As time has passed, mid-’90s Toy Machinist Satva Leung has found, as you already knew, a few different outlets for his creativity than just nollie backslide flipping through grannies’ ankles at Union Square. He is/was a DJ, the mastermind of the Streets videos series and has been doing a million other things since, thank you very much.
First and foremost, he’s now the senior video producer at MediaMobz. Also, he just produced, shot, and edited the Students Saving The Ocean documentary film, produces video content on DJS, events, and some skate stuff for Vimby -type his name in the search engine and it shall be revealed. Amongst all this, he still lives life with his wife Karine and tears Golden Gate Park apart on the weekends on his skateboard.
So how did such a busy dude find time to put together the list of his five tunes in a skateboard video for A Visual Sound? No idea. But hey, I’m not complaining.
*****
Sir Lady Java: My Mom Said
As used on Ron Allen’s part in A Soldier’s Story (Life, 1990) “The Life video, a timeless classic. I really liked the way this song came on in the video, it is kinda of a slow song but it was real powerful and surreal song. Props to Ron Allen!”
Broun Fellinis (**)
as used in Ride On (Real, 1995) “I had just moved to SF about a year before this video came out and it was all about slashing up the avenues as we lived in the Sunset. The way the video starts with the Huf blazing down the avenues with the Brown Fellinis horn solos matching every ollie, it definitely captured the SF just roll out your door and hit the avenues.” See it here
Casual : Lose in the End As used on Mike Carroll’s part in Virtual Reality (Plan B, 1993)
“I used skate while listening to this song in my walkman all the time at EMB in hopes of some day being able to be as good as MC. Great song though and I still play this song when I DJ out at spots if there are some backpackers in the crowd.” See it here
Michael Jackson : I Want You Back
As used on Guy mariano’s part in Video Days (Blind, 1991) “I am sure there are tons of skaters that have picked this song but it is the truth, it was one of the most influential parts of all time and the song fit the part perfectly.” See it here (*)
De La Soul : Eye Know
As used on Daewon Song’s part in New World Order (World Industries, 1993) “Daewon Song part was amazing in this video and usually is in all his video parts. The way it starts out with him killing Burl Banks and how the song starts, magical. I remember watching this video and we thought it was sped up as Daewon skates so fast.” See it here (*)
(*) : … And I mean just “see” . No more soundtrack. Thanks WMG ! Really making the world a more musical place.
(**) Game show alert ! Whoever guesses first the title of the Broun Fellini song wins a Ron Allen CD -the one that features the Sir Lady Java tune right above ! How convenient. Now to the “Comments” section…
An elaborate 3-D tribute to Michael Jackson has been planned for the 52nd annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Jan. 31 on CBS, as the show honors the King of Pop with a Lifetime Achievement Award. The tribute will feature past Grammy winners Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson, Smokey Robinson, Carrie Underwood, and Usher singing along with the voice of Michael Jackson.
The Grammy Web site report that the tribute is going to also feature a never-before-seen 3-D mini movie for “Earth Song” that Jackson himself created as the centerpiece for his This Is It tour, and has never been seen by the public. “Earth Song” was an original composition and a No. 1 hit for Jackson, with a theme about the future of the planet, which Jackson saw as a unique opportunity to deliver a message to the millions who would have seen him on tour.
CBS has partnered with Target to provide millions of free 3-D Grammy glasses so that viewers can get the full 3-D experience at home, while Grammy attendees at the Staples Center in L.A. will also receive a pair of 3-D glasses to experience the 3-D event live. The special Jackson tribute will mark the first time a sequence is broadcast three-dimensionally during an awards show.
Are you excited to see the tribute in 3-D? Will you be heading to Target for a free pair of glasses?
Make sure you check out the HitPredictor Grammy polls we have up on the Web site – let’s see how good you are at predicting Grammy winners!
This year has been the biggest yet for online video, and for the first time we’re sharing our official Most Watched lists and some of the fastest-rising search terms on YouTube. Some moments were big (President Obama’s inauguration), some small (a Minnesota wedding party erupts into dance), some expected (“New Moon”), some surprising (Susan Boyle) — but all of them inspired, entertained and connected millions of people around the world via YouTube.
