E3 Group

It’s probably fair to say that magic acts went through a period of being quite unfashionable in the “cool Britannia” nineties. Then along came U.S imports such as David Blaine, who turned the performance of magic on its head; connecting with the public on the street and giving the art form a sense of urban cool.

More recently, British acts such as Derren Brown and Dynamo have created a strong sense of style coupled with an innovative and creative approach to trickery. Derren’s demystification of psychic phenomenon and Dynamo’s hip-hop illusionism have captivated new audiences and brought magic back into the limelight.

This renaissance in magic is probably one of the reasons the BBC has commissioned its popular new series The Magicians; which now features on their primetime 7pm slot on Saturday evenings. Guest hosts this week included David Hasselhoff and Craig-Revel Horwood – adding a family “variety” feel to the show. However, the show is now beginning to make stars of its magic performers, including; Barry & Stuart, Latimer and Pete Firman.

Great performances from these acts, coupled with celebrity guests and audience interaction seems key to this show. With a new appetite for innovative magic acts emerging on the events scene, it’s likely that the stars of The Magicians will find themselves in demand by event planners looking to make an impact with their live shows.

At E3 we’ve noticed this marked increase in requests for innovative magic acts to perform at corporate and public events. We work alongside emerging talent and our recommendations include Kunal Mistry, Nathan Zorchak, as well as the big star names such as Derren Brown.

For advice booking an act suited to your event, you can contact our London office on 020 7836 4759 (option 1).

The 2012 series of Channel 5’s revamped Celebrity Big Brother began last week with notable stars including: Hollywood actor, Michael Madsen; Welsh rugby player Gareth Thomas and former Corrie star Denise Welch.

However, it’s former Eastenders star, Natalie Cassidy, who appears to have taken an early lead as favourite to win the show. The 29 year old actress was first to enter the house but also first to be assigned a typically mean CBB secret mission. Miss Cassidy was presented with a hidden earphone, through which she was ordered to say awkward and embarrassing comments to other housemates as they settled in to the house warming party. Comments included telling Michael Madsen that she loved him “in Free Willy” and telling Nicola McLean, who she had a famous spat with, that she’s “ok” with her being in the house – 3 times in as many minutes.

Miss Cassidy dealt with the task incredibly well, winning praise from host Brian Dowling and supportive messages on CBB’s official Facebook page.

Other contestants on this year’s edition include X Factor rock rebel, Frankie Cocozza, Playboy twins Kristina and Karissa, and “triple threat” Andrew Stone.

Big Brother contestants continue to be in demand by event planners for public appearances, launch events and award ceremonies. For advice booking former BB and CBB stars, please contact our London agents on 020 7836 4759 (option 1).

The Christmas Reindeer is performed by Humanimal.

About the Christmas Reindeer:

It’s a tough job for Santa Claus, navigating the complex modern apartment blocks that have sprung up in recent decades. Which is why he has recently started to employ the help of the Humanimal. Humanimal’s Christmas Reindeer is rather nimble on his feet, which means he can navigate elevators and lifts with ease – and a sack full of presents to boot.

Christmas Reindeer is already a hit at Christmas parties and events, sometimes accompanied by Santa himself but often on his own. A sociable creature; he enjoys mingling with guests and meeting new folk. To hire Christmas Reindeer for your event, please call our London office before 23rd December on 020 7836 4759 (option 1).

In the days and weeks leading up to Christmas our booking agents in our London office often find themselves dealing with very last minute requests to book entertainment for office parties and private events. Frequently this is due to event organisers being let-down by acts they have tried to book elsewhere. Christmas being the busy season that it is for the entertainment business, there are many reasons why event planners may need to book a band or entertainer at very short notice.

If you are organising a Christmas or New Year event and the above sounds like your situation, our team can probably help you. If you’re looking for last minute bands in particular, take a look at our bands page – several of these acts still have availability over the next 2 weeks. For general entertainers, take a look at our gallery page.

