#also the video and the song features is SO newly debuted group with their company seniors

[vampylily]

#vampylily.txt #also the video and the song features is SO newly debuted group with their company seniors #theyve got random shots of fob and the cab meeting fob #like thats pete wentz sunbaenim from fall out boy fr #Spotify

[famedroleplayarchive]

YOON SEOLA is the LEADER, MAIN DANCER, AND LEAD VOCAL of 7ROPHY under DIMENSIONS ENTERTAINMENT. She was born on SEPTEMBER 27, 1995. She looks a little like KWON EUNBI, FORMERLY OF IZ*ONE.

CHARACTER INFORMATION

faceclaim: kwon eunbi, former member of iz*one

legal name: yoon seola

stage name: -

pronouns: she/her

birth date: 09/27/1995

hometown: toronto, canada

position: leader, main dancer, lead vocal of 7rophy

claims:

MUSIC VIDEO: MARS (Eternity, 2017 - female lead)

FEATURING: MARS (You’re Mine, 2015 - Minah’s part)

BIOGRAPHY

triggers: injuries? (do they count as a trigger?)

Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Yoon Seola was expected to be a star from the moment she was born. She had always been an intelligent child, gifted if her parents would dare say so themselves. After all, Seola’s father was a figure skating coach in Canada, while her mother was a former ballerina. Meanwhile, her older sister was also an overachiever of some sort, so it only made sense that Seola was expected to achieve great things as well. As she was old enough to start understanding things, Seola had dabbled in many things such as academics, theater, and the two things she would come to love the most: music and figure skating.

Despite taking lessons with her dad ever since she was four, Seola began skating competitively in 2008 after seeing Kim Yuna on TV. At the time, she wanted to be the second Korean woman to win a medal for the country. She began competing on the domestic scale and a few minor international level competitions. Despite winning a few medals at minor competitions, there were other girls better than she was that she still had yet to represent the country in major competitions.

Seola continued to train and grow, and her dreams grew even bigger after Kim Yuna won the gold medal at the Vancouver Olympics. In August 2011, during the South Korea Trials for Junior Grand Prix, Seola placed 1st in the short program, and things were looking up for her. Unfortunately, she fell badly during the free skate, injuring both her hip and back in the process. Despite persistent hip and back pain, she pushed to compete anyway. When she had her back and hip checked after the competition, she was told that she had to give up skating if she wanted her back to recover properly.

The end of her skating dream had been the end of the world for Seola, until her mother had recommended that she takes up singing and dancing as a new hobby. Without thinking much of it, Seola had agreed. Mostly because she already had prior ballet training as a figure skater. What Seola didn’t expect was to discover that she can actually sing. As she learned to sing and dance, Seola never expected to actually fall in love with performing. It’s almost like a dream for her.

In 2012, Seola and her family had been on vacation in Korea when a Dimensions casting agent approached both Seola and her cousin. While her cousin jumped on it immediately, Seola hadn’t actually considered a showbiz career. After all, Seola had plans of being a lawyer or a broadcaster. However, this is a chance not many people often get, so Seola agreed to give it a go.

To her surprise, Seola actually passed the auditions. Although her cousin didn’t pass this time, they were still genuinely proud and happy for Seola all the same. Seola can only wish it was the same for her parents, who wanted her to enter a high-powered career as an adult. With this opportunity in hand, Seola’s parents had agreed to let her go, on the condition that she finished her education and got a college diploma.

To fulfill the end of her promise to her parents, Seola enrolled at Hanlim Arts High School for her final year of high school and juggled both being a trainee and a student at Sungkyunkwan University. Thankfully, not many people knew who she was, so she didn’t have to entertain too many questions.

Uprooting her whole life from Canada to Korea had been a major life decision for Seola to take, and the difference in culture was something to get used to. Thankfully, Seola’s background as an athlete has somewhat equipped her to be competitive, yet friendly with the other trainees in the company. There was a lot she had to work on, but she wanted to see this through. She braved every challenge, evaluation, and struggle that came her way. Seola was an athlete, so she had expected the trainers to be military sergeants. Regardless, she was determined to be the best there ever was.

Other than hard work and discipline, another skill Seola had taken from her student-athlete days to her student-trainee days was the importance of camaraderie and teamwork. Although competition for a spot in a future Dimensions girl group was intense, Seola went out of her way to be friendly and helpful to those with problems singing and dancing. She was the youngest child at home, so being a supportive younger sister to the older trainees is nothing new to her. However, being the older sister figure to the newer and younger trainees that came after she did was a new and interesting feeling.

To be honest, debut comes as both a relief and newly added pressure to Seola. Especially after her parents have been begging her to quit being an idol and go back to the plans they had before she auditioned. Seola knew what she was good at, but it surprises her that she gets to be the group’s leader as well as the main dancer and lead vocal. However, 7rophy’s lack of immediate success has led to Seola’s parents trying to convince her to leave the group and pursue a proper, better-paying career almost every time she talks to them. Every time they had a spark of hope that they finally struck gold, they ended up moving several steps backward. The girls of 7ROPHY deserve better than this, and Seola couldn’t help but feel that this was her fault. She failed the group as a leader and that she should have done better for them, even if she had no idea what that entailed. Seola wasn’t stupid, and she had heard of those disbandment rumors. Honestly, she couldn’t blame them. After all, they couldn’t produce the results 7ROPHY wanted and deserved. She would never admit it to anyone, but she was beginning to see the merit of her parents’ advice.

Seola’s not a quitter, and thankfully, their effort as members of 7ROPHY have begun to pay off. Thankfully, they finally seemed to be getting their stride after achieving their first win with “Latata”. She also graduated from college in 2019, which is a year or two longer than what her parents would have liked. In her time with Dimensions, Seola hadn’t exactly been pushed into the spotlight compared to the other girls. Honestly, her parents nagged her about this more than the group’s lack of success. No matter what she does, it’s like she’ll never be good enough. Other than a music video role and a song feature with MARS, everything she has expressed interest in doing outside of group activities — acting, musicals, OSTs, and variety shows — have been denied to her for various reasons. She supposed it was mostly to pacify MARS’ angry fangirls who were sick of seeing her face or the company thought she was a liability; she didn’t really know. It was hard staying at home while watching the rest of the group getting to do their individual activities. Honestly, Seola wondered where she went wrong in her life to be denied anything she asked for herself.

Because of this, she has more free time compared to some of the other girls. While she prepares for her moment to shine, Seola is trying to take on a more active role behind the scenes as she learns more about choreography and songwriting. Unfortunately, Seola is being denied opportunities in these endeavors at the moment. She knows she has something left to prove, but she has no clue what that something is.

Even after Queendom, Seola still finds herself struggling to allow the company to give her an identity outside the group. As the leader, Seola is willing to sacrifice her individual glory for the group’s benefit. However, she also wishes for her shining moment to finally come.

#fmdfollow #dimensionsentertainment #7rophy

[sagehaleyofficial]

HERE’S WHAT YOU MISSED THIS WEEK (1.1-1.7.20):

NEW MUSIC:

·         Angels & Airwaves teased a new song, while providing some information about the new documentary about them. According to frontman Tom DeLonge, the sing is titled “Time Bomb.”

·         Travis Barker of Blink-182 fame and his son Landon Barker took to Instagram to briefly tease the idea of them working together. On Instagram, the drummer classically banged away on his kit and Landon appeared to be nodding his head.

·         Vic Mensa dropped a new video for his song “It’s a Bad Dream.” The song comes from the project 93PUNX and features Good Charlotte, as well as notable names such as Travis Barker of Blink-182 and Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine.

·         All Time Low’s social media, as well as all the members including Alex Gaskarth and Jack Barakat, posted a cryptic video to their respective accounts. We see the iconic panda from the “Birthday” video as he lights a barrel on fire that contains a Last Young Renegade jacket.

·         Green Day‘s newest album track listing might have been leaked online. A fan of the group claims he was sent the Father of All… vinyl sleeve in the mail from someone in California, which is where the band is based.

·         After a surprise track released earlier in December, Set It Off dropped another new song called “So Predictable”. The band previously dropped another song, “Catch Me If You Can,” in mid-December after teasing a new release on Twitter.

·         Post Malone is reportedly going to be a featured performer on Justin Bieber‘s new album, due out later this year. In addition to Posty, Coachella headliner Travis Scott is rumored to feature on the album as well.

·         The 1975’s label Dirty Hit sent out a tweet requesting people to submit some information and a picture of themselves and their partner. The label says they’re shooting in London on January 18th and are searching for couples to star in a new music video.

·         Paramore’s Hayley Williams posted three mysterious black squares on Instagram, sparking theories that the music will soon be here. Fans spotted a poster of Williams and the phrase “Petals for Armor” around the U.S. including New York and her Nashville hometown.

TOUR ANNOUNCEMENTS:

·         Motion City Soundtrack made their triumphant return to the stage last Tuesday on New Year’s Eve in Chicago, rocking the House of Blues. Before the return, the band posted a hype image, reminding fans to get tickets while they could.

·         Green Day began 2020 with a performance on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest. At the event, the band performed their hit “When I Come Around” in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Dookie.

·         The Academy Is… posted a photo that is strikingly similar to the cover of their debut album Almost Here‘s cover art. The band’s debut record is coming up on its 15-year anniversary in February, leading to speculation about either another run of tour dates.

·         5 Seconds of Summer Ashton Irwin teamed up with Palaye Royale at NYE 2020: A Rock + Roll Carnival at the Taix Champagne Room. The night featured a host of covers of classic hits such as “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen to “Black Dog” by Led Zeppelin.

·         After countless rumors regarding who will be playing this year’s Coachella, several of the speculated artists have now been confirmed after the full lineup announcement. Weekend one is sold out, but weekend two presale begins today at noon PST.

·         My Chemical Romance’s latest post spawned speculation they will announce a show in the UK. The band posted across their social media accounts a cryptic photo of a cloaked skeletal face person with a simple caption containing the UK flag.

·         Halsey recently came under fire for some comments she made while performing at Bay Dreams Festival in New Zealand. She then relayed that it was just crowd banter to get them really going and she would say the same to anyone about their rival of sorts.

·         The surviving members of Nirvana reunited on Saturday in Los Angeles for a show with Beck, St. Vincent and more. The concert was for a charity gala hosted by charity organization the Art of Elysium.

·         Post Malone recently showed off his screaming skills while screaming along to Pantera‘s “Walk.” Recently, videos of Posty were posted by New York-based, indie-rock band Beach Fossils.

OTHER NEWS:

·         Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons took to social media to address concerns about the band recently taking the top three spots on Billboard’s Hottest Rock Songs of the Decade chart. Reynolds laughed off the negative comments.

·         Post Malone showed off his newest face tattoo, an armored hand holding a medieval flail. It takes a sizable spot on his face and was created by Kyle Hediger, who has tattooed Posty previously.

·         Pierce the Veil revealed that their collaboration with Sleeping with Sirens’ Kellin Quinn, “King for a Day,” went platinum. In November 2014, the song went gold and held its own in the Top 40 Rock chart.

·         A very dedicated My Chemical Romance fan compiled all the high-quality footage that everyone posted throughout the band’s return show. They edited them all together and made a one hour and forty-minute video of the entire gig.

·         Jeffree Star posted his first video of the New Year, in which he takes us on a 36-minute tour of his new multi-million-dollar mansion. Star also talks about how he had a dream and made it come true with less than $500 in his pocket after quitting music.

·         In anticipation of the release of Birds of Prey, merchandise for the film has officially dropped via Hot Topic. Among the items is also an impressive jacket from Her Universe resembling the one Harley Quinn is seen wearing in the film’s trailers.

·         New Years Day vocalist Ash Costello made a post on Instagram explaining the ups and downs of 2019 for her personally and professionally while confirming she is now engaged. Costello and her fiancé Jered Boeving made the move together at Disneyland.

·         Lil Peep’s management and label, First Access Entertainment, is disputing claims filed by his mother in documents filed on December 23rd in Los Angeles Superior Court. Liza Womack filed suit against the company over claims they overworked him and encouraged drug use.

·         Billie Eilish launched a sustainable merchandise line with H&M. The line features everything from oversized t-shirts and sweaters to joggers, which are all made from sustainably-sourced materials.

·         We the Kings drummer Danny Duncan announced his engagement to longtime girlfriend Valentina Guerrero. The couple have one son, Carter, who adorably posed with the newly engaged duo after the proposal.

·         All Time Low is teaming up with Full Tilt Brewery to create a new beverage called “Beer Maria Count Me In.” Full Tilt founders Nick Fertig and Dan Baumiller originally opened the brewery using Peabody Heights Brewery’s facilities in Baltimore six years ago.

·         Benji Madden of Good Charlotte and his wife, actress Cameron Diaz, welcomed the birth of a baby girl. The couple kept it a secret to protect the privacy of their little one, who is named Raddix Madden.

·         Twenty One Pilots frontman Tyler Joseph and wife Jenna continued to invite fans into their world as they prepare for the birth of their first child. The mother-to-be shared a photo with a caption revealing approximately their daughter is due in approximately one month.

·         The Panic! at the Disco track “High Hopes” was used for an epic same-sex skate routine in the UK show Dancing on Ice. During the premiere of the program’s latest season, pro ice-skater Matt Evers and Welsh actor/singer Ian H. Watkins had their first routine together.

·         The iconic venue Koko in the Camden district of London last night. Firefighters worked hard to put the flames out as smoke and flames blow out from the roof scaffolding of the venue, which is currently undergoing renovations.

___

Check in next Tuesday for more “Posi Talk with Sage Haley,” only at @sagehaleyofficial!

#sage haley #posi talk #post malone #billie eilish #justin bieber #jeffree star #halsey #nirvana #imagine dragons #my chemical romance #5 seconds of summer #blink-182 #green day #the 1975 #paramore #twenty one pilots #panic! at the disco #all time low #pierce the veil #sleeping with sirens #good charlotte #set it off #palaye royale #lil peep #coachella #birds of prey #angels & airwaves #vic mensa #motion city soundtrack #the academy is...

[blackkudos]

Babyface

Kenneth Brian Edmonds (born April 10, 1959), known professionally as Babyface, is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He has written and produced over 26 number-one R&B hits throughout his career, and has won 11 Grammy Awards. He was ranked number 20 on NME's 50 of The Greatest Producers Ever list.

Early life

Edmonds was born on April 10, 1958, in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Marvin and Barbara Edmonds. Barbara was a production operator at a pharmaceutical plant. Edmonds, who is the fifth of six brothers (including future After 7 band members Melvin and Kevon Edmonds, the latter of whom went on to have a modestly successful solo career), attended North Central High School in Indianapolis, and as a shy youth, wrote songs to express his emotions. When he was in eighth grade, Edmonds' father died of lung cancer, leaving his mother to raise her sons alone. At this stage, Edmonds became determined to have a career in music.