For these lists, we looked at view counts of YouTube’s most popular videos (in some instances we aggregated views across multiple versions of the same video):
Most Watched YouTube videos (Global):
1. Susan Boyle – Britain’s Got Talent (120+ million views)
2. David After Dentist (37+ million views)
3. JK Wedding Entrance Dance (33+ million views)
4. New Moon Movie Trailer (31+ million views)
5. Evian Roller Babies (27+ million views)
Most Watched music videos on YouTube (Global)*:
1. Pitbull – I Know You Want Me (82+ million views)
2. Miley Cyrus – The Climb (64+ million views)
3. Miley Cyrus – Party In The U.S.A. (54+ million views)
4. The Lonely Island – I’m On A Boat (48+ million views)
5. Keri Hilson – Knock You Down (35+ million views)
Then, to determine the fastest rising search terms for each month, we examined the billions of queries that people searched for on YouTube (through December 15):
Fastest Rising YouTube search terms by month (Global):
January: inauguration
February: christian bale
March: the climb
April: susan boyle
May: pacquiao vs hatton
June: michael jackson thriller
July: michael jackson
August: usain bolt
September: kanye west
October: paranormal activity
November: bad romance
December: tiger woods
Fastest Rising YouTube search terms by month (U.S.):
January: obama inauguration
February: on a boat
March: watchmen
April: susan boyle
May: pacquiao
June: michael jackson thriller
July: wedding
August: send it on
September: kanye west
October: paranormal activity
November: adam lambert
December: tiger woods
There are a lot of interesting nuggets in here. The fastest rising U.S. search term in July was [wedding], clearly related to JK Wedding Entrance Dance, the third Most Watched YouTube video of the year. And while [michael jackson] was Google’s fastest rising search term in 2009, [michael jackson thriller] was the faster rising search on YouTube. Movie trailers (“New Moon,” “Watchmen,” “Paranormal Activity”) and inspirational moments (Susan Boyle, Usain Bolt) were popular, as were sensational celebrity scandals (Christian Bale, Kanye West, and most recently, Tiger Woods).
This is the motto of the Order of the Garter, a medieval order of English chivalry which exists to this day. It is old French and roughly translates as “Shame on he who thinks ill of it” and is supposed to date back to Edward III of England. Edward III was dancing with the Countess of Salisbury when her garter fell down, much to the amusement of all the onlookers who assumed that the King was doing a little more than the fourteenth century version of the moonwalk and had been letting his fingers do the walking. The story goes that Dicky picked up the garter and donned it himself and muttered the infamous phrase as an act of chivalry and to protect the Countess’ reputation.
Apparently, the motto also appeared on the entrance to Michael Jackson’s Neverland ranch. Allegedly, he was prone to doing more than a moonwalk and letting his fingers do the walking too. Not with the Countess of Salisbury though……I’m not sure that there was anything chivalrous going on behind those closed doors.
The King of Pops Death Certificate has been amended to say it was a homicide after the police finished their investigation. According to the amended document the superstars death was due to Propofol intoxication via injection from another. Jackson’s doctor Conrad Murray is expected to be charged with manslaughter A spokes woman for the DA’s office said”We have been working closely with the Los Angeles police during the pendency of this investigation,There is no case before us at present and no final decision has been made.”
Get The Latest On Tila and RPatz at Entertainment Today.
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Michael Jackson’s doctor to be indicted: report (thestar.com)
Michael Jackson Death Investigation Completed By LAPD (mtv.com)
Manslaughter! (perezhilton.com)
Michael Jackson’s doctor Conrad Murray likely to face charges shortly: reports (calgaryherald.com)
Source: DA to seek indictment Michael Jackson’s doctor (thenewstribune.com)
Source: DA to pursue manslaughter charge against Michael Jackson’s doctor (pbpulse.com)
Jackson’s Doc Faces Charge Over Death (news.sky.com)
Michael Jackson’s doctor Conrad Murray charged with involuntary manslaughter (telegraph.co.uk)
MJ’s doctor to be charged with manslaughter (windsorstar.com)
Michael Jackson’s doctor to be charged with manslaughter (nationalpost.com)
Michael Jackson’s choreographer, Travis Payne had a recent interview which was posted on YouTube by producer and actor Raffles van Exel, where he asked him what artists Michael was interested in working with before his death.
