E3 Group

Filming for the 2009 series of ITV’s The X Factor began last week with an audition in London presided over by judges Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole, Louis Walsh and Danni Minogue. A ratings winner since the first series aired in 2004, the show has made stars of Leona Lewis, Steve Brookstein and Shayne Ward.

At E3 Artists we have forged a close link with many of the show’s former contestants. This weekend the memorable and uniquely talented singers Ruth Lorenzo and Diana Vickers will be performing for our client Barnstaple Town Centre Management. Appearing as part of our client’s “Games to Inspire” event, the singers will support the local Devon authorities fundraising endeavours whilst also adding some star quality to the day.

Alongside Ruth and Diana we have forged links and acted as booking agents for a range of other former X Factor stars including Chico, Journey South, Same Difference, Austin Drage, Laura White and G4. With the new series of The X Factor set to air on ITV this August, I will certainly have my entertainment agent hat on whilst watching the show; always on the look out for great new acts to book!

Wedding planners across the country are continually searching for unique entertainment acts to add an extra “wow” factor to their special day. Topping the list of the most requested acts to perform at weddings this summer are the Michael Jackson inspired dance act Signature and Britain’s Got Talent finalist Julian Smith. Due to the current demand for both acts, our entertainment agents are now advising our clients on an increase in their fees - previously estimated at around the £2,500 mark.

Booking requests for Signature have gone through the roof following Michael Jackson’s premature death last week. Clearly, many people are viewing Signature as the perfect act to pay tribute to the record-breaking singer. Saxophonist Julian Smith captured many hearts with his performances on the ITV talent contest and the volume of requests we’re receiving for him to perform at weddings are a reflection of this. Both acts can be booked by calling our office on 020 7836 4759.

It’s been a strange few days here in the E3 office; with the news of Michael Jackson’s premature death still reverberating. It goes without saying that the indisputed “king of pop” was an entertainment giant, and perhaps the only man in the world capable of selling out 50 concert dates at the O2.

Whilst also feeling the shock here at his passing we have also felt overwhelmed by the volume of enquiries we’ve received from our clients, wishing to pay tribute to Michael Jackson by organising themed events in his honour. Since Friday we have been inundated with requests to hire Britain’s Got Talent dance act Signature. The dancing duo caused a stir on the 2008 series of the show with their infusion of classic Michael Jackson songs and dance moves mixed with bangra. Tipped to support the now cancelled concert dates, many event planners are viewing Signature as the perfect act to honour his memory.

An extraordinary and controversial entertainer, possibly the most famous one in the world; Michael Jackson’s impact is demonstrated again through our clients’ desire to organise a fitting “farewell”.

• Our agent on the street, Ryan Curtis, just bumped into David Hasslehoff. #
• requests to book Susan Boyle are flooding in. However none are being taken until she is in better health after pulling out of the BGT Tour #

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Fees quoted by artist management companies to corporate event planners are on the rise in spite of the recession. The Telegraph reports today that a short set by Susan Boyle will cost in the region of £100,000 plus VAT. However, artist management companies are notoriously cagey when dealing with enquiries from individuals or groups they have not come across before. It is a common tactic for them to start with an astronomical quote; as this helps them to determine whether or not they are dealing with an experienced booker.

Here at E3 Artists we have forged a close link with Industry (the artist management company quoted in the Telegraph article) and many of the Britain’s Got Talent acts. We’re pretty confident we could have negotiated a much better deal for booking Susan than the one quoted above. As a dedicated entertainment booking agency, we book regularly on behalf of many of our major corporate clients. This gives us the leverage to negotiate lower prices. For further details see our ‘celebrity agents’ page.

Working full-time for an entertainment agency, I’m used to meeting the odd celebrity or two on a professional basis. However, I wasn’t quite prepared for bumping into David Hasslehoff in Covent Garden this afternoon. Slightly starstruck by the unexpected encounter, the “Hoff” asked me for directions; which I duly gave whilst trying not to appear too fazed.