Music career

Edmonds later played with funk performer Bootsy Collins, who tagged him "Babyface" because of his youthful look. He also performed in the group Manchild (which had a 1977 hit "Especially for You" with band member Daryl Simmons) as a guitarist. In 1982 Edmonds played with funk band Redd Hott produced by Geoge Kerr. He played keyboards in the light-funk and R&B group the Deele (which also included drummer Antonio "L.A." Reid, with whom he would later form a successful writing and producing partnership). One of his first major credits as a songwriter for outside artists came when he wrote the tune "Slow Jam" for the R&B band Midnight Star in 1983. The tune was on Midnight Star's 1983 double-platinum No Parking on the Dance Floor album. Babyface remained in the Deele until 1988, when both he and Reid left the group.

His album Playlist consists of eight cover songs and two original works. It was released on September 18, 2007. It was the first album on the newly re-launched Mercury Records label.

On February 4, 2014, he released a Grammy Award-winning duet album with Toni Braxton titled Love, Marriage & Divorce on Motown Records.

Other ventures

Writing and producing

From the late 1980s to the early 90s, he wrote R&B and dance songs, writing and producing music for Bobby Brown ("Roni"), Karyn White ("Love Saw It"), Pebbles ("Girlfriend", "Mercedes Boy"), The Whispers ("Rock Steady", "In the Mood"), The Deele ("Two Occasions"), Johnny Gill ("My My My"), After 7 ("Ready or Not"), The Boys ("Dial My Heart"), Damian Dame ("Right Down to It") and Sheena Easton.

In 1989, Edmonds co-founded LaFace Records with Reid. Three of the label's early artists, TLC, Usher, and Toni Braxton, were very successful. TLC's second album CrazySexyCool, for which he wrote and produced some of the hits, became the best-selling album of all time by an American girl group. Under his direction, TLC sold more than 60 million albums worldwide, and a combined total of 75 million records. Toni Braxton's first two albums, Toni Braxton (1993) and Secrets (1996), for which he wrote the majority of the songs, went on to sell a combined total of over 10 million copies in America alone.

Babyface helped form the popular late-1990s R&B group Az Yet. Edmonds also helped to mold and work with some of his then-wife Tracey Edmonds' acts, such as Jon B and producer Jon-John Robinson.

Edmonds has worked with many successful performers in contemporary music. “I’m Your Baby Tonight” (1990), produced for Whitney Houston, was Houston's introduction to R&B music and Edmonds' first No. 1 Top 40 hit in the US. He also wrote and produced Boyz II Men's 1992 "End of the Road" and 1994 "I'll Make Love to You", both of which established records for the longest stay at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. He co-wrote, co-produced, and provided backing vocals on Madonna's 1994 Bedtime Stories, which featured the seven-week No. 1 hit "Take a Bow", and shared billing with Eric Clapton on the chart-topping Grammy winner "Change the World" from the Phenomenon soundtrack. He also wrote and produced the No. 1 hit "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" for Houston as well as the rest of the critically acclaimed 10 million-selling Waiting to Exhale soundtrack in 1995, which spawned additional hits for Houston, Brandy and Mary J. Blige.

Additionally, Edmonds has produced and written music for many artists including Bobby Brown, The Whispers, Pebbles, After 7, Johnny Gill, Deele, Karyn White, The Boys, Damian Dame, Tevin Campbell, Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Faith Evans, Beyoncé, Diana Ross, Sheena Easton, Toni Braxton, Michael Jackson, Michael Bolton, Paula Abdul, Eric Clapton ("Change the World"), Whitney Houston, Brandy, Mary J. Blige, Tamia, Shola Ama, 3T, Sisqó, Dru Hill, Fall Out Boy, Céline Dion, Samantha Jade, Backstreet Boys, Honeyz, Katharine McPhee, Mariah Carey, Vanessa L. Williams, Bruno Mars, Kelly Clarkson, Chanté Moore, En Vogue, Zendaya, Kenny G, Kristinia DeBarge, Lil Wayne, Kevin Abstract, P!nk, Marc Nelson, TLC, Ariana Grande, Jessica Mauboy, Xscape, K-Ci & JoJo, NSYNC, Jordin Sparks and Phil Collins, among others. He received three consecutive Grammy Awards for Producer of the Year from 1995 to 1997.

Babyface was in the studio for about two years with Ashanti to produce her album The Declaration (2008).

He worked on the Lil Wayne album Tha Carter III (2008), on the Kanye West-produced "Comfortable". He also worked with R&B singer Monica for her sixth studio album Still Standing (2010).

In 2013, Babyface served as producer for Ariana Grande's debut album Yours Truly, producing the majority of her songs, including her second single, "Baby I".

In September 2014, Babyface collaborated with Barbra Streisand on her album Partners, performing a duet on the track "Evergreen" and background vocals for other album tracks.

Babyface also collaborated with Foxes on her second album, All I Need (2016), producing and co-writing "Scar".

In July 2016, Babyface along with Bruce Roberts and Carole Bayer Sager helped write the song "Stronger Together" sung by Jessica Sanchez. The song was played after Hillary Clinton's speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. The song's title is named after the slogan that the Clinton campaign used as a show of uniting behind the Democratic nominee. The song was one of the top trending songs on Shazam that week. The song was widely perceived as positive by the listeners, and received praise by celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian.

Acting career and film producing

In 1994, he appeared and performed on an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 entitled "Mr. Walsh Goes to Washington (Part 2)".

In the mid-1990s, Edmonds and his then-wife Tracey Edmonds expanded into the business of motion pictures. Upon setting up Edmonds Entertainment Group, the company producing films such as Soul Food (1997), Josie and the Pussycats (2001), and also the soundtrack for the film The Prince of Egypt (1998), which included contributions from numerous artists, including Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. They also executive produced the BET reality series College Hill (2004-2009). Edmonds also worked with David Foster to compose "The Power of the Dream", the official song of the 1996 Summer Olympics, performed by superstar Céline Dion. Linda Thompson provided the lyrics.

Babyface also participated as a duet partner on the Fox reality show Celebrity Duets (2006).

He was portrayed by Wesley Jonathan in the 2015 Lifetime biopic Whitney and is portrayed by actor Gavin Houston in the Lifetime biopic based on Toni Braxton entitled Un-Break My Heart, which premiered on the network in early 2016.

On August 30, 2016, Babyface was revealed as one of the celebrities who will compete on season 23 of Dancing with the Stars. He was partnered with professional dancer Allison Holker. He and Holker were eliminated on the fourth week of competition and finished in 11th place along with Vanilla Ice and Witney Carson.

Soda Pop Records

Edmonds founded his record label Soda Pop Records in 2009. Since founding the label he has signed R&B icons K-Ci & JoJo, releasing their first album for the label entitled My Brother's Keeper. In 2013 Babyface secured a distribution deal with E1 Music for the label.

Personal life

Babyface married his first wife, Denise during his young adult years. In 1990, Babyface met Tracey Edmonds when she auditioned for the music video for his song "Whip Appeal". They married on September 5, 1992, and have two sons, Brandon and Dylan. On January 7, 2005, Tracey filed for divorce in Los Angeles County Superior Court, citing irreconcilable differences. In October 2005, Babyface and Tracey announced that they were ending their marriage of thirteen years.

In 2007, Babyface began dating his backup dancer Nicole "Niko" Pantenburg (former backup dancer for and personal friend of Janet Jackson). Babyface and Pantenburg have a daughter born in 2008. The pair married on May 17, 2014.

In 2015, Babyface donated money to the presidential campaign of Republican Senator Marco Rubio.

Impact

In 1999, a 25-mile (40 km) stretch of Interstate 65 that runs through Indianapolis was renamed the Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds Highway.

Babyface was placed at number 20 on NME's "50 of the Greatest Producers Ever" list. NME wrote of his impact:

"One of the founding fathers of all the best bits of modern US R&B. And so you can't hate him if some of the schlock can be traced back to him also. Babyface was a pioneer of New Jack Swing in the 80s, before setting up LaFace with old mucker Antonio 'LA' Reid to give the world TLC, Usher and Toni Braxton under their guiding hand. There's barely a prominent artist in the genre he hasn't worked with, and as a result he's clocked up a mammoth 26 R&B number ones."

Discography

Studio albums

Lovers (1986)

Tender Lover (1989)

For the Cool in You (1993)

The Day (1996)

Face2Face (2001)

Grown & Sexy (2005)

Playlist (2007)

Return of the Tender Lover (2015)

Collaboration albums

Power and Love with Manchild (1977)

Feel the Phuff with Manchild (1978)

Street Beat with The Deele (1983)

Material Thangz with The Deele (1985)

Eyes of a Stranger with The Deele (1987)

Love, Marriage & Divorce with Toni Braxton (2014)

Accolades

On August 30, 2006, Babyface was honored as a BMI Icon at the 6th annual BMI Urban Awards. Throughout his career, Babyface has won the BMI Pop Songwriter of the Year trophy seven times and a total of 51 BMI Awards, which includes Song of the Year for his Toni Braxton hit, "Breathe Again", in 1994.

Babyface was honored with the 2,508th star of the Hollywood Walk of Fame on October 10, 2013. The star is located at 6270 Hollywood Boulevard.

On October 18, 2018, he was conferred with an honorary doctorate degree from Indiana University Bloomington in recognition of his illustrious career in music.

#04/10

[bccity]

OCTOBER 2019 BC ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULES & REVIEW

Members may earn 3 points each (up to 6 points) for writing, by the end of November 7 KST:

A solo para of 400+ words based on their monthly schedule (does not count toward your monthly limit).

A thread of six posts (three per participant, including the starter) based on the monthly schedule.

Threads and solos do not have to take place directly during an important date listed on the schedule, but must be related to what the muse is mentioned to be doing in the paragraph explaining their schedule/the company’s schedule for the month and/or their thoughts on the mentioned activities or lack thereof.

These schedules may be updated throughout the month if new information needs to be added.

Reminder: September schedule posts are due by the end of October 7 KST.

Overall Company

There’s a lot of gossip behind the scenes at BC headquarters about promotional plans for 2019, ranging from rumors of concept changes, to rumors of new sub-units, to rumors of new promotional opportunities being cooked up in conjunction with Dimensions and Gold Star. It’s not quite clear what’s fact and what’s fiction, but one thing that seems clear is that BC wants 2020 to be the year they reclaim their indisputable crown in the idol industry and no one’s really safe from being pulled into one of their schemes.

Important dates:

N/A

BC Soloist 1

A meeting at the beginning of the month will be held with her management team to discuss their plans for her following her debut era. In general, they’re pleased with the success of her debut. It’s done well digitally for a performance-based soloist debut and, while she doesn’t have the fan base to compete with most of her label mate’s physical sales, it did better than anticipated in that area. She’ll be assured comeback discussions are well underway behind the scenes already and she’ll be brought into them next month. To thank her fans for their support, she’ll be filming a special live video of her b-side “Cosmic Dust” to be posted on her three month debut anniversary. Other than that, she has a fairly relaxed month to recuperate before she starts comeback preparations, only being scheduled for one performance at SBS Super Concert in Incheon and an appearance on Yoo Heeyeol’s Sketchbook where she’ll be interviewed and perform her pre-release single “Week”. The Yoo Heeyeol’s Sketchbook appearance will lead to her trending on Melon following the airing and signal a promising future for public interest in her.

Important dates:

October 2: Meeting with management.

October 3: Yoo Heeyeol’s Sketchbook filming (also appearing: WISH, to be aired: October 11).

October 6: Performance at SBS Super Concert in Incheon at Incheon Asiad Stadium (also performing: WISH).

October 15: “Cosmic Dust” special live video filming (to be released on October 31).

Decipher

Vocal recording for the album will be finished around the end of Decipher V’s promotions, at which point, the group will switch into full gear for comeback preparations. The second half of the month will be spent perfecting the title track choreography in addition to choreography for b-sides “VVITH”. They’ve also been chosen as new brand ambassadors for Nene Chicken with BC’s junior boy group CHARM and will be filming a CF for the winter season alongside the other group.

Important dates:

October 12: Nene Chicken CF filming with CHARM.

              ↳ Decipher R & V

Music show promotions continue for Decipher V, although additional promotions remain minimal aside from radio appearances thanks to the song being a digital single. The song has been well-received by fans. Though it’s not a hit, that’s not what BC was going for this time around, so it’s been dubbed a satisfactory promotion period. Whether Decipher V will promote again in the future is still unclear to the members, but they’re told not to make any promises of further promotions to fans while not shutting down their hopes either.

Important dates:

October 2: Guesting on KBS Cool FM Kiss The Radio.

October 16: End of music show promotions.

BEE

On October 9, BC will be announcing that BEE will be holding concerts in Seoul and Japan in December and January respectively. The news will come only a week after BEE is told the news themselves on what is considered pretty short notice for a concert. The short notice means going immediately into VCR filming mid-month. The theme for the concert’s VCRs will be elegant and have an understated sexiness and will not feature dialogue so the same VCRs can be used in Korea and Japan without putting budget forth to dub or sub them. They’ll be brought in for concert costume fittings at the end of the month. (VCR style reference: 0:02 - 1:20) (Costume style references: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.)

Important dates:

October 12: Concert VCR filming.

October 26: Costume fittings.

Knight

Their tour schedule this month is less trying than last month’s. They have dates in Hong Kong and Manila two weeks apart, so they hopefully won’t burn themselves out at the beginning of the tour. (Please see August’s schedule for the assigned special stages). As part of their new deal with Skechers, they’ll hold a fan sign mid-month at a mall. BC plans for them to release a Japanese single album to accompany their tour stops in Japan, so the members will be recording Japanese versions of “Now or Never” and “Photograph” this month. Additionally, they’ll be recording a Chinese version of their latest title track. At the end of the month, they’ll film the Japanese MV for “Now or Never”.

Important dates:

October 5: Performance at Sharing Festival at Olympic Park in Seoul, South Korea (also performing: Gold Star Soloist 2). 

October 11: Skechers fan sign in Songpa, Seoul.

October 12: UNLIMITED tour concert at AsiaWorld-Arena in Hong Kong.

October 13: UNLIMITED tour concert at AsiaWorld-Arena in Hong Kong.

October 25: UNLIMITED tour concert at Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.

October 26: UNLIMITED tour concert at Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.

October 28: “Now or Never Japanese Ver.” MV filming.

              ↳ White Knight

No schedules for the month.

Important dates:

N/A

Lipstick

The end of their tour is approaching in a few months and this month they’re performing in Hong Kong and Macau. Shortly after that, their Japanese single album releases and they’ll hold two Japanese “release party” events that are a mix between a showcase and a fanmeeting. They’ll perform their two new Japanese songs, “Heaven” and “Crazy Driver”, but most of the event will consist of behind the scenes VCRs and scripted talk sections. Ahead of their November Korean comeback, the members will also be doing a photo shoot for their individual teasers as well as group concept photos and the single cover.

Important dates:

October 10: “Glue” comeback stage outfit fittings.

October 12: Prima Donna tour concert at AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong.

October 13: Prima Donna tour concert at AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong.

October 19: Prima Donna tour concert at Cotai Arena in Macau. 

October 20: Prima Donna tour concert at Cotai Arena in Macau.

October 23: Release of “Heaven” Japanese single.

October 24: Heaven Release Party at Alta Theater in Tokyo, Japan.

October 25: Heaven Release Party at Alta Theater in Tokyo, Japan. 

October 28: “Glue” comeback photo shoot.

              ↳ Lip Gloss

No schedules for the month.