According to Payne, he gave MJ a list of possible collaborators which included the likes of his sister Janet, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Mariah Carey, Missy Elliott, Usher, Justin Timberlake, Celine Dion, Sting, Seal, Bono and even Tina Turner. Michael responded In a humble manner by saying that “they can all come, as long as their schedules permit and it’s not too much of a problem for them.”
He then asked MJ if there was anyone else who he would like to add to the list, to which he replies“Lady Gaga.” He then told Payne “You gotta get into her. She’s good.” Gaga then spoke to Payne on the phone where they spoke about the possible collaboration where, according to Payne “She got moved by it.”
I’ve been blogging since early 2006 when I was working at Fusion and decided I needed to get a few things off my chest. It was even more random than it is now and barely anyone saw it. Then people started telling me they read my blog and it kind of blossomed into the monster it is today.
I did give some thought over Christmas about knocking it on the head as sometimes it’s a right ball-ache to write. I may sack it off at some point this year, I don’t know, but while you lot read it and give me feedback, I’ll plough on.
Don’t forget to check out all the latest Pussycats photos in the gallery at www.djwanker.com and at www.telfordnightlife.co.uk which include ones from New Year’s Eve which, by the way, was an absolute corker at Cats.
The big moment of the festive season was, of course, the sad farewell of David Tennant in Dr Who. I know most of you don’t care so skip down a bit but I want to write something for those who have invested time in what has been a brilliant TV programme.
Now I’m not a science fiction geek and some of things which go on in the show pass me by. I’m not interested in the technical aspects, the explosions, the clever words etc – I like the relationships between the characters, the humour, the emotion, the clever writing.
The return of the Master and the Timelords didn’t float my boat particularly but I accept it was a plot device to lead Tennant to his downfall. A few other bits were just nonsensical flim-flam too and Russell T. Davies, the writer, was clearly self-indulgent. I think he should be allowed that after masterminding the return of a terrific show.
The last 20 minutes of the New Year’s Day episode didn’t make me blub like a baby but – and it’s hard to admit this – I had tears in my eyes and the odd drop did trickle. It was sensational.
With a show like Dr Who, you have to embark on a suspension of disbelief as time travel isn’t actually possible. The uber geeks on forums pick holes in plotlines and question what everything means. They forget it’s meant to be a programme for kids and adults alike to make them laugh and cry and sometimes be scared.
For the uber geeks, there HAS to be something to complain about and, trust me, they whinge about the tiniest thing. It’s entertainment, pure and simple. Some of these sci-fi keyboard warriors probably have little else of note going on in their lives.
That said, here I am writing with such passion about a TV show. The highlight of the Tennant farewell was his interaction with Wilfred, played by Bernard Cribbins. If there’s any justice in the world, Cribbins will win every best supporting TV actor award going in 2010.
We knew the Doctor was leaving and we knew the prophecy: “He will knock four times.” The knocking sent a shiver down my spine. It was Wilfred, unintentionally leading the Doctor to his demise. He sacrificed his life (in the current form) to save the sweet, old man. That bit got me going and it didn’t stop until the end.
I found the bit outside the church particularly moving when the Doctor announced he’d gone back in time to borrow money for a wedding present from Donna’s late father. It was a lovely touch from the writer because the actor who played Geoff Noble died in November 2007. Sylvia’s reaction just about set me off.
Then the book signing was emotional; as was the Ood “singing him to sleep” and, of course, the Doctor’s final words. It was a fitting end for Tennant. You’ve also got to credit the musical score which just added to the drama.
Those of you who like the show will understand all that and those who don’t probably won’t have a clue what I’m on about but it’s my blog and I can indulge as much as I want! Roll on the Spring and Matt Smith taking over Doctor duties. The Weeping Angels and Daleks are coming back, too!
Right, onwards we go and I’ve had a little look back at the blog over the past 12 months and sifted through some of the momentous events to bring you this recap of 2009:
JANUARY
News: Marks & Spencer announced they were to shed over 1000 jobs. It’s not just redundancy; it’s M&S redundancy.
Bad taste: A man went to a fancy dress party as Madeleine McCann. It was, however, a good interpretation of the missing toddler as his mum and dad were nowhere to be seen…
Barack Obama was inaugurated as president of the United States. Some Americans still confuse Obama with Osama. Slight difference.
Slumdog Millionaire was released and went on to win almost every award going.
