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Brilliant 'Bueller' and 'Bill' rock Greenwich Park
The Stella Artois Live event sends the Greenwich crowd into raptures.
Jul 24 2006
Ever committed to industry innovation (and a good old knees up), The TOMB attended both days of the Studio Artois Live film festival at the weekend, and we're pleased to announce that the event was a resounding sonic and celluloid success.
Saturday was 'Kill Bill' day, with ninjas and schoolgirl killers roaming Greenwich Park while DJ Yoda spun a magnificent mix of music from the films that inspired Tarantino's kung fu epic.
Unfortunately, thanks to the fine visual montage that accompanied Yoda's set, most of the crowd sat transfixed by the images, with only the Time Out team throwing any kind of shapes on the dancefloor (though that may have had as much to do with the consumption of one too many Stellas in the sun as the quality of the music).
We then found time to check out the weird and wonderful cabaret acts performing in the Future Shorts tent before claiming a central spot for the feature presentation. And in keeping with the positive vibe of the day, 'Kill Bill' was watched with a mixture of awe and affection on the big, big screen, with applause breaking out for the devastating dialogue and cheers erupting for the film's most grizzly deaths.
However, while Saturday was fun, it was nothing compared to the madness of '80s Sunday.
As a mixture of breakdancers, cheerleaders and spandex-clad aerobics instructors prowled the park encouraging folks to get their freak on, Time Out checked out the excellent short film programme, before heading back to the main stage where the National Symphony Orchestra had everyone on their feet with a series of songs from cult film classics.
Then Sean Rowley and his Guilty Pleasures collective tore the place up with a brilliant set of 1980s classics that sent the crowd into orbit. The 'Triple Pleasure' stageshow had the audience in stitches, while when Rowley broke out Van Halen's 'Jump' and the 10,000 strong crowd went bananas, I swear I felt the earth move.
It was just a shame we all had to sit down again to watch 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off', though that didn't last for long as whenever the film's soundtrack kicked in, people were on their feet dancing, culminating in an almighty twist during Ferris's show-stopping parade performance.
Then, sadly, it was over all too soon, but with further events planned in Edinburgh and London later in the year, it looks like the Studio Artois events are set to run and run, and rest assured The TOMB will be there to cover them, all in the name of hard work of course. And as for next year, 'The Karate Kid' anyone?
User comments on this story
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- Steph said...
- Simon must have been all by himself that day, lonely and miserable, the poor guy! me and my friends had a great time, Guilty Pleasures was great fun for a lot of people, judging by the number of people up on their feet dancing; the screen was massive and so was the film! I only agree with him on the point that they were showing the Stella logo too much, would have been nice to see the NSO on the screen during their performance, or the A-Z of 80s films - or just crowd shots! As for the beer - if it's too expensive, don't drink it! How bad can it be to have a day out without booze?! Posted on Jul 28 2006 05:43
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- Silkyrich said...
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I went and had a most excellent time on the Saturday, I just wished I'd done Sunday as well now ...
Well done Stella!
(BTW you could get beer at the bar area which was much cheaper than the bottles) Posted on Jul 27 2006 08:22 - Report as inappropriate
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- Jolly Rodger said...
- Your loss Pat, your loss. Posted on Jul 26 2006 09:42
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- Pat said...
- When I saw it was £13.00 for a ticket, I decided to stay away. Reading this, I'm glad I did. Posted on Jul 26 2006 05:35
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- Stevie said...
- I personally had a great time on the Sunday. Yeah the beer was over-priced, but that's the only real criticism. 13.50 is NOTHING for a day out - when you think a trip to a West end cinema is over a tenner these days and you're looking at 50 quid average for a day pass to a music festival - and not even a good one eg 02....The National Symphony Orchestra's set was great, Guilty Pleasures hilarious and the film, of course brilliant. Simon Hayes should chill out and applaud Stella for trying to do something different with film - not enough film related stuff like this these days in my opinion. Posted on Jul 25 2006 12:18
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- Chevy Steven said...
- Hilarious and witty comment Simon and fair too. Strangely, agree with the review to a degree as well (the screening was top notch) although it does sound like he was on E... Posted on Jul 25 2006 11:58
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- Danio said...
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I quite enjoyed the day but I agree with Simon that the beer was over-priced. I don't think Stella can really defend their greediness in charging that much for beer when you can't bring your own in. Considering the festival is a massive advert for them, they could at least subsidise the beer.
I also think these festivals should be free like they used to be. There certainly wasn't £12 of entertainment there. Posted on Jul 25 2006 10:38 - Report as inappropriate
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- curls said...