Important dates:

N/A

CHARM

It’s the normal one month until comeback busy schedule for CHARM this month. Mid-month, they’ll film a CF for a newly-announced brand deal for Nene Chicken alongside their label seniors, Decipher. BC prefers to have CHARM considered Decipher’s successors as opposed to Knight’s, so they’re hoping that by throwing the two groups together on the brand deal, more of Decipher’s fan base might find an interest in CHARM. Beyond that the schedule is fittings, photo shoots, and the MV filming for their November comeback.

Important dates:

October 12: Nene Chicken CF filming with Decipher.

October 13: “Hit” comeback stage outfit fittings.

October 18: “Hit” teasers photo shoot.

October 20: “Hit” MV filming.

WISH

The members get a break off from their tour until the new year now, so their focus is shifting to comeback promotions and end of the year awards. BC ultimately decided to release a physical single for their comeback song, so although it’s unlikely to bring in the profits a true album would have, WISH does have their usual fan sign rush this comeback. On top of music show promotions, they’ll also appear on Yoo Heeyeol’s Sketchbook to perform “Whatta Man”, a move that will be questioned before it even airs due to WISH’s reputation for lipsyncing contrasting with the show’s reputation for live singing. They end the month with a Halloween fan meeting with their fans for their fourth anniversary, for which each member will dress up in a (family friendly) Halloween costume of choice, followed by a short trip back to Japan to finish off their hi-touches. The WISH members are planned to be permitted to begin moving out some time next month, so they’ll be called into a meeting mid-month for reminders on good behavior and that such privileges can be revoked at any time.

Important dates:

October 1: Release of “Whatta Man” digital single, promotions continue until November 1. 

October 3: Yoo Heeyeol’s Sketchbook recording (also appearing: BC Soloist 1, to be aired: October 11).

October 4: Fansign in Yeouido, Seoul.

October 6: Performance at SBS Super Concert in Incheon at Incheon Asiad Stadium (also performing: BC Soloist 1).

October 7: Fan sign in Yongsan, Seoul.

October 10: Fan sign in Gangnam, Seoul.

October 17: Fan sign in Mapo, Seoul.

October 18: Fan sign in Gangnam, Seoul.

October 20: WISHing Well Halloween Fanmeeting at Korea University Hwajeong Gymnasium in Seoul.

October 27: Breakthrough Hi-Touch at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan.

October 29: Breakthrough Hi-Touch at Intex Osaka in Osaka, Japan.

#fmdschedule #queued post

[idolizerp]

LOADING INFORMATION ON DIVINITY’S LEAD VOCAL CHA NARI...

IDOL DETAILS

STAGENAME: Lily CURRENT AGE: 23 DEBUT AGE: 21 TRAINEE SINCE AGE: 17 COMPANY: Koala T. SECONDARY SKILL: Modeling

IDOL PROFILE

NICKNAME(S):  Alice (she is called this by some fans because she has always seemed somewhat out of place in the topsy-turvey world of Nightmare), Nana (an affectionate nickname from fans that stems from her cute nature). INSPIRATION: Nari was inspired to become and idol by the idols of her youth. She generally avoids talking about her childhood, but when she does it is to mention how much joy it brought her to see classic idol groups perform. They seemed so happy, so glamorous. From a young age, Nari imitated them, dancing in front of her TV. As she grew and it became clear she had a striking resemblance to a member of Diamant, it seemed that Nari was fated to become an idol the way she’d always dreamed. Nari worked hard in her teens to make that future a reality. SPECIAL TALENTS:

make up — Nari is well known for her skills as a make up artist. On variety shows she is sometimes asked to do the make up of male cast members or guests, to amusing results. She has also recently started her own beauty channel where she makes videos on different make up looks.

aegyo — Nari is always ready and willing to perform cute actions, even when others around her might seem reticent. She takes pride in her ability to be cute.

japanese  — As Nightmare’s audience expanded internationally, Nari, with no small     effort, learned Japanese in order to communicate with her international fans. Nari occasionally performs covers of Japanese songs as well.

NOTABLE FACTS:

Nari has a striking resemblance to a popular member of Diamant. It is commented on nearly every time she goes on variety shows or is discussed in the media.

Nari is known for being a fan of second and first generation girl groups such as Jubilee and Genie. Diamant is by far her favorite and she is quick to sing or dance to their songs when asked (and even when she is not).

When asked, Nari often alludes to her ideal type being a member of Titanium but     refuses to clarify which member, exactly, it is.

IDOL GOALS

SHORT-TERM GOALS:

As Nightmare transitions into Divinity, Nari wants to use this rebranding as an opportunity to make herself the new face of the group. More so than other members who might have played heavily into the group’s occult theme before, Nari’s softer image fits the new, lighter concept. Nari aims have her sub unit, Eve, succeed in their promotions, as she is featured much more heavily in the small sub unit than the ungainly large group. Additionally. Nari plans to grow her brand through her fairly new beauty youtube channel. She views this as an excellent way to reach current fans and, hopefully, gain more outside the group’s niche market. Her modeling is also a way to build up her public recognition outside of the group.

LONG-TERM GOALS:

Nari doesn’t plan on staying in Nightmare (now Divinity) forever. The group’s shifting concepts and lack of domestic appeal will only grow as a roadblock as she gets older. Nari knows that Koala.T isn’t keen on giving any members solos at the moment, but long term, perhaps after the group inevitably disbands, she wants to have a solo career. After a long, successful solo career, Nari envisions a state of semi-retirement. She will be wealthy, not having to work in order to afford a luxurious lifestyle, but still maintain a media presence so she is never forgotten.

IDOL IMAGE

Before it was Divinity, before it was even Nightmare, Nari was a perfect fit for Koala.T’s expected girl group. She always appeared to be bright and energetic, the trainee most skilled at aegyo. These aspects matched the expected colorful concept. They were an asset Nari wore proudly, expecting them to take her the final stretch to debut. The concept switch to a darker rock sound complicated matters. It was clear that Nari would never be as mysterious and brooding as the concept demanded. Alterations had to be made.

Newly branded “Lily”, Nari’s concept in Nightmare was a compromise more than anything else. No amount of black nail polish and dark clothes would ever completely roughen up her soft edges. The higher ups at Koala.T decided the best course of action was to lean into her attractive looks. Being too cute wouldn’t work; even at her darkest moments she didn’t look threatening. Instead, they tried to tinge the horror concept with some more sexy elements. Subtle suggestibility and bedroom eyes as opposed to baring it all.  Lily couldn’t exactly pull off scary, but perhaps she could be a bit of a temptress.  It wasn’t a perfect fit  — Nari always looked just a touch out of place in the horror-themed mvs, her movements too soft for the harsh choreography — but it worked well enough. Even an occult themed group like Nightmare could stand to have at least one somewhat cute member to balance out the elements that might otherwise be off putting.

The re-branding into Divinity has been nothing if not a boon for Nari. While her cute and pretty image held her back in Nightmare, it is proving to be an asset as the group transitions into a brighter, more mainstream image. While other members might have gone all-in to Nightmare’s witchy vibes, their decision to allow Lily to retain some aspects her cuter persona makes her immediately more accessible to the new concept. There’s very little she’s had to change.

Lily remains a bright figure in the group who plays heavily into her cuteness and desirability. Because of this, Nari has become the perfect face for Divinity. She, like the group, has maintained her core elements through every transition and concept change. Most importantly, Nari knows how to connect with the Korean public just as much as the group’s foreign fans. Born and raised in the south of the nation, Nari’s current image is something of the platonic ideal of a Korean idol. Outgoing, yet pushy, always cheerful, hardworking and beautiful. Nari is more than pleased with this turn of events and hopes to ride this concept change into the highest heights of fame possible.

IDOL HISTORY

Cha Nari was born in Daegu on April 12, 1996. Her parents, Hyejin and Joonho, had little to offer their first and only child. They both worked low-paying, menial jobs and could only afford a small apartment in the city. Still, though their home was humble, it was happy. Joonho loved his wife and daughter more than words could express and did all that he could to provide for them and make them happy. This was apparently not enough for Hyejin.

Less than a year after Nari was born, Hyejin began an affair with a wealthy businessman. He showered her in gifts. Within six months of starting the affair, Hyejin left her husband and one-year-old and never returned. Joonho was blindsided, having been completely unaware of the affair. He was grief-stricken; after all, he had just lost the love of his life, but he knew that he had to push on, if not for himself, then for his daughter. Even more than before, Nari became his whole world. He would do anything, give up whatever, for his daughter.

When she was very young, Nari wasn’t aware that she was poor. She had clothes to wear, she never went hungry, and she always, always had love. It wasn’t until she started school that Nari began to notice that she was different from other kids. Her classmates, she noticed, got new clothes and not hand-me-downs. They didn’t keep the same shoes until they wore holes in the bottom. Their lunches were larger and nicer. They had big birthday parties, got nice, new toys. Slowly, Nari realized just how much less she had. Her father gave her all he could but it would never measure up.

As Nari became a preteen, she became desperate to keep up with her peers. Nari searched for small jobs around her neighborhood to make just a little bit of pocket money. She ran errands, scrubbed bathroom floors, babysat. Nari did anything and everything just to be able to afford a nicer pair of shoes or some meat for her lunch. Her father, who worked nearly constantly to make ends meet, only saw this as Nari taking after his hardworking ways. He didn’t realize just how ashamed of their circumstances she was.

Puberty hit Nari hard. She’d been a thin and gangly child, but she blossomed into a beautiful teen. She became more popular with girls and boys alike. Nari took to lying to her schoolmates about where she lived and what her father did. She even lied and told people her mother had died, not abandoned her. By the time she was old enough to get a proper part time job, most of her classmates had no idea that the tall, beautiful, popular Nari came from such humble beginnings.

It was in her early teens that people started to notice just how much Nari looked like a member of Diamant. It truly was uncanny. Initially, this pleased Nari. Diamant and other idol groups had been her refuge during the difficult, early years of school when she felt lesser for not having money. She would lose herself in fantasies of being rich and famous like the idols. Being compared to one was the greatest compliment Nari could think of. She wasn’t talented at singing or dancing — she’d never had enough money or time to really try at either — but Nari still dreamed of becoming an idol one day.

That dream was always out of reach until, one day, she was stopped when shopping with her friends. The man said he was a scout for a music company, and he’d never seen such a beautiful girl. Surely, she wanted to be an idol. Nari glowed. The man gave her his card. He said that for a nominal fee, he could help Nari become a trainee. That was all that Nari had ever wanted, so of course, Nari scrapped together her savings and paid the man. She did so again a few weeks later when he asked for another payment, and again a month after that. It was only after she’d spent her very last won and gotten nothing in returned that Nari realized she’d been scammed. This revelation changed Nari. She was no longer wide-eyed and hopeful. Her heart had hardened to the painful realities of the world.

Despite such a major setback, Nari was still determined to become an idol. Nari started putting away money for singing and dancing lessons. Juggling her lessons, her job and school was difficult — many days she would only get roughly three hours of sleep — but Nari persevered. After months and months of lessons, Nari auditioned for every company she could find. Midas turned her down. 99 and MSG too. Even Singularity wouldn’t take her. It wasn’t until she auditioned for Koala.T Music that Nari found a company willing to take a chance on her. She was grateful.

As a trainee, it was painfully clear to Nari that she’d been chosen because of her looks, not on the strength of her talent. Nari had to work twice as hard as everyone else just to keep up. Still, she persevered. Nari spent every spare moment she had practicing. She wouldn’t let a little thing like lack of talent get in the way of her becoming an idol. By the time Koala.T began choosing trainees to debut in the group that would become Nightmare, Nari had fought her way tooth and nail towards the top of the pack. She’d never be the best or most talented but Nari’s hard work had transformed her into a more than serviceable singer and dancer.

The group’s initial colorful concept fit well with Nari. She was cute and bright and was an obvious choice. However, when the debut was delayed and the concept so drastically changed, the choice was drastically less obvious. Some members of management if she was too out of sync with the group’s new horror-tinged concept. Her hardworking nature and beauty beat out any doubts but the lack of connection to Nightmare’s theme would haunt Nari through her debut and beyond.

For her part hated the new concept. She’d been excited to dance to bright pop songs like her favorite idols in older generations. Nightmare was just too strange, too off putting. It would scare away the potential fans she so desperately wanted. Still, Nari knew that this would be her only chance to debut and fought to be in the group. Nari was proved right with their debut and subsequent promotions being lackluster but Nari was still happy just to be an idol. Sure, their fans were few and far away, but they had fans. She was on television, on the camera. She was far away from the sad, lonely, poor little girl she’d been not so very many years before.

Promoting in Nightmare was always a struggle. Nari had been right about the concept alienating potential fans. When Koala.T management announced the addition of subunits with more traditional concepts, Nari was overjoyed. Finally, she would get the chance to be the kind of idol she’d always wanted. Beautiful, bright, beloved. Still, it didn’t feel like enough. Really, when one of their members left the group, she could not blame her; Nightmare was clearly doomed to fail, even with the subunits, unless something drastic happened. She started to fear that was the beginning of the end, that everything would be destroyed before she even had a fighting chance. Then, salvation came. Koala T. decided to rebrand into Divinity, leaning into the style introduced into the subunits. She would still be forced to do the creepy-cute occult songs, but far less often. She could showcase her own unique skills, maybe even become part of the mainstream. Now, Nari is happy and excited about the future of Divinity, even more than when they first debuted. The future looks bright and she intends to take full advantage of it.

#id.bio #id.koalat #id.divinity

[b0blegum]

Always Have Been, Always Will Be (a request)

Author: b0blegum

Pairing: Idol!Wonho x Idol!Reader

Rating: G

Genre: Fluff

Status: Completed

Another requested one shot. This time, i really tried so hard combining the duet thingy with the fluffy scenes. I changed the plot too many times until i finally found this one. I hope you’ll enjoy reading this as much as i enjoy writing this xo

The building you just stepped into was really crowded. A lot of people coming in and out. So many people wearing ID cards and so many teens wandered around in group– probably trainees.

These sights were one you can’t have in your company. Yours was a small one, newly founded, so not many people would want to risk their life to auditioned in such agency. So, how about you?

You didn’t actually really wanted to be an idol, but one day, a man who you often see sitting at the coffee shop next to your school, approached you and asked you for an auditioned. First, you ignored his offer, but then he approached you again after a month and a month later and another month later. He’d always ask why you didn’t show up at the auditions. So to shut him up (well this is kinda rude but you just didn’t feel like auditioning), you finally went into the private audition.

You remembered clearly about that day. It was raining and you didn’t bring an umbrella. All your hair and clothes were soaked in rain and your make up were all washed up. You spent almost an hour at the agency’s bathroom to did retouch and drying your hair with the hand-dryer and that resulting in you coming late into the audition. They told you that they’ve finished and that you should just come to the next audition.

Sighing you looked at your reflection through the glass door and thought that God maybe didn’t want you to be an idol. Until you heard someone at the back, saying your name and approached you.

“Come on, quick. We got 15 minutes to hear you sing.” He said before leading you into the already-emptied practice room.

It was 4MINUTE’s Crazy you were dancing to and yes, you were dancing it like crazy too. Your eyes changed right after the song started and you began to move like a beast until the very end of the song.