Random: Iceland’s banking system collapsed and the country installed a lesbian as prime minister. Sadly, she’s not fit.
FEBRUARY
Went to Tenerife with a friend for a few days. Warm and lovely without being serious suntan weather, the pool area was full of ugly, foreign coffin-dodgers. During our nights out, we bumped into footballer Titus Bramble. The highlight was the evening ‘walk of shame’ and my friend’s drunken piano playing. I was crowned pool champion and a female Gok Wan lookalike served us food in the restaurant.
The same friend this month also bashed his face up courtesy of a lot of alcohol and an icy footpath.
Someone messaged me on Facebook and accused me of being no better than ‘a rude Redcoat from Butlins.’
A friend of mine split with his size 20 girlfriend because she objected to the card he gave her on Valentine’s Day. Well it was a gym membership card.
MARCH
Moved into ‘the crib’ in St George’s to give me a weekend base and cut down on the driving from Leicester to Telford. Was told that the policy was “bro’s before hoes” when it came to women. Let’s just say I kept my side of the bargain.
Nearly had a fight with a Derby County supporter at a football match I was covering.
Received a demand from the Inland Revenue for not getting my tax return in on time. They sent me a bill for £0.00. Didn’t hear from them again on the matter.
A survey this month revealed that men who live in Reykjavik have the biggest penises in the world. So that’s why mum’s go to Iceland.
Someone on Facebook said: “DJ Wanker is a completely shit DJ. I hate this bastard and hope he dies.”
Not a vintage month for my best mate Phil. Dumped via a text message and then filled his diesel car with petrol.
John Bishop: “Pouring petrol into a diesel car is like pouring gin into a woman. You know that at some point during the evening she’s going to break down.”
Jade Goody died and thousands of people who didn’t know her set up Facebook pages to say how much they would miss her. One person called Andrea wrote: “You made a difference to the world.” A sad loss so young, yes, but a bit of perspective please.
APRIL
Celebrated my 36th birthday which reminded me of when I bought a girlfriend a vibrator as a present for her birthday. All she did was moan, moan, moan….
The lesbians next door gave me a Rolex for my birthday – although I think they misunderstood when I said I wanna watch.
Tim Westwood came to Pussycats and rocked the place. He wrote on his twitter feed: “DJ Wanker is cool. I liked him. He made me laugh. Big up DJ Wanker.” Westwood, the Big Dawg, genuinely wrote that. Nope – I couldn’t believe it either. But it was true.
A man came into Pussycats saying he wanted to fly me to India to DJ at a gig in Goa. They would pay for flights and hotel plus £2000 for my set. Needless to say I didn’t hear from him again as I expected.
Went to a after-club house party in Lawley where the owner fed their pet Rottweiler raw meat and alcohol… and then suggested I give it a big hug. “He’s an absolute sweetie,” the owner said. Face-to-face with a salivating, drunk beast, I felt like Kerry Katona’s husband and my anus was quivering like a jelly.
Leicester City were promoted as champions in their only season in League One. A bittersweet thing – happiness at the success but gutted we were there in the first place.
Madonna fell off a horse in April. The medics arrived and said the knackered old beast was not worth saving. The horse was fine though…
Did some bulk buying of bargain-priced high-quality toilet roll. Phil walked in and said: “Have you got the shits, Geoff?”
We discovered in April that an odd 47-year-old Scottish woman had an incredible voice but Susan Boyle didn’t win Britain’s Got Talent.
Two dyslexic bank robbers ran into Barclays and shouted: “Air in the hands mother stickers, this is a fuck up.”
MAY
Swine flu hit the headlines. Symptoms included sweating, acting ignorant and rude, excessive body odour and laziness. Judging by that, I thought a lot of people in Telford might be affected…
A psycho woman was dumped by her boyfriend and reacted by chucking a glass in his face causing a massive scar. She defended her behaviour as ‘acceptable’ although I begged to differ. Might have mentioned it once or twice on the blog.
Went on a train journey and asked for a return ticket. The station clerk said: “Where to?” and I said: “Back here of course.”
Pussycats barman Tom thought the Battle of Hastings was in 1966.
Joined a dating site. Put into the search box that I was looking for a woman in Telford aged 18-40 without children. It produced no matches. I tried to use the word ‘penis’ as my password but apparently it wasn’t long enough.