Having spent the last 2 or 3 weeks fielding phone calls from clients wishing to book Britain’s Got Talent acts, I was tempted to slip the Hoff my card with a view to getting some American talent on our books. In the end, I just pointed him in the right direction!

• Our friend Steve Hewlett is a popular alternative. Fresh from performing at the E3 Group Dora Bryan Show! http://tinyurl.com/nvoauc #
• Still flooded with requests to hire Gareth Oliver but availability is scarce and the BGT price tag puts some clients off . #
• Just writing an Ant and Dec related proposal. These guys have done so much work! suppose that comes form starting when you’re 13 #
• my colleague is taking another wedding enquiry. Third today including one for Stavros Flatly. Is that not slightly odd for a wedding? #
• Dealing with celebrity contracts all morning. Its amazing what celebs are forbidden from doing after signing big promotional deals. #
• Everyone seems to be thinking about their summer weddings at the moment. Huge increase in inquiries for bands and singers for the big day! #
• http://twitpic.com/6wdia - Anita Harris hitting the high notes for Dora Bryan last Sunday #
• Who knew that booking helicopters could be so complicated? I suppose that is quite obvious actually. . . #

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Studying this year’s crop of Big Brother housemates has taken up a bit of our time this week as we try to determine which housemates will progress to the final weeks and build up booking-worthy public interest. It may seem odd, but Big Brother housemates are an extremely popular booking for corporate clients looking to promote their products or services to the young generation of avid Big Brother fans. Those who follow the show tend to do so avidly and as a result, build up strong opinions, likes and dislikes regarding their favourite housemates, ultimately voting with their hard earned money to keep their favourites in the house. Those who watch the show take part in the journey of that particular housemate and they subsequently become an important and relatable media profile. Brian Dowling, Kate Lawler and Brian Belo all enjoyed this rapport with Big Brother fans and it is obvious why they are still popular with clients looking to hire a Big Brother Housemate today.

It may be still too early to tell, but there are a few candidates for success in the current house. Sophie Reade, whose legal name is now Dogface thanks to a particularly cruel BB task, will no doubt have a glittering career in modelling waiting for her post eviction or victory, which ever comes first. Rodrigo is the clear fans favourite at the moment with Heat magazine professing their love and the bookies labelling him early favourite. The dark horse of the show could be Freddie Fisher, now known as Halfwit after he carried out the same task as Dogface. He seems likeable enough although he’s perhaps even too wide eyed to go the distance. The housemates seem to think so after putting him up for eviction this week. As the show progresses, it will be interesting to see who reveals their hidden talents and that unquantifiable likeability that keeps certain former housemates so popular for so long.

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As we enter the month of June, there is no sign of the public obsession with Britain’s Got Talent receding and with the national tour set to begin shortly, it’s not likely to die down any time soon. Requests for acts from the show to appear at corporate events, private parties or organised functions are flooding in on a daily basis so this month’s pricelist has a noticeable bias towards Britain’s Got Talent acts; in fact it is a BGT special.

The cost to hire a BGT act can fluctuate significantly according to a number of factors including the media exposure they continue to receive after the show and the demand for their time that this creates. As a result, the prices listed below are a rough guide based on the average price generated from a host of varying quotes. Where your event is being held, the duration you require an act or celebrity to perform for and any accommodation requirements always impact on the fee. If you plan to sell tickets or televise your event you can also expect increased fees as image rights come into play. Celebrity riders can add to your cost base, especially if you do not have all technical equipment in place already. All of this considered; here is our price guide for booking BGT acts:

1. Escala
Escala wowed the nation on BGT series one with their classical renditions of modern favourites and their stunning image. Having just released an album reaching number two in the UK charts you can expect to hire Escala from approximately £25,000

2. Diversity
This electric dance act pulled off the shock result of the competition this year by being crowned champions. Deserved winners on the night, you can expect to hire Diversity for approximately £10,000

3. Flawless
Eventual winners Diversity claimed that they were inspired to create their dance troupe after seeing Flawless perform. To bring their inspirational qualities to your event you can expect to hire Flawless for approximately £8,000