The judges, of course wouldn’t be expecting such beautifully crazy performance at an audition, but then there you were, astonishing them with just one song and made them shook their head while giving you a long ovation.

Okay, back to this building you currently at. It was home for a group called Monsta X. The rising boygroup who debuted through the show No.Mercy and why were you here?

“Wow, you’re… early.” You greeted the man in grey hoodie who just stopped whatever he was doing after he saw you coming in.

“You, too.” He smiled. “I came early because there’s a part I want to add to end the song.” He said, walking to the plugged in iPhone and played the song while you were taking off the coat and getting ready to join him.

The man started to spin and moved intensely following the song.

“You really want me to do that?” You asked after he was finished showing you that particular part. “You’re crazy, Wonho.” You shook your head and began to follow what he just did.

Your finger acted as if it was pulling up the length of the dress to reveal more of your thighs while you leaned back to him and swayed your hips to him. His hand would locked in your waist as well as his eyes on yours.

“How’s that?” You pushed away yourself from him. He tilted his head and smacked his lips.

“That’s great, but something’s still off.” He almost whispered. Without waiting for your answer, he began to dance to that part again and again until you suddenly began to join by walking flirtily and grabbed his waist while singing your part in Coming of Age by Park Ji Yoon.

“Arched back.” You ordered when you thought was the proper time for him to do that while you gesturing as if you’re grabbing the hair on the back of his head.

With his body still arched back, your fingertips were tapping his stomach up to his shoulder lightly until you grabbed the collar of his hoodie and pulled you closer to him. “How was that?” You asked while both of you still in that position.

“You’re crazier than me.” He chuckled as he tried to caught his breath.

Both of you were so caught up with the dance that none of you realised that all of Monsta X members were coming in one by one to watch you and Wonho’s little performance.

“Oh, God!” You exclaimed as you saw Minhyuk’s reflection from the mirror.

“Wow, (y/n)! You should feature in our VLive video! You’re so great at dancing.” Minhyuk’s eyes widened.

“You’re that good to the point where I felt like I was pinned on the couch with my eyes glued on your move.” Shownu added. “Jooheon and Changkyun was outside where they watched you through the windows with their mouths wide open.” He laughed.

“Really, (y/n). The world needs to recognize you! You’re really amazing. Really!” Jooheon flooded you with compliment.

You blushed and smiled to them while mouthed thank you.

Finally, the day has come. The TV in your waiting room is showing you the situation of the area where a big stage is set and hundreds of chairs were provided for the stars and honorable guests and also a wide space for the fans to watch their idols performing.

“The crowds are no joke.” You shook your head after taking sip of your favorite blackcurrant drink.

“You’re gonna kill the stage, (y/n). Don’t worry!” The member of your girlgroup trying to put you at ease because in less than ten minutes, you’re about to go backstage and get ready to perform a dance break with Monsta X’s Wonho.

“Yeah, but I hope his fans won’t kill me after that dance.” You crossed your fingers and looked up as if you’re praying to God.

“Come on! How intense that dance could be? Maybe a bit of hug and hips swaying, right?” Another member jammed in.

“But this is Wonho i’m doing with. You know almost everyone sees him like he’s a sex God. Everything he does is ten times hotter, you know.” You fixed the tightly fit dress that hugged your curved perfectly.

“(Y/n)! Stage.” You heard your name is being called and you immediately checked your look and began rushing outside after telling your members to wish you good lucks.

You heard shouts from behind the stage, mostly girls shouting Wonho’s name– obviously. The lights were dimmed and you could see from the gap of the curtain, 80% of the crowds are holding Monsta X’s lightstick.

“You’re ready?” A voice shocked you from behind. It was of course, the sex God himself.

“Yeah. I think I am.” You cleared your throat and stood up straight.

“Okay, great.” He tapped the top of your head and you were of course a bit taken aback by his sudden unnecessary action. “I hope i won’t ruin the stage.”

“Nope. Nope, we won’t.” You replied, trying to calm yourself down.

“Yeah. How come a girl as good as you will ruin the stage? That won’t happen.” He smiled.

When the lights were completely shut, you and Wonho got on the stage, standing on where both of you should be. You at one side of the stage, while he was at the other.

It was when the breathing sound was heard that both you and Wonho was shoot with the spotlight and the crowds immediately lose their minds.

You began singing because the first verse was your part. Wonho and you were walking towards each other with an intense gaze shot onto each other’s eyes. His brushed back hair made him look thousand times hotter and the suits he wore, damn, that made you almost forgot your lines.

When it’s the part where you should be walking in circle with your arm on his waist and his arm on your waist, he looked and smirked at you.

“You’re so beautiful in that dress.” He mouthed. You almost choked and stopped singing, but thankfully you made it to not ruin the song.

The performance continue and now was the time where you’re going to ‘grab’ his hair to make him arched back before pulling him really closed to you.

Wonho loosened his necktie before you grabbed his hair and when he’s arched back, he purposely took off his suit jacket.

You looked at him, surprised, because all of these weren’t on the script.

You pulled his loosened necktie and Wonho helped you by pushing himself really– really close that his nose would touch yours.

The light slowly dimmed along with loud shouting and applause. Wonho covered your face and his with the suit jacket and slowly brought his lips closer to yours.

He’d kiss it gently and softly for seconds before he broke that kiss and gave a small peck on your cheek.

“Great job, (y/n).” You didn’t see it, but Wonho was smiling when he said that.

You stepped off the stage with confused mind. You and him was never done such things at rehearsals and that he always looked like he didn’t have any interest in you, at all.

So, why now?

“Wonho,” you called his name as you both walked to the waiting room. “What was that for?” You carefully asked.

“What do you mean?” He casually replied, unbuttoned the first two buttons of his shirt.

“That… the thing you did on the stage.”

“On the stage? I was dancing. I thought you knew because you were, too.” He acted innocent.

“Not, that! You know exactly what I meant.” You sighed. By now, you could feel your cheeks turned crimson red.

“We sang, we danced, we…” He stopped and smiled at you. “Yeah, I remembered!” He grabbed your hand.

The corridor you both were at now was full of staffs and idols that were waiting for their time to perform, but Wonho seemed like he didn’t care, while you already tried to let go of his hand subtly.

“We kissed.” He smiled.

“I can’t believe you said that aloud.” You whispered, realising some of the idols turned at you and Wonho when he said the word.

With red cheeks, you pulled him into your waiting room, which now was empty because both members and the staffs were already behind the stage.

“Yes. Th– that. The kiss.” You stuttered. “What was that for?”

Wonho smiled and looked at you. Slowly his hand moved to put the loose strands of your hair behind your ear.

“I like you.” He confessed.

You blinked rapidly by his sudden confession.

“I’ve always liked you.” He continued. “Ever since I saw you at your first music show.” Wonho sat himself on the couch. “I saw you performed from behind the stage and  asked the staff who was the girl on the stage, the one who wore light blue sweats with suspenders.”

“That was long time ago.” You said in a really low voice. It was when you just debuted with your group and for the record, you didn’t even remember the outfit you wore at that day.

“I really wanted to get to know you. To get closer to you, but knowing that you’re a rookie group, I told myself that I should better wait.”

“Wait?”

“Yeah. Rumors often attack rookie groups and I don’t want that happened to you and your group so…” he smiled. “Thank God I finally got this opportunity.”

“But that was… four years ago?” You chuckled. “Don’t lie to me. No one would hold on for so long just for someone. You’re silly.”

“You might not believed that and it’s up to you, but I am serious. I am seriously in love with you, (y/n).”

#monsta x #wonho #wonho fluff #wonho fanfictions #wonho fanfic #wonho imagine #wonho scenario #shownu imagines #kihyun #jooheon #changkyun #i.m #chae hyungwon #Minhyuk #shownu #kpop fanfic #kpop fanfiction #kpop

[sugarmusicnews]

From Jive Talking and Eyeballing Facebook Group

It all began with a band called Zennith in Brakpan near Johannesburg in 1977. Dutch born Lucien Windrich began playing with school friends which included bassist Benjy Mudie, the future South African music custodian. The band changed its name to Void and the following year was joined by Lucien’s younger brother, Erik also born in Holland. Even though the band had won a battle of the bands in Joburg in 1978 they were battling to find paying gigs in South Africa. The band found the opening they needed in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, on the live circuit. The guys spent 8 months there together with drummer Danny de Wet (Petit Cheval & Wonderboom) and bassist Terry Andalis. In 1979 the band recorded a cover of the Knack’s smash hit My Sharona but it was the B-Side Magicia that took off and reached number 4 on the country’s charts. Here is My Sharona, Void style…

Can’t seem to find a copy of Magicia. Lucien? Q. Hi Lucien, thanks so much for Jive Talking with us in South Africa. So, one could say that you had your first taste of success in Rhodesia. It is obvious that you had your African spin right from the start, even with Void, and your version of My Sharona has that tribal influence. Did you listen to tribal music and was this the main influence on your music? Who were you listening to at the time? A. In the late 70’s I was listening to rock bands like Grand Funk and Bad Company and prog rock bands like Wishbone Ash and Genesis and learning to play guitar like all the guitar players back then. The local South African influence came later in the early 80’s during our residency in East London when we started afresh as a three-piece.

I don’t think we had an obvious tribal influence back in the 70’s. We were just experimenting with various rock and pop idioms. As ‘Void’ we went from one extreme to the other. We composed and performed a 17 min prog rock epic called How Calm the Storm which people would sit and listen to quietly throughout. And then we put a middle-of-the-road song called Magicia on the B-side of My Sharona. It was an eclectic mix of stuff.

Going to Bulawayo in 1979 was the first professional residency gig for the four of us, me Erik, Danny and Terry. We told ourselves from the outset that we would only do residencies playing cover songs as long as we could write and perform our own stuff as well. So it was a real boost when people requested our own stuff. It gave us the confidence to continue writing. Those early residency gigs were an invaluable learning curve for us towards developing our own original style and sound.

We had our first success in Rhodesia with a cover version of My Sharona because the original wasn’t allowed to be played due to sanctions. It was fun watching everyone do ‘the pogo’ when we played the song in the club. There’s even a video of us doing the pogo in the Zimbabwean TV vaults somewhere. What we never expected was to be playing to young soldiers who had been in the bush for six weeks shooting and killing people, and then coming into the club to dispel their tensions. We quickly learnt to keep them entertained with our music and performances which helped to prevent outbreaks of violence suddenly erupting inside the club. And believe me, it did erupt. We threatened to stop playing if they didn’t stop fighting. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. One of the cover versions we did at the time was a song by Rush called Bastille Day which strained Erik’s voice so much he had to have an operation to remove the nodules on his vocal chords.

And what should have been a highlight for us was when Bob Marley came to play at Independence Day, April 1980. We were literally in the next town. We asked the manager Marjorie if we could have the night off and she said no. Can you believe it? Like good Catholic school boys we did as we were told. WTF! Void returned to South Africa and decided to change their identity after Terry Andalis, José “Aggi” de Aguiar and Danny de Wet departure in 1982. Lucien, Erik and third brother Karl, the band’s manager, changed their name to éVoid and it became a three piece with Georg Voros on drums who was replaced by Wayne Harker early in 1983. éVoid built up a large, loyal following which started in East London and then spread like a forest fire over the next 4 years. The band were creating a highly original and subtle fusion of Afro-rock (which they christened ethnotronics), which was different from the more traditional sounds of their contemporaries, Juluka and Hotline, or the rock-based Tribe After Tribe, Ella Mental, Via Afrika, Flash Harry and Neill Solomon’s Passengers. éVoid conveyed immediacy, simplicity and warmth of spirit of other Afro-rock bands with their newly painted faces, tribal dances and South African jive rhythms. Q. Your style, was it based on any one African culture like the Ndebele patterns and the Zulu bracelets and beeds or a combination of those and others. Who made your outfits and what did the African people think of it? Did they give you their blessing? A. The eVoid style was developed in East London when we were faced with becoming a three-piece. It was a deliberate attempt to create what Aggi called Soweto New Wave – a fusion of rock & mbanga grooves, jangly guitars, punchy keyboard riffs and a local South African influenced image. But vocally we were still mainly European sounding. We weren’t interested in being as indigenous as Johnny Clegg much as we respected him. We wanted to create our own punky afro-pop style. Plus we were into the nu-romantic image at the time.

My ex-wife Kay designed and made the clothes and Erik’s ex-wife Linda helped make them. They were called K-rags and we loved wearing them. It really helped define our local white South African image at the time. We commissioned a whole lot of African women to make the Ndebele beadwork merchandise for us. We gave them the eVoid logo and told them to incorporate it into the designs as they wish. Yes I admit it was a cultural appropriation but we never exploited anyone. Our feeling at the time was that we were promoting local music and images. And we were financially supporting groups of women who were happy to be given the business. Did they give us their blessing? Well, at no time did anyone of them refuse the work. As to what they actually thought of us, I don’t really know. We told them they were making merchandise for the band and they never objected. Success arrived when WEA (now Tusk) signed them to a recording contract. The band released their debut self titled album éVoid in August 1983 which yielded their first single Shadows. It was backed by the infectious Dun Kalusin Ta Va, which had become a hallmark of their sound. Shadows peaked at number three on the national charts in November and, to this day, remains a staple of South African rock and pop-oriented radio stations. Here is that classic single performed to adoring fans at Ellis Park in 1985.

Q. That was probably one of the greatest era’s in South African music and those concerts at Ellis Park were magical. Can you recall any special moments at the Concert in the Park? A. It was an emotional high for us. Three weeks after playing the biggest and most prestigious concert in Joburg we left for the UK. Towards the end of playing Shadows it dawned on me that it may be the last time we ever played in SA again. And what a gig to be ending it on. I have been known to be melodramatic.

It was magical stepping out on stage early in the evening and seeing a sea of faces stretching out and upwards towards the top of Ellis Park stadium. I will never forget that. Amazing! People often ask what it feels like, and to be honest once you’re actually playing all you can see are lots of tiny heads bobbing up and down. You’re really just performing to the front rows with whom you can have some kind of connection. And then when Erik starts waving his hands in the air from side to side, and you see 100’000 people responding, there’s nothing quite like it. It’s a huge high!

I can remember being backstage with Johnny Clegg on the day, along with some other musicians getting ready. We hadn’t met or spoken before and we exchanged pleasantries about how wonderful this gig was. He complimented us on Shadows which was a lovely thing to do. That whole day and everything leading up to it was a sign that we were at the top of our game. And we were about to leave that all behind.

The weird thing is we nearly didn’t even do the gig. We were offered the gig a few months earlier knowing it was for a worthwhile cause but we had already booked our flights to the UK so we turned it down. The organisers offered it to us a second time and by then the hype was building about how momentous the gig was going to be, featuring 25 of the top acts in South Africa at the time. So we agreed. Thank God we did. Imagine if we had turned it down? It would’ve been our ‘Dylan misses Woodstock’ moment. For us, I mean.

What we’re really proud of is the fact that the SA organisers conceived and actually pulled off this benefit gig for Operation Hunger six months before Bob Geldof launched Live Aid. Yesss! éVoid had found their niche and this time found them at the peak of their creative spirit. The follow-up single Taximan was released in February 1984 and it got to number 6 on the national charts..