Cheered on Barcelona to victory in the Champions League final, wiping a few smug grins off the faces of plenty of bandwagon-jumping glory-supporting plastic Manchester United fans.
Discovered that printing facts about people doesn’t always go down to well as the truth can be quite hurtful.
Tania Watts messaged me: “It doesn’t matter that some people get offended by what you put in the blog. You just have the balls to say what most people think. People should respect that.”
JUNE
Had my toenails painted pink for a weekend to show support for a dear friend who was diagnosed with breast cancer. Ended up keeping them pink for four months. I loved them!
Pussycats was voted ‘Best Nightclub’ in Shropshire in an online poll. Obviously.
Started my annual summer pilgrimage to Ibiza. Went twice in June and five times in total. The first trip saw my mate get rather drunk, take a tumble and scar his face for the third time in a few months. The alcohol affected his brain because one night he said: “I really love you mate, thanks for being there for me all the time.” He couldn’t remember the next day. A bottle of water in San Antonio superclub Eden raised his temperature. “Eight fucking euros!”
Got mistaken for Judge Jules on a flight to Ibiza and then again in resort.
Michael Jackson died. Even six months on they can’t decide what was to blame… the sunshine? The moonlight. The good times? Okay, you get the idea.
MPs proved how out of touch with reality they were by claiming expenses way beyond the realms of acceptability.
Emma S messaged me: “I’m hooked on your blogs. You are a man of wise words.”
A woman, during an intimate moment, asked me to make her breathless. So I hid her inhaler.
JULY
Jodie Marsh and some blokes from Emmerdale, Shameless and Hollyoaks came to party at Pussycats.
An anonymous email dropped into my inbox: “Congratulations Geoff. You really are a c***.”
Football mourned the loss of Sir Bobby Robson, one of the most wonderful, honest and decent men involved in the game.
Two blokes squared up on a flight to Ibiza as we started our descent into resort. It was like an airborne episode of The Jeremy Kyle Show. The stewards leapt in to keep them apart but it was just about to get very messy.
Felt like a stalker as I drunkenly took loads of photos of Howard Donald from Take That as he was DJ-ing in Eden. Met a lovely girl from Norway with magnificent breasts. Spent 16 euros (about £15) on a single vodka and coke. Kept bumping into the midget from Garlands. He wasn’t happy – so which one of the other six of Snow White’s helpers was he?
Needed expensive surgery on my car. Got pulled over by the Police in Telford while driving a hire car. Wasn’t speeding and hadn’t been drinking. It was a Ford Ka – I probably looked like Mr Bean squashed up in it.
AUGUST
Continued to listen to people who were trying to defend the indefensible. They were still wrong
England’s cricketers beat Australia to regain the Ashes. Real drama and the right result.
Made a bootleg version of ‘Riverside Motherfucker’ which was getting a serious caning in Ibiza. The tune is probably still the most requested in Pussycats five months later.
Was quite amazed that globetrotting superstar DJ Micky Slim knew who I was.
Told a girl she was the double of Cheryl Cole. Didn’t have the heart to say Cheryl was a size 8 and this girl was a 16.
Kerry Katona claimed she wasn’t a drug addict. Okay love…
Ethiopia finished higher than Great Britain in the final medals table at the World Athletics Championships. Bob Geldof… are you happy now?
SEPTEMBER
Flew for the first time with Ryanair. It was my fifth Ibiza trip of the summer. Decided not to read a copy of The Sun on the plane from Liverpool as they bear deep-seated grudges up there.
Bumped into two of the lads from JLS in Ibiza (but didn’t actually know who they were – credibility intact) and also chatted with Simon Webbe from Blue.
Got so drunk one night, I couldn’t actually recall getting from the club back to the hotel room. Even gave the chicken baguette man a swerve. Tequila shots with Danny and Ross was probably to blame.
Bought a painting called ‘Orgasm’. Damn thing turned out to be fake.
Students gained record GCSE and A-level results. So proud of these smart, intelligent, clever kids. Decent spelling, however, is clearly not part of any exam.
While she was doing some History homework, Aaleyah asked me if Louis Armstrong was the first man on the moon.
The world’s premier Beatles tribute band announced they were splitting up. Or, as you may know them… Oasis.