4. George Sampson
Winner of series two and the forerunner to the hugely successful BGT dance acts that followed. George’s legendary performances have ensured his continued success. Hire George Sampson for approximately £5,000

5. Stavros Flatly
This father and son duo proved to be much more than just a one trick pony delivering exciting and hilarious performances at every stage of the competition. Hire Stavros Flatly for approximately £4,000

6. Signature
Favourites from Britain’s Got Talent, Signature have forged a hugely successful career as entertainers following their massive popularity on the show. Rumoured to be supporting Michael Jackson on his farewell UK tour, hire Signature from approximately £2,500.

7. Gareth Oliver, Strike & Julian Smith
Gareth Oliver amazed the BGT crowd with his fantastic ventriloquist skills, narrowly missing out on a place in the grand final. Strike’s high impact martial arts skills were a crowd favourite on BGT series two and Julian Smith’s laid back saxophone stylings secured him a place in this year’s grand final. Hire Gareth Oliver, Strike or Julian Smith for approximately £2,000

8. The Barwizards
The Barwizards jaw-dropping act kept audiences entertained, flipping, spinning, throwing, catching, shaking and pouring their way through to the BGT final. Hire the Barwizards for approximately £1,500

9. Bang On!
Bang on! is a unique live percussion act perfect for experiential events successes, you can hire Bang On! and high impact promotions. Following their BGT successes, you can hire Bang On!approximately £1,000

10. Tracey Lee Collins
Tracey Lee Collins is a sensational drag act with a unique voice who owes her creation in no small part to Simon Cowell’s matter of fact judging style. Hire Tracey Lee Collins from approximately £600

Contact E3 Artists for a tailored quote for all these acts and many more. Subscribe to our blog for monthly updates!

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As summer has begun to slowly creep up on us in the typically stop-start fashion that we are used to here in the UK, E3 Artists has seen a marked increase in the amount of enquiries we’ve received to hire a band. These requests have been dominated by clients looking to secure the services of a function band for their wedding, garden party or summer soirée. With a few months until the height of summer and therefore the height of wedding season, it has been prudent for these clients to get in early and make sure they have their entertainment sorted well in advance of the big day. It is surprising how quick these events can sneak up on you and organising all the minor details of your entertainment can be more of a headache than you might anticipate. Your chosen band will invariably have to transport their equipment to your venue and detailed checks will have to be made on what technical equipment is available and what your chosen band will have to supply themselves. Here at E3 Artists, the bands we work with are fully equipped with all the necessary sound equipment and we aim to manage all the logistical aspects that go along with ensuring quality entertainment at an event.

Proving extremely popular for these kind of functions are The Urban Jazz Collective, FUNKification and Swing Connection. These three bands adaptability, huge repertoire and ability to tailor the band size to each individual booking makes them a great choice for anyone looking to take the hassle out of their entertainment needs. These bands have also been requested for a surprising amount of Hollywood themed parties in recent weeks, bringing the big band sound to events centred on the golden era of cinema and the amazing film scores and musical numbers this era produced. Many clients have expressed their concern regarding bands not turning up on the day and throwing a huge spanner in the works of an event. Often we find that these experiences are the result of improper contracting between the band and the client. Often, the band is under no obligation to perform due to verbal agreements or cash-in-hand deals. The best way to avoid this is to ensure that you have a contract in place recognised by the Agents Association of Great Britain. That way, only an act of God or ‘force majeure’ as it is known in the contract can dissolve the agreement and all other circumstances will allow financial or legal action. Of course this is scant consolation if you have no entertainment for an event so using a booking agent is a good idea for more than just contractual concerns. As an agency, we book a huge number of bands and so in the event of one not turning up, we can make every effort to replace them with a band of the same quality and genre. The phrase ‘book early to avoid disappointment’ gets thrown around a lot in entertainment but this is one instance where it really does pay to get in early and secure some piece of mind along with your chosen band.

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