Later that year, I Am a Fadget became the band’s third single. This version was performed live at At The Half Moon , Putney in 2015….

and here are the lyrics…. https://genius.com/Evoid-i-am-a-fadget-lyrics Q. So good to see you still playing this after all these years. I would assume that it is mostly old ex South Africans jumping around or are the true Brits also getting into that now? Would you like to comment on where the name Fadget came from as there have been a number of different theories and it is maybe time to set the record straight so to speak. A. Are there many theories about what a Fadget is, really? I’d love to hear them. Erik and I wrote the song in a rehearsal room one day, and when it got to looking for lyrics for a particular section I blurted out ‘I am a Fadget’ and we burst out laughing because it obviously sounded like ‘faggot’ which was a ridiculous choice and not what I had intended. You see, I liked this British artist called Fad Gadget, and whilst developing our pseudo African image, to be seen as fashion icons or ‘fad gadgets’ must have been at the back of my mind. So when I blurted it out as a possible lyric it came out as ‘fadget’. We weren’t seriously going to use it cause people might think we’re calling ourselves ‘faggots’ which as you well know is a derogatory term for gay men. But as so often happens when you try and replace it with something else, the song loses something. So we went with it in the end. Our colourful jive image now had a name.

When we arrived in London we played at the Springbok Bar for many years, first in Paddington then Shepherds Bush and finally in Covent Garden. And yes like you say mainly all ex-pats. eVOID then was just Erik and I with a drum machine and bass loops. Every now and then Colin, one of the ex-pats would organise a booze cruise on the river Thames and we would experience a few hours of absolute mayhem on board. We also played on the Queen Elizabeth cruise ship which was docked at Victoria Embankment. It was a lot of fun.

Did the Brits get into our music? Yes they did. We played at some smaller pubs and clubs and sold loads of CDs but without an international album and English management we couldn’t get onto bigger venues and tours. We did a gig at the Astoria in Tottenham Court Road, and a small tour of Germany in the late 80’s with Ilne Hofmeyr on bass and Richard Devey on drums. That was great. In fact I remember this German guy coming up to me afterwards saying ‘that guitar, is INXS, ja? He was referring to my Junk Jive riff of course. ‘No it’s not’ I replied. ‘It’s just some Aussie shits stealing our thunder!’ éVoid were performing with not for dedicated fans — “fadgets”, as they were known — dressed in almost equally outrageous and colourful ethno-gypsy garb, who queued for hundreds of metres to see them. We all used to go and see them at the Chelsea Hotel in Berea, near Hillbrow and the venue was always packed. I can recall going to one of éVoid’s gigs at the Chelsea only to be told the club was full and I had to go clubbing elsewhere… “Oooh La la Laa, I like it ” Q. Do you remember those Chelsea Hotel gigs? I only managed to go to a few but heard that you played there many times…. Like how many? A. Can’t remember how many gigs we did there but without a doubt the Chelsea Hotel years were legendary. It was 1983, the same year we recorded our first album, and fadgets were queuing round the block to come and see us. It was an extraordinary sight. We lived round the corner so we couldn’t even go to the shop to get some milk for fear of being caught without our fadget gear and make-up on. I remember our drummer Wayne being stoned a lot; Karl our brother/manager was running the door and it was where we wrote Shadows. We used to rehearse in the club during the daytime which was handy. I don’t know if you know the story about Shadows nearly not making it on the album. What happened was we had already decided with WEA Records which songs we were going to record and put on the album. And then we wrote this new song called Shadows and I remember saying to Benji we have to include this new song we’ve just written and he said no, the track listing had already been agreed, and that he couldn’t change it so late in the day. Erik and I pleaded with him and he eventually agreed. But that’s not the end of it. Whilst recording the song, the studio engineer told us the song would never make it. Well you were wrong, Richard. Every night we played at the Chelsea Hotel the dance floor would dip inwards and creak from the weight of people jumping up and down to Shadows. I thought the floor was going to break and we’d have a catastrophe on our hands. Which did happen when we were on tour at Stellenbosch University; the floor collapsed and a group of people tumbled and disappeared. And then people pushing from behind caused an even bigger pile-up. Crazy stuff. They eventually laid a couple of tables across the hole for people to dance on. Luckily it never happened at the Chelsea. Occasionally the Chelsea party would spill out onto the streets though. That was fun. I particularly liked the State of Lumo theme we designed for the stage. Nic Hauser helped design and build a lot of the sets, and he also designed the cover for the 12-inch version of ‘I am a Fadget’. What’s happened to Nic, I wonder? The band went on a gruelling 3-week national tour playing to packed venues on the Durban University Campus, Bloemfontein, Cape Town but they ran into problems before the start of their Eastern Cape leg of the tour. In Grahamstown military police arrested drummer Wayne Harker for being on AWOL since December 1982 from his 2 year national service. Original drummer Danny de Wet was hurriedly recruited to complete the tour. Harker was discharged in March 1984 and the band was back in business. In September 1984 their debut album was high in the national charts which was rare for a local band competing with the big international acts of the time. While this was happening their three-track 12″ maxi single Kwela Walk/I am a Fadget/Tellem and Gordon, was receiving rave reviews.

Q. This song and in fact a lot of your music had a definite crossover appeal. Is that what you were hoping for and did you play to many mixed-race crowds? Did you have many “black” fans and friends at the time? Kwela Walk was a great tune. Erik wrote it with crossover appeal in mind but we didn’t get to play to many mixed race audiences. We once did an outdoor township gig and were viewed with amusement. There were more people sniggering in the crowd than actually grooving to the music. Which pretty much says it all. We were a white nu-romantic pop band not an African groove machine, much as I would have liked to have had more of that in our music.

Having said that, I was exposed to mbaqanga music whilst working in an African record shop which came out later in my guitar playing. Junk Jive comes directly from my early attempt to create a hybrid mbaqanga punk sound. Taximan was another example of creating an interlocking groove. Baghiti Khumalo loved playing the bass on it. We bumped into him in London a few years later when he was gigging with Paul Simon and he said how much he enjoyed doing the track. He asked why we weren’t doing what Paul Simon was doing. That was our intention, I said, when we left SA. But It’s not as simple as that. In South Africa we were big fish in a small pond and in the UK it’s the exact opposite. Plus we’re white South Africans. During the three prominent years of our career from the end of 1982 to the beginning of 1985 we played to young white audiences. That’s who the management and record companies targeted, and that’s the demographic we attracted. Not many clubs were multiracial back then. I had more relationships with black people in the 70’s when I was working in an African record bar called ‘American Music’, and when I frequented black music clubs in downtown Jo’burg. In terms of lasting friendships back then, not many. We lived our whirlwind lifestyle in a bubble. That’s what it was like. The band usually attracted good press coverage though éVoid were on occasion labelled as androgynous misfits, pretentious white boys in beads, and shallow-minded slaves to fashion and rhythm. In 1984 the group won a prestigious Sarie Award for “best arrangement and production of an album”, and the single I Am a Fadget landed them the “best contemporary artist” award. On Saturday 12 January 1985, the band performed at the Concert In The Park in support of Operation Hunger to an estimated 100,000 people, along with Hotline, Via Afrika, Juluka, All Night Radio, Ella Mental, Steve Kekana, Harari, Mara Louw and The Rockets. This is Junk Jive live at the Concert in the Park…

Q. How did you get along with your contemporary bands at the time? A. That’s a good question. Um…at some point from 1982 onwards we were totally focussed on our music and on developing our sound and we rarely met up with any other bands. Although I have to admit that when a fire gutted our equipment in 1982, well before we had any success, many local bands did a benefit gig for us to raise money so we could replace our equipment. It was such a touching thing to do and we really appreciated it. But generally speaking we didn’t mix with other bands that much. In the early days as Void we did a gig at the Polo Club in Springs with our East Rand contemporaries The Radio Rats. That was a big deal at the time, and Ozzie went on to play for them years later. And I also developed a close bond with Wonderboom in 2006 which came about when Danny de Wet asked me to fly out and produce the City Of Gold album. That was a great experience. Not only did we produce an album together I even got to skydive with the boys. But during the eVOID heyday in the early 80’s we didn’t have much contact with other bands. I mean, I Ioved Ellamental and Via Afrika but we didn’t move in the same circles, so we never got to meet and chat much. We certainly didn’t hang out at clubs all night, that sort of thing. And neither did we do any drugs or heavy drinking at the time. I’m talking about Erik and I. Wayne was a law unto himself. But no, really. I smoked dope when I was younger but not during the eVOID years. And the same for Erik. We were the Nerdy Fadgets! Oh dear, maybe you shouldn’t print that. We were also both in serious relationships at the time which probably had something to do with it. In intervening years the Windrich brothers were going through a period of personal introspection: they had reached the pinnacle of their career in South Africa and perhaps it was time to head overseas. They were not happy with the production of their first album and Eric had received his call up from the SANDF. Wayne Harker quit éVoid to join the Cape Town band, Askari and in 1985 the brothers left for London where they set up an eight-track studio in their garage and performed as a four-piece with fellow South Africans, Ilne Hofmeyr on bass and Richard Devey on drums. For most of 1986 they worked on their second album: Here Comes the Rot from which WEA released the single Dance the Instinct/Sergeant Major. This is the demo for Dance the Instinct…

Q. So the original plan was that this was to be released as a single in South Africa but that never happened? Your decision or WEA? A. Dance the Instinct was definitely released as a single in SA. Actually I’m glad you put up the demo of Dance the Instinct in the link. I prefer that version. The band learned that their infectious Afro sounds did not appeal to British A&R executives and no new opportunities presented themselves. Meanwhile back in South Africa, WEA released . . . Here Comes the Rot in December 1986, to coincide with éVoid’s six-week nationwide tour of the country. This is Altar Pop which contained the line “Here Comes the Rot”

Q. That tour went very well didn’t it and you were playing to packed houses again. perhaps it may have been a better option to stay and plan a strategy to invade the USA instead? Were your albums released in the USA and if so how did they fare? No. There was no penetration into the US market. Sometime in 1983 Mutt Lange saw us playing at the Chelsea Hotel and he told Zomba Records about this young band he had seen in SA. Zomba records offered us a 9 year deal, the same deal that was offered to The Stone Roses who accepted it. Karl, our older brother/manager advised us not to go for the deal as it was tying us up for too long. Had we accepted the deal we would have become international artists for a few years before ending up in court, like The Stone Roses did fighting to get out of the contract. Do we have any regrets? It’s always nice to have your music heard and appreciated far and wide but it wasn’t to be. We will never know what might’ve happened. It’s a toss of the coin as to what the future holds … I wasn’t doing much astrology back then.

In the blurb leading up to this you mention that our ‘infectious Afro sounds did not appeal to British A&R executives’. It wasn’t so much the music as us being white South Africans and our bizarrely colourful image that they objected to. I’ll tell you a story. It was snowing in the UK in Feb 1985, and Erik and I went to our first and only appointment with Warner Brothers dressed like African warriors. We were excited but nervous. The young A&R man who met us, dressed as a Deutschpunk in black underground gear, took one look at us and said ‘you guys are like a canary amongst sparrows’. Erik I looked confused. ‘The sparrows’, he said ‘will kill the canary’. Charming. We weren’t off to a great start. ‘Aren’t all white South Africans murderers? he asked. We left soon afterwards. Without a UK record deal of course. In 1993, the group released a compilation called, éVoid – Over the Years, and made it available on cassette for limited distribution at the Springbok Bar in London. Q. Was this tape made up of songs from your first 2 albums or was this a live tape made in London? Any way to get one of these? A. The songs on the cassette tape are available on Spotify under a new title – London Kazet. Have a look. They’re not songs from any of our previous albums. In 2006 we re-recorded a few of them (Mix it Up, Language of Love and Ikologi) and put them on Graffiti Lounge. But the original versions still exist on London Kazet. I still have one or two of the original cassettes somewhere. Lucien and his wife and family live in East London while Erik, wife and family live in North West London. Erik has stated that since arriving in London in 1985 and trying to earn a living as respected musicians has never been easy, and éVoid’s arrival in London at the time of South Africa’s State of Emergency made people suspicious of them. The brothers did benefit from some lucky breaks and, over the next decade, played many clubs and festivals in the UK and Europe especially Germany. Q. I believe you are a qualified astrologer now Lucien and Eric is a Creative And Performance Manager at an English high school? Can you tell us about your work and the “lucky breaks” you have had in London since 1985? A. We’ve both been immersed in work and family life since we arrived in the UK. Erik has worked at that high school for many years developing projects and set designs. And I’ve been helping my wife, a midwife, run her health remedies business whilst doing my astrological research. Family life is important to us, in our own separate ways.

In the late 80’s Erik did quite a bit of film music and we worked together on a film called ‘On the Wire’. Erik had a solo venture called The Vision Thing and he recorded a solo album. I’ve played in two other bands since being in the UK, The Redemption Blues Band and a punky gypsy instrumental band called Victor Menace. Both are now defunct.

My ‘lucky break’ was meeting my gorgeous wife, Cath, on New Year’s Eve, 1992 at the Springbok bar in Paddington. I was on stage, she was in the crowd. I walked off stage to say hello and we hugged each like we had known each for years. I remember it like it was yesterday.

Erik’s ‘lucky breaks’ include meeting his wife Alix in 1991, performing in Paris as “The Vision Thing” and having a permanent job since 2004. Following the demise of Askari in Cape Town Wayne Harker was summoned to rejoin the band (with Ilne Hofmeyr) and record new material. He stayed with the band for for years in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s which included a 6 week German tour. Obtaining a work permit Harker met and married a German girl and settled in Cologne. He developed musically and apart from drums now plays bass guitar, and keyboards and in 2006 he finally released his debut solo album Culture Shock under the Sea Weed monicker and turning it into a live act.

https://www.discogs.com/Seaweed-Culture-Shock-/release/14663113 Q. Do you still hear from Wayne and is he still recording and performing in Cologne? A. No, we have no contact with Wayne. I messaged him on Facebook a few years ago and he never got back to me. But, speak of the devil because today (17 June) he commented for the first time on an eVOID post on Facebook. Someone put up a clip of Shadows at Concert in the Park and his comment was ‘oh ja…those brothers who dropped me like a piece of shit’. Wayne created his own problems in SA and we were forced to use other drummers. So yes we had to dump him. We briefly joined up again in England but then he met a German girl and went with her to Germany. As Erik explains ‘he never said eVOID was his ultimate goal – he just drifted away’. In 2008, after a long hiatus, the brothers Windrich and original drummer Georg Voros released another éVoid album, Graffiti Lounge. This is Under Blue skies with it’s message of hope..