Patrick Swayze, considered one of the nicest people in Hollywood, lost his battle against cancer.
Sophie wrote: “I wish you did a daily blog. Puts a smile on my face every time.”
Made to feel uncomfortable in ‘the crib’ by someone who spent more time there than me, didn’t pay a penny towards rent and acted like they owned the place. The under-the-thumb boyfriend clearly forgot about the “bro’s before hoes” thing.
OCTOBER
Club Crush and Vox Bar finally opened in Telford. Wore a suit to the opening night and was told I looked very smart… or had just come from a court appearance.
Got a brief blink-and-you-miss-it mention in the Daily Mirror.
Reached 4,000 friends on Facebook and 2,500 in the DJ Wanker Appreciation Society.
Got ‘poked’ on Facebook by a woman I didn’t know. She sent me a message saying she was a “bored housewife looking for some action.” Eager to please, I sent her my ironing.
Two clowns called Jedward slipped into the public consciousness. They should’ve won X Factor to piss off the viewers and guarantee the next series would be cancelled.
Stephen Gately from Boyzone died. Didn’t get 20% off my concert ticket.
Saw some scary sights in Telford. This was the week BEFORE Hallowe’en.
Nick Griffin appeared on Question Time and showed the BNP for what they really are… vicious, nasty, racist, vile, bigoted scum.
NOVEMBER
The geekiest of all geeky geeks queued up at midnight for the release of a computer game.
Some bloke from Telford was dubbed ‘The Sperminator’ in the News of the World for (allegedly) getting 12 women pregnant after chatting them up on Facebook. The paper also called him a laptop lust hunter.
Aaleyah came out with this classic line: “It’s wrong that animals are killed to make fur which people like Victoria Beckham wear. But I don’t mind animals being killed because I love bacon.”
Celebrity oxygen thief Jordan went on I’m A Celebrity to “get closure” after her split from Peter Andre. The public displayed their wonderful humour by constantly voting for her to face the Bushtucker Trial. I wish she’d stay in Australia forever.
The Euro Millions lottery saw a €90m prize won by people who looked like they probably deserved the the money.
Tiger Woods, a seemingly clean-cut family man, is outed as a naughty boy. The world’s best golfer proves he can find the hole – on and off the course.
DECEMBER
Despite enjoying a better-than-expected start to the season, Leicester City got thrashed 5-1 by Nottingham Forest. We ended the year in the top six of the Championship. Let’s hope we’re still there in May.
A dull nobody won X Factor and released a dull record. A campaign on Facebook led to the song failing to get the Christmas number one.
Poker Face by Lady Gaga was the biggest selling single of the year. Still questions persist about whether the Madonna wannabe has both male and female genitalia. Personally speaking, I couldn’t care less.
Moved out of ‘the crib’ in St George’s and not a moment too soon. It was an interesting eight months which started well but turned sour. Found out what some people are really like. They won’t be missed. Now much happier with the weekend living arrangements elsewhere in Telford.
Got drunk in Leicester with Phil on Christmas Eve and had a real blast with the party at Pussycats on New Year’s Eve. Good times.
And finally…
HOPES FOR 2010 (in no particular order)
Leicester City to win promotion to the Premier League; England to win the World Cup; the Conservatives to win the General Election; another busy year at Pussycats; to meet the woman of my dreams; continued health and happiness for all the important people in my world… I don’t ask for much.
Cheers for now, Geoff / DJ Wanker
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Now that poor old Jacko’s dead, everyone wants him more than ever. Navi, his arch-impersonator, will shortly be descending upon Dublin…
A quick trawl through the internet will give you a sense of just how big a following Navi has. Much like the M&S ads, Navi is not just any Michael Jackson tribute act, but appears to have been unanimously crowned with the title of “The World’s No.1 Michael Jackson Impersonator.” Navi is no lightweight; he takes his job seriously, even to the extent of having spent years having plastic surgery to keep up with the deceased superstar’s ever-mutating facial features. As a result, Navi bears an uncanny resemblance to the real Michael Jackson and was formerly employed to act as his decoy, which led to him being invited to Neverland, a privilege normally reserved for the under-12’s.
