.A.N.C.E.) and Best Electronic/Dance Album (for †)

Later this month Liverpool band The Wombats will be playing Manchester Academy with amazing tunes like Let's Dance to Joy Division and Moving to New York it's no wonder the gig has been sold out for months. Although a birdie does tell me that there are still a few tickets left to see The Ispiral Carpets in March (sssssssssh I haven't tipped you off!)

If you're going to see Babyshambles on Sunday at The Apollo enjoy I'll be reviewing it on Monday if you're not!

Dx

Neighbours everybody needs good neighbours....

Neighbours will be shown on BBC 1 for the last time today. I can remember when Neighbours first was shown, I was in primary school and if you were off ill you could look forward to not just watching Rainbow and eating cheese on toast but watching Neighbours before your mates on the 1.30 showing.

There've been some great characters over the years Harold Bishop, Daphnie, Des, Granny Helen, Bouncer and of course Charlene!!! I remember Angry Anderson suddenly as if it were only yesterday ( the song played at Scott and Charlene's wedding.)

There were some not so great characters Hannah AKA Button and there were legends like Mrs. Burke!!! We will still get to see Neighbours but on Channel 5 instead.

When I was a kid I always wanted to holiday in Erinsborough but I guess the Costa Dels were cheaper and if its a film set you want well Granada Studio Tour was only up the road.

I was only ever lucky enough to meet one member of the cast of Neighbours, Jason Donovan. I recall asking Jason would he ever consider going on I'm a celebrity he replied noooo I said " you should do" I'm certain that comment had no reflection on his decision to do it and re-launch his career he was probably keeping tight lipped about it at that point after all who would let a showbiz reporter know your next move?

During that interview there was a funny moment when I said Jason I've lost Kylie's number do you have it, he replied by saying "you should be so lucky!" (To the tune of the song!)

Dx

Countdown to Superleague XIII

In addition to my Television and Radio commitments I also work as The Stadium Host at The Halliwell Jones Stadium in Warrington. The HJ is home to Warrington Wolves and also more recently, Liverpool Reserves.

The Superleague season starts for Warrington this Friday with a game against Hull which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. The team has been training hard but so have the matchday team.

There are at last count about half a dozen of us, two sound guys who live on the TV gantry, two 'spotters' who look out for try scorers, one on the gantry the other floating. There's Andy Topham who is the matchday producer he is running around the pitch getting dancers on and off and finding a quiet corner for the acts we have to get changed, then there's me on the pitch trying to get the crowd cheering and introducing everyone including the teams on to the pitch.

Our fist game as I mentioned earlier is on Friday and we are spending today producing the music and writing the scripts. I will tell you a story from last season.

I was on the pitch making some sponsorship announcements when one of our players Rugby player Henry Fa'afili ran towards me. I of course didn't see this 16 stone man because I was looking at my script.. I just heard the head coach shout "Dom get out of the way" I could have been the first stadium host to be stretchered off injured!

Dx

Enjoyable day

Question, do you ever have a day when you sit down and reflect the days events and think that's been a really cool day?

Today I began with my Richard Hammond blog, I then hurried to an important meeting in Manchester and on the way home dropped into Smooth Radio to have a coffee with my good friend and editor of industry website radiotoday.co.uk Roy Martin.

Conversation with Roy or Royston as I like to call him is always interesting he is sniffing for a story and I'm saving them for my blog!!

There had been a presenters meeting today at Smooth and it was nice to see so many familiar faces.

I returned from living in Cyprus in 1997 and started work at Wish FM. I worked for a man who was to influence the rest of my career. Steve Collins, Steve is now Programme Director at Smooth interestingly he gave Andy Peters his first break in radio. Andy was an accountant working for Top Shop when he hassled Steve who worked for Top Shop Radio. Steve would always say no Andy you're an accountant but one day Steve was desperate for a presenter and Andy has never really looked back!

Another face was Derek Webster, Derek or Soft Lad as we call him is another broadcasting legend and I have to say the nicest person in the industry too.

Then there was Andy Peebles, I worked with Andy when I was at BBC radio Lancashire. Andy is a former Radio 1 presenter and was the last man to interview John Lennon. A subject he wrote a book about. I'll always remember asking Andy what it was like to meet and chat to Lennon. Andy told me that he was in a cafe interviewing Lennon and there were hundreds of people outside, John Lennon turned to Andy and said “These people must listen to your show on Radio 1 !" What a quote and what a story to tell. Hours after that, Andy was on a plane returning to London when the news broke of Lennon’s death.