Q. Your music on this album is more folkish if one can say that? Your new direction? I believe you and Erik lived a family life and then in 2014 you released your greatest hits album; éVoid – Classics. I know you did a small South African tour to promote that CD and that was to visit your parents who are in their 80’s… A. No it’s not a new direction. The only folkish sounding song is Not in my Name although I agree some of the others are more mellow. We really wanted to do another album so Erik suggested we invite Georg Voros and YoYo on bass to join us. Georg flew over and stayed with Erik during the recording of the album in East London. I’d been wanting to record Under Blue Skies for some time and I was really pleased with the way it came out. It’s a nice album. The tour in 2014 was to commemorate 30 years since the release of our first album. It was more a tour of the Barnyard Theatres, too short really. We only did about 7 dates in two weeks. Lots of people complained they didn’t even know we were touring. We did one other outdoor Marquee gig in East London organised by Des Buys (R.I.P) and Themi, old friends of ours since the early days of eVOID. That was great, more like the gigs we prefer doing. And yes it was great spending time with our elderly parents who are now in their nineties and who, believe it or not, are about to emigrate back to the Netherlands in July 2020. What a thing to do at their age. This is an event booklet from éVoid’s LIVE in East London 2014 show..

https://issuu.com/loomweb/docs/mga_-_evoid_27_aug_2014_-_opt Q. Are you and Eric currently working on anything and when I contacted you, you mentioned something about a live video? Could you please share for all the Fadgets who still love your sounds in South Africa? Any plans to come back and tour here any time soon? Any last words for those that may not have read your tweets? A. No we’re not working on anything at the moment but we still have unreleased material in storage that we need to go through. Easily an album’s worth of material.

We don’t have any immediate plans to tour. I’m not even sure if the Johnny Clegg tribute gig is still happening in July.

Any last words? For the brief period of eVoid’s success (1983 -85) there were many years of blood, sweat and tears up to that point. I know it sounds like a cliché but you have to stick at it. I’m talking about young bands who are starting out. Be prepared to take risks and trust your intuition. How you overcome adversity is also important. Always be willing to bounce back and continue the journey no matter what. It’s a privilege to have our music being played even to this day. And that isn’t something you can plan. All you can do is live in the moment. If you want to make an impact on the world around you do it in a joyous and positive way. And never diss your audience. I also want to take this opportunity to thank the many musicians who have been involved in the making of Void – Aden Carter, Terry Andalis, Ozzie Theron and Danny de Wet without whom our inspirational start may never have got off the ground. There were other Void incarnations with line-ups including Neville Holmes (R.I.P.), Benji Mudie, Aggi de Aguiar, Ernie Parker and Kiki. And in the making of eVOID thanks to Ilne Hofmeyr (R.I.P.), Richard Devey, Georg Voros and Wayne Harker, and the session drummer who did Concert in the Park with us whose name I forget. I’ve probably missed out someone. Oh yes, Kevin Gibson the drummer who helped us out of a pickle in Durban when Wayne had to flee the club because the Military Police were after him. Thanks everyone for making it all happen. It would not have happened without your invaluable input and contributions.

Cheers Lucien, Ernesto Garcia Marques 24/06/2020

Great Local Musicians – éVOID – for all the Fadgets | Jive Talking and Eyeballing From Jive Talking and Eyeballing Facebook Group It all began with a band called Zennith in Brakpan near Johannesburg in 1977.

[theteenagetrickster]

TLC's 'CrazySexyCool' at 25: The scoop of the game-changing R&B standard

Atlanta georgia triad TLC came in on the arena in 1992, yet it was actually 'CrazySexyCool', their game-changing 2nd album, that bound their tale, launching the globe to fly female fashion trend as well as swinging brand of message-driven R&B, while performing factors not one other lady team had performed previously. T-Boz and Chilli talk to NME about the landmark cd as it celebrates its own 25th wedding anniversary

Tender Loving Care's' CrazySexyCool 'is actually 25 today" Our team were all resting there certainly like, 'This is awful ',"claims Tionne"T-Boz "Watkins, giggling as she recollects the opportunity bandmate Lisa"Left behind Eye "Lopes turned in her knowledgeable for their initial Amount One single,'Creep'."She essentially composed an anti- 'Creep' rap. When it came to shooting the 1st video clip we took the rap off of it. And since we carried out that Lisa put tape on her oral cavity as a protest so she could not sing the track."

"As well as not frequent strip," includes Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas. "Our experts're speaking about the gray tape you apply a container at the UPS retail store, right stuff that may take your skin off. We possessed to go to the trailer as well as attempt and talk her into taking it off."

According to T-Boz, Left Behind Eye, that tragically passed away in a cars and truck accident in 2002, wasn't a fan of the topic concern of 'Creep'. In amongst the monitor's jazzy horns, funky drum stops and also wishing synths were actually lyrics like: "I'll certainly never leave him down/ Though I could play around/ It is actually merely create I require some devotion," which she dreaded her then-boyfriend, NFL vast recipient Andre Rison, might obtain the incorrect idea.

"They possessed among those genuine sensitive, jealous-type partnerships so she didn't desire him to think that she was cheating," she describes. "But it possessed nothing to perform along with their genuine relationship, it was really a private circumstance that occurred to me."

Bearing In Mind Left Behind Eye and the "charming and odd" ways she will pen her raps, T-Boz says: "She used to go in the restroom as well as write in the stall along with her little of grass. She used to sit certainly there and smoke cigarettes, and write sidewards on the bathroom along with her feet up on the wall and her back versus the stall." And also those raps were an integral part of the results of 'CrazySexyCool'.

"Left Eye generally wrote an anti-'Creep' rap due to the fact that she really did not just like the topic. Our company were all sitting certainly there like, 'This is actually terrible ...'"-- T-Boz

Accredited 12-times platinum eagle in the United States and selling over 23 million copies worldwide, the album observed Tender Loving Care happen to come to be the initial girl group to ever before be granted ruby status due to the RIAA. Bagging them a couple of Grammys, they were likewise first black show ever to win the desirable Online video of the Year award at the MTV Video Recording Songs Honors for their outbreak smash hit, 'Waterfalls'.

A lot more than sales as well as honors, 'CrazySexyCool' paved the method for the next creation of woman teams. Taking what they had picked up from watching those that came prior to them -- such as the likes of SWV, En Vogue and R&B boybands like New Version and BBD -- TLC packaged an innovative brand-new attitude as well as distinct swagger that influenced the following surge of girl power. A few of the enthusiasts who grew up listening to the team happened to take facility stage on their own: All Saints, Minimal Mix and, on a much bigger scale, Serendipity's Child and also the Seasoning Girls -- something Mel C acknowledged in a meeting with last year.

TLC:( L-R) Rozonda "Chilli "Thomas, Tionne"T-Boz" Watkins and also Lisa "Left Behind Eye"Lopes of TLC" Our team had a great deal to prove keeping that second album," claims Chilli."It established us en masse that was actually gon na be actually right here for a long period of time as well as it

showed our experts weren't merely a gimmick. "" As well as I think it is actually doing what our experts wished it to accomplish still to this day "T-Boz incorporates."It's merely good music that possesses no age and also interest everybody, irrespective of colour. It does not matter what sex, creed or race you are, it is actually only great songs and also that's what I really love regarding it. It is actually enduring."

Enduring is an absolutely a great way to explain 'CrazySexyCool', as is, unsurprisingly, the cd's label. Designed through Left Behind Eye, Spicy pepper mentions the title -- which exemplifies the private individualities of the team (Crazy [Left Eye], Alluring [Chilli], Trendy [T-Boz] -- was become pregnant while on a vacation to Europe.

"It's so comical due to the fact that when Lisa formulated it I was personally a little upset," details Spicy pepper. "I thought Tionne should have been actually sexy. All of us can possess participated in crazy as well as sexy however I understand I am actually great-- I'm the trendy one. I was actually confused in order to why I would certainly be seductive. I felt like, 'That is actually certainly not me, that is actually Tionne!' I simply failed to take a look at myself like that."

Giggling, T-Boz states: "Lisa slapped her benefit her scalp as well as was like, 'Lady, you much better acknowledge!'"

"I thought Tionne must possess been 'gorgeous'. All of us can possess played 'outrageous' and 'sexy' however I understand I am actually 'awesome'. I am actually the great one!" -- Chilli

It was obvious from the minute you initially pressed play on 'CrazySexyCool' merely just how much of a departure it was actually from the group's 1992 debut, 'Ooooooohhh ... On the TLC Suggestion'. Combining ardent gouges as well as sensuous riffs with edgy hip-hop beats and moving away from the preferred sounds of brand-new jack swing, they took what Mary J. Blige was actually performing at the moment along with her signature brand name of hip-hop heart, mixed in some Atlanta georgia festoon, and also provided something brand-new as well as distinctive for attenders to wrap their ears around.

Tackling more severe subject matters than in previous years, the album was a coming-of-age minute for TLC. From AIDS as well as gang physical violence to sexuality and romanticism, regardless of the topic there was a newly found peace of mind as well as youthful confidence on display screen all over the album's 16 monitors. In the erotic bounce of 'Allow's Do It Once again' as well as 'Take Our Opportunity', the trio showed a more aggressive edge to their art while verifying they were fully comfy along with the more explicit edge of self-expression.

TLC's'CrazySexyCool'

has actually offered over 23 million copies worldwide. Joining several of the very same manufacturers who worked with their launching cd, Dallas Austin, Jermaine Dupri as well as Babyface got on hand to aid assemble the important basis of 'CrazySexyCool'. Organized Noize, Chucky Thompson as well as the then-named Drag Father filled out the remainder of the creation roster.

Puff's job was to look after some of the cd's interludes, which at opportunities, be it unexpextedly, offered some comic relief. 'Sexy' starts off apparently illustrating phone sexual activity just before turning right into a prank telephone call as Chilli seductively talks to Puffy to pass her some tissue ... so she can rub her ass.

"Me and Puff resided in the display together as well as I was expected to, you know, speak alluring," describes Chilli, chuckling to herself. "And I needed to turn it lucky unusual because I found it weird talking sexy throughout. I could not cease giggling so our team found yourself must take it in that instructions and merely make it extra like a laugh."

Puffy also produced the only cover on the album, 'If I Was Your Girlfriend'. Initially created by Royal prince, it is among the rare events that the Purple One provided yet another performer permission to cover his job.

"Getting consent to carry out it was in fact simpler than creating the song," says T-Boz, including that she couldn't believe Prince even permitted all of them to perform it.

The album's trademark track, and most likely the group's too (some may say that 'No Scrubs' is entitled to that honour) is 'Waterfalls'. Created by Left Behind Eye, Marqueze Etheridge and Organized Noize, with some effect coming from Paul McCartney (properly, maybe), and also including support vocals coming from Cee-Lo Veggie, it didn't merely hint the album over the edge, it released it into another stratosphere. Accomplishing mass international success, it arrived at top of Advertising board's Very hot 100 chart as well as kept there for 7 weeks, while likewise topping graphes all over the planet, topping at Amount Four in the UK.

Originally claiming that she positively understood the tune will be actually a hit, T-Boz then quickly back-pedals. "Really, no I didn't," she says. "I wished that it will be, yet moreover I simply hoped that folks would certainly comprehend it considering that our team were discussing some challenging circumstances. I undoubtedly recognised the potential that it had."

"It was the kinda track that required a video clip to make it happen to life," she includes, mentioning the song's significant spending plan online video. Directed by F. Gary Gray and fired in the very same pond where Jaws was filmed, 'Waterfalls' features the team in liquefied form walking on water as they perform about the consequences of the controlled substance field and also the risks of possessing vulnerable sex.

Coming out with to include that it was "game over" once the music video clip went down, Chilli reviews the song's topic issue. "It was regularly essential for our team to chat regarding things that were actually definitely happening," she describes. "Therefore along with AIDS being such a significant thing our team intended to deliver understanding to it since people were referring to it however they weren't really referring to it."

"We would like to defend things that was essential however perform it in a way that was actually musically exciting as well as never preachy," includes T-Boz.

As well as while 'Falls' might have been actually the initial Leading single ever to mention HIV, it wasn't the first opportunity Tender Loving Care openly marketed safe sex. In the video for 'Ain't 2 Honored 2 Beg', a singular from their debut cd, the ladies can be viewed using unopened prophylactics as style accessories, pinned to pants, braces and put inside glasses lens.

TLC were actually the 1st dark act ever to succeed Video clip of the Year at the MTV Video Songs Awards.

"Regrettably, all right stuff our experts discussed at that time, and even on the brand-new album, is actually still going on today," points out Spicy pepper. "Our experts still possess concerns along with folks not utilizing prophylactics and with secure sexual activity in standard. Whether the updates yearns for to speak about it or otherwise, it is actually still there."

Yet another intense minute on 'CrazySexyCool' is actually cd nearer 'Sumthin Wicked In This Manner Arrives'. Participating in like a 'What's Happening' for the hip-hop creation, it includes a knowledgeable from a young André 3000 taped just before OutKast released their debut album. Spicy pepper remembers hearing his vocals for the very first time.

"I was only like, 'Oh my gosh'," she says, gushingly. "It's hilarious considering that he wasn't even André 3000 yet but you simply recognized he performed his means. His voice, it was actually so unique."

"He had not been even André 3000 but-- yet you felt in one's bones he performed his technique. His vocal, it was actually so exclusive" -- Spicy pepper, on a specific then-unknown 'CrazySexyCool' guest performer

Other songs newsworthy feature: 'Traffic signal Unique', the seductive slow-moving jam created to acquire factors entering the bedroom; 'Diggin' on You', the Babyface-produced crush anthem that features perhaps the absolute most beautiful bridge in current R&B; and also 'Scenario of the Fake Individuals', which the ladies both wish they will discharged as a single during the time. "I looked at it as our 'What Concerning Your Friends' sequel," points out Chilli.

As fresh currently as it remained in 1994, 'CrazySexyCool' remains for good in fashion. Like Paradise's 'Nevermind', Janet Jackson's 'Rhythm Country 1814', Royal prince's 'Violet Storm' or Madonna's 'Like a Prayer', its own patterned technique to creation and unflinching cultural commentary keeps it appropriate no matter time.

Today, TLC are actually still The United States's biggest-selling gal team. T-Boz and also Spicy pepper remain to visit-- they've simply announced they'll be going back to Greater london upcoming year-- as well as in 2017 they released a self-titled album, their 1st center cd in 15 years. However 'CrazySexyCool' is going to constantly be that album.

Searching for the most ideal method to define the album, after tossing out phrases like "timeless" and also "game-changing" T-Boz talks to if she can phone it "torch-worthy".

"We are actually the biggest lady group of everlasting in The United States and also our experts are actually still keeping the light, so the cd's torch-worthy." Can not argue with that said.

The blog post TLC's 'CrazySexyCool' at 25: The inside account of the game-changing R&B standard seemed initially on NME.

This content was originally published here.

[newyorktheater]

Adam Driver, from trooper to trouper

On Veterans Day, a reminder from Adam Driver, Broadway veteran  and military veteran, and the founder of Arts in the Armed Forces, a nonprofit that brings theater to the military: “The birth of theater was from a military environment. The Greeks — Aeschylus, Euripides, all these elected generals — wrote plays for a culture that was at war.”

Other non-profit groups that help veterans pursue  the arts either as a vocation or an avocation:

United States Veterans’ Artists Alliance (USVAA)

Veteran Artist Program (VAP)

Society of Artistic Veterans (SocArtVets)

Also:

TDF’s Veterans Theatergoing Program

TDF partners with veteran groups in the city to provide free tickets to veterans to Broadway shows on select days. Next up: Tootsie on November 12, Come From Away on November 13, Beetlejuice on November 19.