Many blogs speculate about the extent to which Michael Jackson used his decoys, and as with everything in Jackson’s life, the boundary between illusion and reality was blurred to a considerable extent. Navi’s remarkable physical similarity to Jackson has led to him repeatedly being mistaken for the real thing, such as the publicity stunt in Trafalgar Square, London, last year, when Navi attracted a full-scale mob during a promotional event to mark the re-release of Thriller. Navi and a team of dancers had been briefed to give an impromptu performance of “Thriller”, but the publicity stunt went ahead with difficulty due to the size of the crowd attempting to see “Michael Jackson”.
A favourite amongst the hard-core Jackson fans, Navi is one of the longest running tribute acts in the business, with a career spanning over two decades, and has been invited to perform in front of the man he mimics on several occasions, most notably as the opening act at Jackson’s birthday party in L.A. in 2003, when his performance was applauded by Michael Jackson himself. With a track record like this, it’s no wonder that Navi performs over 150 shows a year, and has played in 54 countries to date, and counting.
It’s easy to see why Navi has created such a lucrative business out of imitating one of pop’s most legendary icons: as well as looking remarkably like his hero, his vocal abilities combined with his choreography are near perfect, achieving an impressive resemblance to the real thing. Navi’s vocal’s are spot-on; it is surprisingly easy to mistake Navi’s version of a song for the real thing. His dancing is similarly accomplished, and even won praise from the real King of Pop, who called him an “amazing dancer” and asked him how often he practised.
Tribute acts are frequently undervalued, and it is all-too-tempting to dismiss them as merely living off the backs of better-known artists. Navi, however, showcases the potential of this art form, and has received worldwide acclaim for his prowess in providing a studied, accurate imitation of the groundbreaking work of a now-deceased legend. Consider Navi’s achievements in relation to the average musician – the number of tours, the elaborate performances, and the level of respect he has won in his respective field – on all these counts he has far outstripped many entertainers. Due to his status as an impersonator, Navi’s actual achievements tend to be overlooked because of the imitative nature of his work, but the degree to which Navi has pushed the art of the tribute act is extraordinary.
Perhaps Navi takes his job a little too seriously, as some parts of his online biography appear to be more of a testament to his extreme obsession with Michael Jackson rather than his success as an impersonator, such as the information that he was inside the courthouse during Jackson’s infamous trial back in 2005. Still, it all emphasises the curious role of the impersonator, whose real craft lies in their ability to imitate rather than innovate and whose personal success is wholly dependent on the career path of another. It’s hard to tell the effect that Michael Jackson’s death must have had on Navi, now that the man that he has religiously followed for two decades is no longer alive. One thing’s for sure: the demand for Navi’s performances is certainly higher than ever.
In writing a tribute to Michael Jackson I find that I can’t. There’s just not much to be said about the shell of a man long past his career prime. A man who resembles little of what he was when he was the undisputed King of Pop. In coming up with a tribute I can only say this. Any tribute is not to the person who died bankrupt in his rented palatial home in LA; it is for the brilliant music he produced in the early 1980s. When I think of Jackson, that’s what comes to mind.
What can be said about him? He sold a lot of albums; granted. His talent is in no doubt nor were his abilities to entertain. He leaves those aging music and video classics of music to his legions of fans.
Jackson made and spent over a $1bn during the past thirty years. In his death he has nothing to show for it, only a pile of debt reported in the $400 – $600 million range. No house, no special car, nothing. Neverland is gone, sinking under dust and neglect. Elvis at least left us Graceland, Cadillac’s, kirsch collections of baubles. Jackson spent a billion dollars on nothing.
With such a decent source of personal income one would think that philanthropic efforts would have featured large but they didn’t. Jackson has no reputation for spending money to help the less fortunate; no charitable trusts that we know of. No starving children weep in gratitude for his generosity in his passing.
With a debt of $400+ million his children are royally screwed too. His legacy to them is a one of a strange father, with a life over the past twenty years that they can – will – read about as they get older in archived tabloids. A person so in love with his pop status that he forgot that he too lived in the real world. He wrapped his children in an attempt to protect them from publicity but in doing so, now that he’s gone, they will become the subject of gossip columnists. Indeed it’s already begun.
What was left at the end of his life was a man who was nothing like the successful energetic entertainer who was reflected in ‘Thriller.’ What was left was the shell of a changeling; uncertain of who or what he was; a freak of celebrity.
A comeback was promised.
