Grimethorpe Announcement

[covkiddownunder]

To be fair, it's my understanding that the band were informed that there would be considerable visibility scripted into the BBC coverage, and the fact that the BBC didn't give the expected exposure came as a huge shock and disappointment to Rick Smith of Underworld (the composer), when he was told about this by members of the band earlier today.
From what I can gather the band made the announcement based upon information given directly from the top, ie. Danny Boyle and his creative team

[covkiddownunder]

Had there been the coverage the band were told to expect, there certainly would have been the global awareness that the announcement suggested...
Unfortunately as bands are so often reminded, the BBC will do what it pleases and we have no control over that.

[brassneck]

Someone uploaded a photo on a linked page on facebook ... http://p.twimg.com/Ay19_k7CAAAf8Yn.jpg:large

[towse1972]

I think the only problem here is the matter of unfortunate hype by the 'marketing team'. The inclusion of Grimethorpe is a great thing, both for bands, and for individuals. it was very nice on a personal note to know that friends were performing on the world stage.

It's not the bands fault that the BBC didn't show or credit them.

The only issue is that it was billed by Grimethorpe as securing them a "a worldwide profile.". Even if they had been billed and shown correctly, it still wouldn't really have achieved this (although they can at least now bill themselves as performing at the Olympics opening ceremony which may have some marketing clout outside brass bands). This was a mis-placed bit of spin, particularly in hindsight. But it isn't the fault of the individuals, just that whoever spun the story from the band got a little carried away.

Nicely put...

[Sonorous]

Had there been the coverage the band were told to expect, there certainly would have been the global awareness that the announcement suggested...
Unfortunately as bands are so often reminded, the BBC will do what it pleases and we have no control over that.

Not to the level that the initial marketing put (ie gaining them a "Worldwide Profile"). We all know that only headline acts would gain any genuine increased profile. The dancing teams that were concentrated on, the small players that were shown didn't achieve any genuine worldwide profile as no one really remembers who they were after. Only the big headline acts that make the papers achieve this in those events.

Basically Grimethorpe's marketing team gave the spin that this would achieve something along the lines of River Dance in Eurovision.

It would only give the band the ability to state that they had performed at the Olympic Games. It wouldn't have suddenly gained them what they believed of "ensuring that the Grimethorpe Colliery Band name is known worldwide".

HOWEVER it was very big news for the band, and I can understand this ferver and spin. It's just that it's the type of spin that will always receive negative reaction when it doesn't achieve what it was hyped to do.

As it was, the BBC removed even the exposure that rightly should have excited the band. But it didn't remove the chance for band to suddenly become a world player in the way it was spun.

Edit (And it's an important point from my point of view). This doesn't take away from the fact that it was a fantastic thing for the band to be involved in. And more bands should be striving to take part in this sort of thing. Let's just not give it some god-like status of shooting bands into the stratosphere.

[Matthew]

Not to the level that the initial marketing put (ie gaining them a "Worldwide Profile"). We all know that only headline acts would gain any genuine increased profile. The dancing teams that were concentrated on, the small players that were shown didn't achieve any genuine worldwide profile as no one really remembers who they were after. Only the big headline acts that make the papers achieve this in those events.

Basically Grimethorpe's marketing team gave the spin that this would achieve something along the lines of River Dance in Eurovision.

It would only give the band the ability to state that they had performed at the Olympic Games. It wouldn't have suddenly gained them what they believed of "ensuring that the Grimethorpe Colliery Band name is known worldwide".

HOWEVER it was very big news for the band, and I can understand this ferver and spin. It's just that it's the type of spin that will always receive negative reaction when it doesn't achieve what it was hyped to do.

As it was, the BBC removed even the exposure that rightly should have excited the band. But it didn't remove the chance for band to suddenly become a world player in the way it was spun.

Edit (And it's an important point from my point of view). This doesn't take away from the fact that it was a fantastic thing for the band to be involved in. And more bands should be striving to take part in this sort of thing. Let's just not give it some god-like status of shooting bands into the stratosphere.

+1 That! ^

[tubafran]

Grimethorpe and Sandy Smith get a mention in the Opening Ceremony Media Kit and the Olympic Hymn which was arranged and played by them is getting plenty of air time on the Chris Evans Radio 2 Breakfast show

[dickiesplitz]

Had there been the coverage the band were told to expect, there certainly would have been the global awareness that the announcement suggested...
Unfortunately as bands are so often reminded, the BBC will do what it pleases and we have no control over that.

As I understand it, the BBC has no control over the pictures as they are provided by a third party (as is all the olympic coverage).

That said as soon as I heard the Olympic hymn you could tell it was them (pre-recorded or not).

[simonium]

I like the conspiracy better than this logic and reason.