Or for an informal chat about your event requirements, you can call our office on 020 7836 4759 (option 1) between 9am and 6pm. In the lead up to Christmas this year, our office will be open from Monday 19th December through to Friday 23rd December.

The graph above shows the increase in visitors to the E3 Group website following Pat Sharp’s appearance on ITV’s I’m a Celeb.

Pat Sharp Sends Rush of Visitors to E3 Site

Jungle adventurer, Pat Sharp, has sparked a storm of interest online following his appearance on the ITV show I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here. The TV and radio presenter has provoked inquisitive viewers of the show to hit Google in the search for more information about the former Fun House star. E3 Group, who deal with live event booking enquiries for Pat, appear high up on Google’s results pages when you carry out a search for his name.

His appearance on the show is testament to the power of television – in the 9 days he appeared on I’m a Celeb, we experienced as much as 3 times the usual number of visitors to our website. Since his exit from the show, our booking agents have been dealing with a flurry of enquiries from event producers hoping to secure Pat for forthcoming live events.

If you would like information on Pat’s availability, please contact our London office on 020 7836 4759 (option 1).

Lorraine Chase is currrently attracting odds of 12/1 to win the 2011 series of ITV’s I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here. Lorraine has proved a popular contestant on the show, with good her good humour and spirit. She has survived “Tedward”, Pat Sharp’s attempt to kidnap her teddy bear. However, Pat pointed out that he thinks “Lorraine is the nicest woman” he’s ever met – an opinion that much of the camp seem to share.

Our booking agents in our London office anticipate a surge in requests for Lorraine to appear at live events, once she has left the show. For advice booking I’m A Celeb contestants, please call our London agents on 020 7836 4759 (option 1) or send us a message via our contact form.

One of E3 Artists’ managed acts, Billy, has made it through to bootcamp with his band Brooklyn in series 8 of the X Factor. The band received strong praise from judges including Gary Barlow who felt it “was a really good audition” and Louis Walsh who summarised the performance by saying “I think there’s something good here”.

The boys are already busy as a result of their television appearance, and have now confirmed several event bookings including nightclub appearances, charity events and Christmas Lights switch-on events. To book the band for your event, please contact one of our booking agents on 020 7836 4759 (option 1) or send us a message via our contact form.

The Sundaes hit the Edinburgh Fringe festival tonight, the first of 6 dates in the Scottish capital. Tickets for the shows are selling fast, so be sure to book ahead by calling 0845 557 6309.

Series 8 of ITV’s The X Factor began last Saturday evening with some stand-out performances by Frankie Cocozza and and Janet Devlin. 18 year old “cheekie chappie” Frankie, charmed the audience and judges with his good humour and Rod Stewart style vocals. Shy and nervous 16 year old Janet, on the other hand, had judge Kelly Rowland “completely in a trance by your voice”. The talented youngster sang Elton John’s Your Song and received a standing ovation at the end.

Other interesting performances included 26 year old woman-on-the-edge Kitty Brucknell, who offered a “great audition” according to judge Gary Barlow and also solicited praise from Louis Walsh who confirmed “you can sing, girl!”.

Our booking agents at our London office will be keeping a close check on the show to see how these contestants progress on X Factor 2011. For information or advice on booking contestants from previous editions of the show, you can contact our office on 020 7836 4759 (option 1).

If you’re heading up to the Edinburgh Fringe festival this year, make sure you don’t miss Kev Orkian’s show which starts this Friday 5th August. After a successful run at the Fringe last year, two international tours, numerous national tours and personal invitations to entertain royalty; Kev brings the
second instalment to his piano playing foreign character.

Compared to the likes of Bill Bailey, Victor Borge and Jools Holland, Kev will have you rolling in the aisles whilst mesmerising you with his piano skills. Kev’s manager, E3′s own David Hill, says “If there is one show you see this year it has to be Kev Orkian’s. Catch him while you can, he is destined for great things”.