Personally I doubt it would ever have happened, the cancellations had already started. He was burnt out, too old. He’d been there and done that. His London concerts were to have been followed by a world tour designed, not to promote great music, but to shore up the gaping hole in his personal finances. He might have ended up in Vegas, like Liberace, old, amusing, forgotten.
People talk about the tragedy of the past years with his court dates; the accusations, the payout to accusing families; the acquittal. Those, “Michael Jackson“, demons go to the grave with him. Feel sorry for him all you want. But the sorrow, if we examine it fairly, is for the passing of our youth, of innocence, of seeing, “Michael Jackson“, our own mortality in the death of a former superstar.
Michael Jackson the singer, the dancer, died a long time ago.
RIP, King of Pop.
Evin Daly is a journalist and publisher of ButlerReport.com (World News Update). http://www.butlerreport.com The Best News Source Know to Humanity
Story spotted at thatGrapeJuice.net
Exactly one year ago, Chris Brown was undeniably one of Pop music’s most prolific young stars. From monster hit singles to sold out tours, it seemed that everything this energetic entertainer touched turned into gold (or platinum). Heralded as Billboard’s ‘Artist of the Year’ in 2008, the star was primed to dominate the charts once again in 2009. However, 12 months later, Brown’s name has become synonymous with everything but success.
Embroiled in a highly publicised controversy surrounding allegations of domestic abuse with his equally famous former girlfriend, Rihanna, Brown has unceremoniously fallen from grace; cast out of the court of public favour. Furthermore, the countless apologies issued by the singer through the mass media have fallen on deaf ears; his efforts ridiculed and his words mocked by audiences around the world.
Nevertheless, Brown continued to pursue his music career, releasing his 3rd studio album, ‘Graffiti’. This too, however, failed to sway the public’s opinion of the singer. Despite rigorous attempts to promote the project with his sold-out ‘Fan Appreciation Tour’, double-single releases and big-budget videos, his album was the worst received record of the year by critics and debuted with the lowest sales of his career to date. It seemed that no matter how hard the young performer tried, he was unable to separate his personal life from his professional endeavours in the eyes of the public.
In light of this, the following questions are raised: should Brown be blacklisted because of his past indiscretions? Should his personal life dictate the direction of his career? Countless singers, including Michael Jackson, R. Kelly and Whitney Houston, have faced career-crippling problems in the past yet have managed to regain their place at the top of the charts. In contrast, given the gravity of Brown’s situation and the increasingly powerful influence of the mass media, the odds of audiences appreciating his music, regardless of his personal issues, are quite slim indeed.
Do you think that Brown’s music should speak for itself or do his actions warrant his blacklisting?
My Response to that question:
In mentioning the names of artist who, in the past, were involved in some situations that shunneda negative light upon there career, is in no way synonymous to that of CB’s. Michael Jackson & the alleged child molestation case(s), Whitney Houston & her invasive drug addiction, or even the allegations R. Kelly faced. Of course, I attest that all of it was wrong, but… We must study the artist’s intended or general audience (fanbase) & its various age groups. The reason CB is receiving so much flack from this occurence is, a large percentage of Brown’s fanbase consist of adolescents that idolize him. When you have such a young fan base what do you expect to happen after such occurence? You have parents who refuse to buy Brown’s album for their child because of this. Do you think that Brown’s music should speak for itself or do his actions warrant his blacklisting? Brown’s music indeed speaks for itself, BUT his actions still warrant his blacklisting. He shouldn’t expect success in any project after that incident occurred. I think with time, “the media” will forgive him and his opportunity for success will be much greater.
An elaborate 3-D tribute to Michael Jackson has been planned for the 52nd annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Jan. 31 on CBS, as the show honors the King of Pop with a Lifetime Achievement Award. The tribute will feature past Grammy winners Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson, Smokey Robinson, Carrie Underwood, and Usher singing along with the voice of Michael Jackson.
Image by Captain Nandu Chitnis via Flickr
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According to Payne, he gave MJ a list of possible collaborators which included the likes of his sister Janet, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Mariah Carey, Missy Elliott, Usher, Justin Timberlake, Celine Dion, Sting, Seal, Bono and even Tina Turner. Michael responded In a humble manner by saying that “they can all come, as long as their schedules permit and it’s not too much of a problem for them.”