The Week in New York Theater Reviews

Broadbend, Arkansas

“Broadbend, Arkansas” is billed as a musical about three generations of an African-American family in the South grappling with injustice.  While technically accurate, that’s a misleading description of a show that falls so short of what it could be, that I prefer to view it as a work in progress.

The Black History Museum

“Whoo, that was some heavy shit,” our guide says after leading us through 400 years of African-American history. It was hard to disagree. Every inch of HERE Arts Center has been transformed into an immersive “theatrical museum” – part theater, part museum — an impressively ambitious collaborative effort by a veritable army of African-American artists. “The Black History Museum, According to the United States of America” is illuminating, depressing, enraging, amusing, inspiring. It is overwhelming, in both good ways and bad.

The 2020 Book Report

David Lawson made a personal sacrifice as a public service: He read 10 campaign books, all but one by current candidates for President of the United States. From his reading, he has fashioned an hour-long show that should get wider exposure than the one-shot performance last night as part of the 2019 Gotham Storytelling Festival at the Kraine Theater

The Michaels

If Richard Nelson, the writer and director of “The Michaels,” were hired to direct the next Marvel movie, would Iron Man, Thor and the Hulk sit around the kitchen table in Rhinebeck, New York for two hours talking in barely audible voices about art, death, politics, and their old fights with Loki, while Spider-man bakes a loaf of bread, and the Black Panther takes Wolverine for a walk? That’s been the formula for Nelson’s four Apple Family plays and then his three plays in The Gabrielsseries, and it’s back once again with “The Michaels,” subtitled “Conversations During Difficult Times,” a play about a family of dancers gathering around a kitchen table in Rhinebeck, New York, which I’m hoping will be a one-off, rather than the first of yet another series.

Cyrano

Peter Dinklage’s singing voice would not normally qualify him for a role in a musical, unless in a Disney animated movie as a singing rhinoceros. But Rex Harrison couldn’t really sing either, and he was just right for My Fair Lady. In several ways, the star of Game of Thrones is an inspired hire for a musical adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac…Dinklage wears no fake nose. He doesn’t need to. He also proves once again to be a terrific actor… But ‘Cyrano’ is missing…panache.

Bella Bella

Bella Abzug spoke at my junior high school graduation, until Donna Florio’s mother told her to shut up. “This is my daughter’s graduation, not a political rally.”  Abzug paused, apologized….and kept on talking for ten more minutes, caught up in the vehemence of her argument against the latest political outrage.

That’s my most vivid memory of this fiery member of Congress, anti-war activist, influential feminist, and fearless advocate that Harry Fierstein is portraying Off-Broadway at MTC in his new solo play about her life.  Fierstein’s affection for his subject is abundantly evident in Bella Bella – so much so that he seems to have turned her into himself.

Dr. Ride’s American Beach House

The two ladies hanging out on the roof are lesbians; they just don’t know it yet. The title of Liza Birkenmeier’s play, which marks her Off-Broadway playwriting debut, may seem to promise something rollicking, but what unfolds is actually small, slow and seemingly random, existing almost entirely as subtext.  “Dr. Ride’s American Beach House” is largely about repressed desire.

The Week in New York Theater News

Bob Martin

Luke Kirby plays a movie star trying on “Hamlet” and Rachel McAdams a young member of the company in the first season of “Slings & Arrows.”

The first and biggest (and ok, only) scoop I’ve had on NewYorkTheater.me was when Bob Martin told me on Twitter that he and his two co-creators were contemplating a fourth season for “Slings and Arrows,” the cult Canadian TV series about a fictional theater suspiciously similar to the Stratford Festival.  The show is so wildly beloved that his Twitter remarks became international news, which I milked in a couple of subsequent posts, here and here.

That was seven years ago! Now, the TV critic of the L.A.Times casually  mentions in an interview with Martin’s two co-creators Susan Coyne and Mark McKinney the Slings and Arros “prequel they are currently shopping,”:

“Now you’ve written a prequel, “Amateurs.”

Mark McKinney: Yes. I’ve always loved that word, because of the Latin root, “to love.” There was kind of a lot of “Could you do a Season 4?” and we noodled around…We were driving down [to Stratford] and started talking about Cyril and Frank [gay, older members of the New Burbage company, played by Graham Harley and Michael Polley], because you were explaining to me how nice it was to drive down in the spring, and we thought, “Oh, my God, Cyril and Frank, what would it have been like in 1953 if they had been part of the original festival, not knowing that they were about to walk into the first society that would embrace who they were?”

The interview explains just what’s so terrific about the original three seasons of “Slings and Arrows

The Minutes will open at the Cort Theater on March 15, 2020 with Tracy Letts himself in the cast, along with  Ian Barford (currently in Letts’ “Linda Vista”), Blair Brown, Cliff Chamberlain, K. Todd Freeman, Armie Hammer, Danny Mccarthy, Jessie Mueller, Sally Murphy, Austin Pendleton, Jeff Still

Ivo Van Hove’s  West Side Story, which begins previews in December but doesn’t open until February, will be just one act (no intermission) — “I want to make a juggernaut,” Van Hove tells Adam Green in Vogue. To that end, he’s omitting the song “I Feel Pretty” and the Somewhere ballet — and adding videos!

Broadway’s Dirty Secret :Ivo Van Hove’s success shows how much American commercial theater relies on European state funding, as Helen Lewis details in The Atlantic.

The Trojan Women Project Festival at La MaMa ETC will feature a newly re-imagined version of La MaMa’s groundbreaking 1973 “The Trojan Women,” directed by Andrei Serban, with some original members of the cast and artists from  Guatemala, Cambodia and Kosovo. The two-week festival includes workshops, panel discussions, and performances. December 6-15th.

    Jagged Musical’s lottery at JaggedLottery.com and rush at the Broadhurst box office are both $40.

Whoa. Performances of Death of a Salesman in London starring @WendellPierce had to be stopped when the ceiling fell in. Five theatergoers hospitalized with minor injuries.https://t.co/snGAEaCi0U pic.twitter.com/k5EYUsYKxq

— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) November 9, 2019

She Persisted, the musical adaptation of Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger’s illustrated feminist picture book, “She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World, will play at Atlantic Theater in 2020.

   Composer Marc Shaiman (Hairspray, Catch Me If You can, Smash, etc.) will write original music for the revival of Plaza Suite, starring Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker, directed by John Benjamin Hickey, which opens on Broadway’s Hudson Theater on April 13, 2020.

Yes, you CAN make a living as a playwright: Playwright Lauren Yee has won over $400,000 in literary prizes in 2019

Critics Corner

Michael Billington is retiring as theater critic for The Guardian after 48 years. He will be succeeded by Arifa Akbar.  Billington began at the British newspaper in 1971 and has written roughly 10,000 reviews,.“I shall shortly be 80 and, with the years, the stress of writing to a deadline doesn’t get any easier”

  The Power of the Critic: A Discussion

with Manohla Dargis (co-chief film critic for The New York Times), Antwaun Sargent (independent writer and critic and author of The New Black Vanguard: Photography between Art and Fashion), Jillian Steinhauer (art critic for The New York Times), and Daniel Mendelsohn (editor-at-large of The New York Review), moderated by Lucas Zwirner (head of content of David Zwirner).

On “thumbs up” criticism:

Manohla Dargis: Do you ever feel like a seller? Because there was an editor who used to always ask me to make sure I put a little word in the first sentence so everyone knew if I liked the movie or didn’t. But I just wanted them to read me. Maybe they’ll figure it out from my enthusiasm around writing, but I want them to know in my own sweet time.

Daniel Mendelsohn: What always gets eroded is any possibility of complexity. Thumbs up, thumbs down, five stars, one star—this is idiotic, right? Because most things are mixed. Don’t tell them everything in the first paragraph—because you liked certain things but not others, and that’s how most things are. If the whole discourse becomes “like/not like,” that’s not conducive to anything interesting.

  Rest In Peace

Laurel Griggs, 13, Broadway veteran of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Once.

  Veterans and Theater. Slings and Arrows returns for real!? Van Hove’s West Side Story Not Feeling Pretty. #Stageworthy News of the Week On Veterans Day, a reminder from Adam Driver, Broadway veteran  and military veteran, and the founder of…

[213hiphopworldnews]

All The Best New R&B From This Week That You Need To Hear

Uproxx Studios

Sometimes good R&B can be hard to find, but there are plenty of great rhythm and blues tunes to get into if you have the time to sift through the hundreds of newly released songs every week. So that R&B heads can focus on listening to all the great music, every Friday we’ll be offering a weekly digest of the hottest R&B jams fans of the genre should hear.

This week, Grammy-winning Sade released her new song “The Big Unknown,” which was made especially for Steve McQueen’s film Widows. As original movie soundtracks are currently having their moment, the Mike WiLL Made-It curated Creed II soundtrack was also released this week, including the smooth new track “Shea Butter Baby” by Dreamville’s Ari Lennox featuring J. Cole, while legendary R&B powerhouse Brandy flexed her stunning vocals all over her new track “All I Need.” Check out these and more new tracks below.

Sade — “The Big Unknown”

As the legendary Sade Adu works towards the follow-up to 2010’s Soldier Of Love, “The Big Unknown,” off the soundtrack for Steve McQueen’s film Widows, is the iconic singer’s latest offering until then. “The Big Unknown” captures Sade’s ethereal energy perfectly, as her voice travels over deep piano keys and heavy strings to the clashing of hi-hats and snares in a rather sorrowful way. “I’m just trying to hold on / I’m falling in the dark below / I feel I’m falling in the big unknown / There’s no fire and flame on this cold, cold plane,” Sade sings. “No way to measure my pain.” It’s rare Sade releases any music and just this year alone, fans of Sade and her band got to hear new music from her twice.

Ari Lennox Feat. J. Cole — “Shea Butter Baby”

Ari Lennox‘s voice on “Shea Butter Baby” is nestled superbly in between J. Cole‘s harmonizing and a lustful production offering decorative guitar riffs and unexpected, blazing synths. It’s one of many songs featured on Creed II‘s original soundtrack released today and hardly needs to fight for its spot among the other rambunctious cuts featured on the project. “Shea Butter Baby” is shrouded in free spirit love making — without the shame.

Brandy — “All I Need”

“All I Need” is a new single from Fox’s musical series Star sung by Brandy, who happens to star in the show herself. Brandy undeniably has one of the best voices of this generation and she reminds everyone of this on “All I Need.” The track could easily become a classic bride and groom’s first dance song. “You’re all I Need / You’re all I want / Here is my heart, here is is my love,” she lovingly croons.

Mariah Carey Feat. Slick Rick & Blood Orange — “Giving Me Life”

Honestly, Mariah Carey really outdid herself on her new album Caution, and “Giving Me Life” featuring Slick Rick and Blood Orange is the blessing that Mariah’s fans all knew she could deliver. The infectious vibe of the track is slow and passionately dwells in angelic summer love. Blood Orange deserves recognition for carrying the track to its pleasure-focused peak at the end. It’s not until this moment that a craving for more Mariah and Dev Hynes settles in.

Normani Feat. 6LACK — “Waves”

Normani and 6LACK come together for the ultimate duet on the Jonah Christian-produced single “Waves.” Fluctuating emotions are the topic of this song, which addresses the familiar issue of wanting to be with someone but not wanting to be with them at the same time. Normani will be joining Ariana Grande on her Sweetener tour and is slated to release her debut album at the top of 2019. With her latest string of releases, the albums sounds to be promising.

Anderson .Paak — “Mansa Musa”

Anderson .Paak’s Oxnard is out and “Mansa Musa” featuring Dr. Dre and Coco Sarai is a standout. The song was originally Dre’s, but he gave it to Paak. “Mansa Musa” is a reference to the richest man in the world who hailed from the Mali kingdom in Africa, and the song sounds like it’s dripping in pure gold. “Back on my bullsh*t / I got some money to blow / I’m lookin’ good, b*tch,” Anderson aggressively belts out on the track. “Even though I’s the king, I stay hood rich / Mansa Musa, gold jewelry / Ooh, what’chu talkin’ ’bout? Sh*t, gold two piece.”

Lucky Daye — “Roll Some Mo”

Bubbling R&B singer Lucky Daye dropped the music video for his I EP song “Roll Some Mo” this week. Upon first listen Lucky could be singing about smoking marijuana with his girl but, he could also be singing about the way Mary Jane makes him feel. The visual shows Lucky and his lady rolling up and enjoying each others company.

WIINSTON — “Angelina”

WIINSTON is the R&B duo out of Canada that deserves to be heard. “Angelina” is a great introductory track for the recently Captiol Records-signed group made of Alfred Thomas and Daniel Wagtmann. The producer-songwriting pair’s 12-track debut Midnight Rocket was released today and does not disappoint.

source https://uproxx.com/hiphop/the-best-r-b-this-week-from-sade-ari-lennox-brandy/

#hiphop #hip hop legend #hip hop history #hip hop #music #trending #hip hop news #ballin #hip hop scen

[londontheatre]

In the 250th anniversary year of the invention of modern circus, the Roundhouse’s CircusFest 2018 focuses on the future of circus: daring and diverse, punky and poetic, subversive and socially aware.

From the spectacular to the intimate, the festival showcases the point where circus collides with theatre, dance, live art, film and even virtual reality.

Founded in 2009, CircusFest is London’s biennial international festival of contemporary circus taking place at the Roundhouse as well as selected partner venues around London. Circus has come a long way since Philip Astley created the first variety show and this year’s CircusFest shows how this art form is always innovating and evolving. With fifteen shows, two film projects and artists from three continents including companies from Sweden, USA, Finland and Palestine, the artists have blown circus apart and are putting it back together in new ways.

The Roundhouse believes in the power of creativity to transform lives and CircusFest explores the difference circus can make, from the pertinent work of the Palestinian Circus School, to the documentary Even When I Fall and its look at Circus Kathmandu, to the Street Circus Collective’s Throwdown, part of the Roundhouse’s activities with 11-25-year-olds.

Headlining this programme are two incredibly powerful productions: the world premiere of Relentless Unstoppable Human Machine from the acclaimed Pirates of the Carabina and the UK premiere of Groupe Bekkrell‘s punk show The Bekkrell Effect.

The Bekkrell Effect is an exhilarating visual feast combining the power of punk with risk and flare. Five performers hurtle around the stage, things fall apart, atoms decay and relationships break up – below the surface is chaos, yet with enough distance everything can be beautiful. Part riot-grrrl pop song, part circus spectacle The Bekkrell Effect is an energising experience.

Inspired by physicist Henri Becquerel’s discovery of radioactivity, French company Groupe Bekkrell have created an unstable universe of perpetual movement where matter decays and bonds disintegrate. Powered by the strength of its performers and driven with the momentum of a gig at the end of the world, it is at once comic and revealing.

Relentless Unstoppable Human Machine (RUHM) by Pirates of the Carabina is a world premiere of the brand new mechanically ingenious circus show from the makers of FLOWN. Delving bravely into the fantastical imaginations of two fated acrobats, RUHM is enjoyably anarchic, punchy and exhilarating, with an ingenious interconnected set and original live score.