- Simon Hayes - what got up your trousers and bit you on the arse? man you need to take a happy pill, either that or get a girlfriend! I myself had a great time, but maybe it had something to do with the people i was with.... Stop your moaning, its really rather boring now. Posted on Jul 25 2006 09:14
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- Simon Hayes said...
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Dear Bee-Bop
Next time you suggest we all go out together I'll remember to say no - that'll way I'll be in a better mood to look for work the following day. Besides which I don't claim dole. I can't imagine your job keeps you rushed off your feet anyway, if you have time to read TimeOut filmblog on a Monday afternoon. Posted on Jul 24 2006 11:24 - Report as inappropriate
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- bee-bop said...
- Simon Hayes you ARE on the dole. You moan about the price of beer, and you have time to write a 646 word attack on an article that, let's face it, doesn't warrant that kind of response. Posted on Jul 24 2006 11:13
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- Simon Hayes said...
- Thanks for the advice Sally-Anne. You may enjoy being fleeced, but I find it hard to keep a smile on my face when being charged £5.68 for a pint of beer - even when it is a 'premium' brand. You'd better start saving now if you plan going next year. Posted on Jul 24 2006 10:44
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- sally-anne said...
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Cheer up mate - I had a brilliant day.
So the Stella was a bit steep but you didin't have to be drunk to enjoy the brilliant show that the Guilty Pleasures boys put on.
I'll definitely be back next year! Posted on Jul 24 2006 10:08 - Report as inappropriate
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- Simon Hayes said...
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How much did Stella pay you to write this tosh?
I went to day 2 of this event and frankly my experience was so far removed from the one described here that I now wholeheartedly believe in alternative realities.
“…As a mixture of breakdancers, cheerleaders and spandex-clad aerobics instructors prowled the park encouraging folks to get their freak on…” - you mean, out of work actors mugging wildly in what can only be described as the most embarrassingly sub 6th form idea imaginable. Whoever thought that a mainly late 20's/early 30's crowd would find this sort of stuff wacky and zany should be shot!
“…the excellent short film programme…” - the quality of which is debatable, but suffice to say was mainly of interest to people doing film studies, employees of the BFI (whose new logo is yuck!) and film critics from trendy magazines. The other 9,999 people at the event had no other choice but to sit in front of a blank screen for 6 hours listening to an endless parade of anonymous DJs playing various remixes of Ghostbusters, Fame and the theme from Bladerunner. These 'sets' were broken up with what Sean Rowley (our host) described as more 80s themed music (except this wasn't played by DJs.) The only (large plasma) screen capable of projecting anything in full daylight was usefully employed projecting the Studio Artois logo for 5 and half hours. When it was utilised to full effect by letting the crowd at the back witness the admittedly laugh out loud antics of Triple Pleasure we weren't allowed to watch them for more than 60 seconds at a time without enjoying another 30 second clip of the logo. Did someone at Stella Artois think we may forget where we were in the ‘madness’. Why wasn't this screen used during the day to project other 80s classics - I'm sure the Evil Dead would have gone down at treat with the largely stoned crowd. The Terminator, Back to the Future, ET anything but listening to Mr Blue Sky for the 3rd time in one day!
I'll reserve judgement on the Guilty Pleasure set as I'm sure Sean Rowley is a lovely guy and Triple Pleasure were the best thing about the whole day. But I will say that I felt that I had already heard half the tracks he played already that day. As for '10,000 people going bananas' - I'm afraid by that stage Stella must have plied you with too much of their beer - the rest of us paying £3.30 for a 33cl bottle couldn't afford to get drunk enough to throw ourselves around to Jump. After being forced to stare endlessly at their logo for 6 hours a free beer or two would have compensated nicely. But no freebies for the paying masses. £6 for a large glass of cheap white wine - I think the folks at Stella should be ashamed. Reassuringly Expensive? Get Barclays on the line I need a 2nd mortgage!
"…whenever the film's soundtrack kicked in, people were on their feet dancing, culminating in an almighty twist during Ferris's show-stopping parade performance…" You must have been delirious on the corporate hospitality by this stage as from halfway back I counted exactly 3 people doing the twist. Were you the poor schmuck who by that stage of the (so-so) film couldn't contain his enthusiasm for it any longer, jumping up, and extolling with all the fervour of a born again Christian for us all ‘to get up you buggers and dance for Ferris' - only to be joined by precisely no-one. I was so embarrassed for the man that I decided to leave the faithful to their prayers at that point and departed the park feeling thoroughly despondent. “Every got the feeling you've been cheated?” Yes I have actually. On Sunday in Greenwich Park thanks to Stella Artois. Posted on Jul 24 2006 09:15 - Report as inappropriate
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