Dx

Richard Hammond

I was very interested to hear earlier in the week that Richard Hammond is doing a pilot for Channel 4's tea time slot which is currently occupied by Richard and Judy. Richard is doing it for So TV Graham Norton’s Production Company.

Richard Hammond is someone I came across in about 1995 very early into my broadcasting career. I got a gig at BBC Radio Lancashire what a dream come true, I was 18 and working for the BBC ! Part of my job was to work on a show call 'The Late Show with Bob Roberts' Bob was our presenter, a great man with a wealth of information our PA as they were called was Richard Hammond then there was Ben Thomson and I. Our show was networked to every BBC Local station in the North we'd have nutty people from Newcastle phoning at the same time as Yvonne from Frecklton (near Preston!)

People used to say to me who inspired you to be a presenter and I'd often reply Bob, Ben and Richard and until that awful crash people would have no idea who Richard Hammond was and they still don't know Bob or Ben are but believe me those three guys were every bit as good as the people you would term radio greats.

Richard's love of cars was evident even back then, he would stand at the window of the Engineer in Charge's room ( the smoking room) and look out at the car park. He's look at his VW Scirocco and be incredibly proud of it telling me it's faster than you imagine.

Richard would often present the show if Bob was off, however, I remember one occasion very well when Richard covered on the afternoon show he asked me if I'd work the show with him and we planned a 1950's theme show at a shop that sold American Memorabilia in Chorley, Lancs.

I put together a great show he was taught to Rock n Roll dance, looked around some old American cars his comment after the show was "I wish you'd have been there Dom."

This is why I think Richard would make a great chat show host people don't realise his talents don't just stop at cars in 1995 I said that Richard Hammond is one of the best broadcasters I've ever worked with and in 2008 I haven't changed my mind.

Dx

Manc Actors you'll love this

BBC Producer Phil Collinson is returning to Manchester to head up a drama team. He's spent the last four years working on Doctor Who and now he's basing himself in Manchester and is pretty excited.

This will be amazing for local actors a chance at working on some of the Beeb's best shows and you don't need to be London based paying a fortune to live in a shoe box.

I'm not sure where they'll find a replica Albert Square though.... St. Ann's is a bit upmarket and there's no way you could swap the Queen Vic for Panacea! Or could you???

Hey it's Super Tuesday

The most difficult thing for any showbiz reporter is making sure you are at all the gigs but then up early enough to report on them!

After a pretty late night spying on the cast of Strictly Come Dancing Live in some of Manchester's trendiest haunts it was up at 4am and into Channel M to be on air and looking at least half decent for 6.30It's difficult to imagine while driving into the City as the streets are bare at 5am that in a matter of hours the roads will be in chaos it's like placing a motorway through the set of last of the Summer Wine not that I'm suggesting Deansgate is quite that green ...

The first person to greet me as I walked into Urbis was a whistling Director, Joe, how can you feel tired or down with a whistle and smile like that! I'm in the studio there's no time to be tired we've got to wake up Manchester and everyone wants to know what the celebs are up to.

This morning there was a nice diet of a review of The Ting Tings NME Tour gig in Manchester on Sunday.

The Ting Tings are Jules and Katie. I've known these guys for years, Jules used to work on production for TKO (Total Knock Out) the girlband that Katie was once in. I can remember the days of TKO they were exciting we had three young girls who had an appetite to make it big, I was their MC (I suppose) a job that took me all over the U.K. and led me to work with some big pop acts at that time namely Steps and 5ive.Sadly the TKO thing didn't quite work out as everyone had hoped, it was time for Katie to move on.

She teamed up with Jules and they formed a band called Dear Eskiimo. My fave Dear Eskiimo song was Jo.

Fast forward a few years Jules and Katie are now The Ting Tings and they are going from strength to strength with National Airplay on Radio 1, a TV appearance with Jools Holland and Katie achieving an ambition of a lifetime performing at Glastonbury. Their new single Great DJ is out on 3rd March, do go and buy it because these guys really do deserve to be successful they've worked hard for years.

Rowetta of X Factor fame will be in her hometown of Manchester on Friday night but this time dressed as a nun... She's in a theatrical performance called 'The Music of Sister Act' you know you'll be dancing in the aisles.

If you fancy a night out this week don't miss Simian Mobile Disco at The Roadhouse on Thursday and Babyshambles at The Apollo on Sunday.

Dx