Featuring vertical-swinging trapeze, never-ending ropes, a spinning carousel, high-wire and a very temperamental staircase, RUHM offers up a playful, humorous modernist parable about time, technology and the forces that drive us.

Highlights of this year’s CircusFest also include the European premiere of The Richochet Project’s Said and Done, 2015 Total Theatre Award winners Palestinian Circus School’s new show SARAB (Mirage), Ellie Dubois’ award-winning Edinburgh smash hit No Show, and the V&A Late highlighting the 250th anniversary of circus and the future of this ever-popular physical, visual art form.

Producers of CircusFest 2018, Molly Nicholson and Daniel Pitt comment, London was the birthplace of modern circus in 1768. Like London, circus is highly international and the Roundhouse presents brilliant artists from around the world regardless of language or borders. We’re looking to the future of circus, celebrating the strength, skill and potency of these incredible artists and joining their pursuit for development in the art form and change in the world.

The diverse and exciting full programme for CircusFest 2018 is as follows:

Relentless Unstoppable Human Machine (RUHM) by Pirates of the Carabina (3 – 15 April, Roundhouse Main Space) This is the world premiere of a brand-new mechanically-ingenious family-friendly circus show. Adventure into a world of mechanical chaos, where everything has a mind of its own and connections appear in unexpected ways. As contraptions, fixtures and fittings come to life, our heroes begin to question their place in it all.

The Bekkrell Effect by Groupe Bekkrell (19 – 22 April, Roundhouse Main Space) This UK premiere by French company Groupe Bekrell is an exciting chance to experience the richness of European circus. Combining innovative rigging and exceptional circus artists, The Bekkrell Effect swings between acrobatics and poetry, falling and flying, in a performance as energetic as a nuclear reaction.

Fram & Dunt by Collectif and then… (3 – 5 April, Roundhouse Sackler Space) A story about Fram aka daughter aka hair hung artist Francesca Hyde who asked Dunt aka dad aka 60-year-old Joe Hyde to run away with her to the circus, despite him having no previous circus experience. Her secret mission, to get him to quit his job and bring him to the stage that he has always dreamed of.

Breaking Point by Weibel Weibel Co. (6 – 8 April, Roundhouse Sackler Space) Mainly through slack rope, Alexander Weibel Weibel explores ideas of tension and how far things can be pushed before the inevitable happens.

Throwdown by Roundhouse Street Circus Collective (12 – 14 April, Roundhouse Sackler Space) Throwdown is an energetic-in-your-face-encounter, bursting with the individual style and personality of 20 young circus artists and hip-hop dancers. The Roundhouse Street Circus Collective brings together bold young circus artists and street dancers aged 16-25 with a drive to train, collaborate, produce and present their own work.

Even When I Fall by Sky Neal & Kate McLarnon (15 April, Roundhouse Sackler Space) Even When I Fall traces the journey of trafficking survivors over 6 years as they confront the families that sold them, seek acceptance within their own country and begin to build a future. They struggle against the odds and without education, but inadvertently these girls were left with a secret weapon by their captors – their breathtaking skills as circus artists. Nepal’s first and only circus company challenge the deep-seated stigma against trafficked women.

No Show by Ellie Dubois (18 – 22 April, Roundhouse Main Space) After taking Edinburgh Fringe 2017 by storm and winning a prestigious Herald Angel Award, No Show explores what you expect when you go to the circus. It joyously and heartbreakingly reveals what lies hidden beneath the showmanship. See behind the flawless smiles and perfect execution of the traditional circus performance to show the wobbles, the pain, and the real cost of aiming for perfection. A show for anyone who has tried, failed and failed better.

Zoetrope by Remy Archer (3 – 22 April, Roundhouse Main Space) While working as a filmmaker at social circuses in Palestine and Ethiopia, Remy Archer was inspired by the incredible talent, artistry and social impact of what he saw. Zoetrope is a 360 film installation that weaves together some of these stories into a visceral tapestry that plunges audiences into scenes that would otherwise be inaccessible.

Said and Done by The Ricochet Project (4 – 7 April, Jacksons Lane) Using high-flying contortions, live sonic installation, lo-fi technology and acrobatic distortions, Said and Done is a surrealist reality check set somewhere in the expressionist ice-desert of the not so distant future.

SARAB (Mirage) by Palestinian Circus Company (13 – 15 April 2018, Jacksons Lane) 2015 Total Theatre Award winners return with a new show about the unexpected, something that turns out to be only a mirage. Dragged to an uncertain end, with an unknown destiny, they finally arrive – but have they reach their goal? And what did they want?

Friday Late: Circus – Past, Present & Future (27 April, Victoria and Albert Museum) This is a collaboration between Roundhouse CircusFest – the home for contemporary circus – and the Victoria and Albert Museum – who hold a large number of objects that reveal the history of circus. With 2018 being Circus250, we must consider what’s next for this ever-popular physical, visual art form. Expect workshops that test your agility, rarely seen archives from the V&A’s collection, a series of live performances and newly commissioned inter-disciplinary acts.

Head by John-Paul Zaccarini (9 April, Jacksons Lane) For nine years, John-Paul delighted audiences worldwide with his show Throat. Now a Professor in Circus, he’s back and delighted to give them Head. As brainy as he is buff, a bimbo philosopher, he presents a middle-aged, one man circus lecture pretending to be a performance.

Hyena by Alula Cyr (12 – 13 April, The Albany) The first all-female Cyr troupe, Alula’s debut Hyena explodes onto the UK circus scene in a whirlwind of women, wheels, acrobatics, dance and song.

Knot by Nikki and JD (17 – 18 April, The Place) The Knot is the invisible string that connects two people. Using acrobatics, movement and storytelling to expose the hopes we hold for the ideal lover, Knot is the story of two hearts making sense of perfection.

Yablochkov Candle by Ilona Jantti & Aino Venna (19 – 21 April, Jacksons Lane) Enter the velvet world of cabaret in 1920s Vienna for an evening of poetic jazz and aerial performance, infused with the smoky tones of French chansons and old-school rock ‘n’ roll. This unique and minimalist cabaret-esque night will linger in your memory for months to come.

Natalie Inside Out by Natalie Reckert and Mark Morreau (8 April, Jacksons Lane) This playful collaboration between virtuoso hand balancer Natalie Reckert and digital artist Mark Morreau explores the inner workings and fragmentation of the acrobatic body through digital technology and video projection. Beautiful, didactic and highly skilled, Natalie Inside Out turns our conventional ideas of circus upside down and inside out. Literally.

CircusFest 2018 Performance Dates Tuesday 3rd – Friday 27th April 2018 Location Roundhouse, Chalk Farm Road, London NW1 8EH, http://ift.tt/wNAPNe

http://ift.tt/2ADscQa London Theatre 1

#IFTTT #London Theatre 1

[dthwvspot-blog]

SoundCloud ‘Next Wave’ captures shift in music trends, reflects change in streaming platform

A new wave has broken on the shores of the music industry. This wave has people wanting to literally jump on board, but this time, in the form of a sound wave, discovering music while surfing the internet.

Music is more accessible than ever, uploaded and dispersed through music streaming platforms like SoundCloud, Spotify and Band Camp where discovery of similar artists and tools for creativity are prioritized. Scrolling across one’s feed, a person might run into an artist like Danny of Steezy Prime, who now has upwards of 10,000 followers. He has prolifically produced more than forty emo trap beats in the past two years, and created “Purity”, an internet label featuring production from friends rather than promoting a corporate agenda.

After continuing to scroll, following more artists, one begins adding depth to their feed, essentially creating their own wave of incoming music. SoundCloud aims at analyzing this concept in their newly released series, Next Wave.

The video crew first took to the streets of Los Angeles, where they delved into the suburbs where the goth-rap scene is taking root. Musicians such as Fat Nick, Pouya and Lil Tracy are some major players in this scene. The series highlights how Pouya transformed from his modest start. He now has 5.98 million listens on SoundCloud alone to his song 1000 Rounds.

As coined in the first episode, the “degenerate generation” has found their place on SoundCloud. According to the company’s statement, these artists have gravitated to a sound that “has not slowed down since the first goth rap hashtag surfaced… in 2010.” The series portrays how artists have succeeded using their collaborative platform and where music is heading.

The names featured in the series “represents a change in the relationship between musicians and fans,” said Megan West, SoundCloud Vice President of Content Relations. “Through the high speed of communication online the paradigm has shifted where massive underground followings can form organically overnight without traditional marketing…It reinforces our view that what’s next in music is on SoundCloud now.”

Frankie Denham, known by his 6,000 SoundCloud followers in the emo-rap scene by the moniker Foreign Forest, spoke with me via SoundCloud about the idea of the old norm versus the new scene.

“As more clones develop new sounds are sought after and eventually…come to the table,” Denham said. “It is hard to predict where we’ll go from here, we might dig up a style from the past and revive it like we usually do.”

This exemplifies how the old norm ends up being recycled into the new status quo. Denham expanded, stating what he likes most about SoundCloud is “how inviting it is to most newcomers and how easy it is to gain exposure on the platform,” Denham said.

Next Wave documents how SoundCloud influences this cooperation process, with its site being accessible to newcomers but exclusive enough for established artists. Many SoundCloud artists hold this same sentiment, enjoying the camaraderie.

“[I’ve watched] the scene for a while now…a major key you learn is to observe what wave is currently happening and how can you use relevance in your music to relate to people of the time,” Denham said. “At the current state of SoundCloud and the emo/trap… scene [is] changing.”

An important aspect, he notes, is how watching a current wave happening and staying on top of that can bring “relevance” to your own music while respecting where music has come from; via sampling classic songs in their beats or acoustic projects.

“I love the accessibility [SoundCloud] generates for anyone creating music. I think emo-trap… is constantly evolving — just in the last year it’s turned into a huge scene that used to be super… underground… more artists are popping up that are changing the game completely,” said Caspr, an up-and-coming emo-trap SoundCloud artist.

Marciel, known as 93FEETOFSMOKE, first started producing music on Ableton, which according to the company website offers “unique software and hardware for music creation and performance. With these products… users create amazing things.” As an artist that found his success online, Marciel commends SoundCloud, in tandem with Ableton, for its accessibility to new artists.

“Record labels are going to lose the complete control that they've had over artists in the past. Producers and engineers are also going to get more shine than they ever have… You don't have to sign a deal anymore,” Marciel said.

Sponsored by Toyota, the series exemplifies SoundCloud’s main source of revenue — through sponsors and advertisements. According to their site, “Every time you see or hear an ad, artists get paid. Occasional advertising on our platform allow us to continue to support artists and keep SoundCloud free for listeners."

SoundCloud nearly went bankrupt and offline earlier this year, but with support from Chance the Rapper and the global merchant bank, The Raine Group, they landed back on their feet. Many artists on SoundCloud believe that the series comes as a direct result of a newly driven SoundCloud.

Building excitement for the series, Sound Cloud hosted an invite only, sold-out concert in LA previewing first-week acts Lil Tracy and Fat Nick, as well as DJ Soraya LaPread. The remaining episodes will document the underground music scene (across all genres) in Rio de Janeiro, Toronto, New York, London and Berlin. Each episode aims to uncover the influential shifts and trends across music. The Next Wave series is a microcosm of the global music trends today.

Perhaps Fat Nick puts it best in episode one of Next Wave, “We’ve created a whole new scene. We created it and gave other people platforms so they can like surf the wave, like, ‘here, go take your board and surf it.’ Like we made a wave.”

The Next Wave series debuted July 20. SoundCloud will continue to release episodes through the end of the year. The series has over one million views.

Word Count: 972

Works Cited and Links To Interviewed Artists’ Profiles

93FEETOFSMOKE. (n.d.). Retrieved November 07, 2017, from https://soundcloud.com/93feetofsmoke

"Caspr." SoundCloud. Accessed November 06, 2017. https://soundcloud.com/caspr.

Foreign forest. (n.d.). Retrieved November 06, 2017, from https://soundcloud.com/foreignforest

S. (n.d.). SoundCloud. Retrieved November 07, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChvgKLo-q2GXzsJBL4gubbw

"SoundCloud Explores Underground Music Scenes in Mini-docuseries, SoundCloud Next Wave." SoundCloud newsroom. Accessed November 06, 2017. http://press.soundcloud.com/156952-soundcloud-explores-underground-music-scenes-in-mini-docuseries-so

"Steezy prime." SoundCloud. Accessed November 08, 2017. https://soundcloud.com/prime.

The FADER. (n.d.). Retrieved November 06, 2017, from https://soundcloud.com/fadermedia

"We make Live, Push and Link - unique software and hardware for music creation and performance. With these products, our community of users creates amazing things." Learn more about Ableton - maker of Live and Push | Ableton. Accessed November 08, 2017. https://www.ableton.com/en/about/.

Statement of Audience Awareness

This feature article covers an up-to-date story about the most current topic in SoundCloud Headquarters and beyond.. It focuses in on SoundCloud’s new Next Wave video series and explores music across different cities. The primary objective of this article is to make the reader aware of new trends in culture and music creativity in the industry, and why a new phenomenon is underway, in the form of new genre hashtags (SoundCloud allows you to select a genre, or make a custom one) and in the form of overnight cult followings of different music groups. I assume the primary readership will be in those who are eager to stay updated on new music content, which includes publications such as The Fader, The New Yorker (a publication that writes about culture, music, and news), the Rolling Stone, as well of course The California Aggie newspaper to name a few. Being a feature piece, I made sure to edit it according to Associate Press Style with a strong lede. I intentionally formatted the article in the journalistic method of the inverted pyramid to draw in the reader and guide them through the information. The whole series was actually co-curated by The Fader, an award-winning site dedicated to staying on top of culture, art and style. The Fader is credited with giving some of the earliest exposure to superstars including Kendrick Lamar, Bon Iver, Kanye West, Outkast and The Strokes and could potentially bring huge success rates to the people mentioned in this article, such as Marciel, Caspr, and Foreign Forest. Demographically, most people interested in Sound Cloud are teenagers and millennials, who tend to vote on the liberal side and are across the spectrum of religions. Anyone in middle school, high school, college, or beyond can find this accessible, as well.

Rhetorical Analysis

On the first page, I believe I succeeded in identifying that, simply because music is popular or unpopular remains irrelevant, but the important aspect for music platforms is to stay up to date on what is tangibly happening in the world. A lot of times, online, a person can get lost in a sort of cyber space, but when a crew at SoundCloud actually visits these different music scenes, they find actual groups of friends coming together to create a different genre of music for people to hear. I also believe I did a good job in interviewing a big name in the SoundCloud scene in Foreign Forest, as well as getting insights from other big names, Caspr and 93FEETOFSMOKE. These quotes exemplify fully what SoundCloud means to people and how all these videos, songs, concerts, and blogs symbolize a drastic change in the youth subculture, music industry, and how people are expressing themselves. Businesses such as SoundCloud have now established themselves, and seen how people simply want the opportunity to create with their friends, and have made it that much easier to explore music. This shows that, before anything else, youth subculture comes first when identifying where music is heading. Because, soon enough, these same people will be the musical role models for the following generation, and the musical progression will evolve extensively.