[jockinafrock]

Irrespective of the marketing side of things, I was more than a tad disappointed that Grimethorpe didn't get the same exposure as some of the other participants - even the maypole dancers and the clouds got more coverage! Even as an ardent Foden's fan I was genuinely looking forward to being able to see and point out the players that I know personally, or recognise from comps/concerts - I recognised their playing when it came on, but my ears only honed in on this because I knew they were going to be there and, like many others I would assume, was keeping my eyes and ears peeled for them. Brass bands as are much a part of the Great British heritage as cricket, so a real shame we didn't see them

[Sonorous]

Irrespective of the marketing side of things, I was more than a tad disappointed that Grimethorpe didn't get the same exposure as some of the other participants - even the maypole dancers and the clouds got more coverage! Even as an ardent Foden's fan I was genuinely looking forward to being able to see and point out the players that I know personally, or recognise from comps/concerts - I recognised their playing when it came on, but my ears only honed in on this because I knew they were going to be there and, like many others I would assume, was keeping my eyes and ears peeled for them. Brass bands as are much a part of the Great British heritage as cricket, so a real shame we didn't see them

Hear Hear (or is it here here? - I never know!)

[Sandy Smith]

Now the dust has settled slightly I thought I'd give my perspective on the bands participation in the OOC last Friday. It was never primarily about a brief mention on the telly but more the chance to take part in a once in a lifetime opportunity and to contribute to the music, and the spectacle, in a stadium of 80,000 people in a theatrical extravaganza involving nearly 10,000 performers. It was obvious from Danny Boyle's first meeting with the band in March and my first meeting about three weeks after that with Rick Smith and some of the senior creative team that the band would be a small cog in a huge musical and visual wheel. Remember the Industrial Revolution section was entitled in the programme "Pandemonium" !
In was privileged enough to score the band parts for "And I Will Kiss" ( check out the you tube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hM0fiegRbTg - band enters at 10'56'' and again play a prominent part in the concluding "Poppies" section ) and, perhaps most importantly of all, I was entrusted to score, and the band to record the verse of the Olympic Anthem, something of which we are all very proud. Rick was bowled over by the band at the recording session at Abbey Road - as we were to have the chance to record in the iconic studio 2 there.
In the few days of rehearsal at the stadium last week it was fantastic to talk with some of the thousands of other volunteer performers, some of whom had been rehearsing for upwards of 150 hours for the performance and the sense of joy and camaraderie was overwhelming. To be cheered and "drummed" out of the vast dressing rooms by hundreds of drummers on our cue to go to the stadium was very special. It was also great to have along with the current band a few "old boys" ( thanks to David Arnold,Dave Barraclough, Roy Batty, Cliff Hopes, Stan Lippeatt, Pete Matthews, Alan Morrison and Mark Walters ).
There are a few pics on the bands twitter site http://twitter.com/matt_humphreys/st...718336/photo/1 and http://twitter.com/matt_humphreys/st...274368/photo/1 and also one here http://www.flickr.com/photos/polyest...ed/7662918858/ just to prove, as Max Boyce used to say "we were there". I've been very lucky in my banding career to have taken part in some extraordinary performances in some really special venues but I'm really hard pushed to recall something anywhere near the scale and uniqueness of what we did last Friday night.

[DRW]

Now the dust has settled slightly I thought I'd give my perspective on the bands participation in the OOC last Friday. It was never primarily about a brief mention on the telly but more the chance to take part in a once in a lifetime opportunity and to contribute to the music, and the spectacle, in a stadium of 80,000 people in a theatrical extravaganza involving nearly 10,000 performers. It was obvious from Danny Boyle's first meeting with the band in March and my first meeting about three weeks after that with Rick Smith and some of the senior creative team that the band would be a small cog in a huge musical and visual wheel. Remember the Industrial Revolution section was entitled in the programme "Pandemonium" !
In was privileged enough to score the band parts for "And I Will Kiss" ( check out the you tube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hM0fiegRbTg - band enters at 10'56'' and again play a prominent part in the concluding "Poppies" section ) and, perhaps most importantly of all, I was entrusted to score, and the band to record the verse of the Olympic Anthem, something of which we are all very proud. Rick was bowled over by the band at the recording session at Abbey Road - as we were to have the chance to record in the iconic studio 2 there.
In the few days of rehearsal at the stadium last week it was fantastic to talk with some of the thousands of other volunteer performers, some of whom had been rehearsing for upwards of 150 hours for the performance and the sense of joy and camaraderie was overwhelming. To be cheered and "drummed" out of the vast dressing rooms by hundreds of drummers on our cue to go to the stadium was very special. It was also great to have along with the current band a few "old boys" ( thanks to David Arnold,Dave Barraclough, Roy Batty, Cliff Hopes, Stan Lippeatt, Pete Matthews, Alan Morrison and Mark Walters ).
There are a few pics on the bands twitter site http://twitter.com/matt_humphreys/st...718336/photo/1 and http://twitter.com/matt_humphreys/st...274368/photo/1 and also one here http://www.flickr.com/photos/polyest...ed/7662918858/ just to prove, as Max Boyce used to say "we were there". I've been very lucky in my banding career to have taken part in some extraordinary performances in some really special venues but I'm really hard pushed to recall something anywhere near the scale and uniqueness of what we did last Friday night.

I don't think anyone is denying that being involved must have been a tremendous lifetime highlight. It's more about the mismatch in the pre-publicity and the actual exposure.
Had the news items been along the lines of 'Grimethorpe are taking part' rather than (paraphrased) 'global exposure for Grimethorpe' then I'm sure this thread would be quite different.

[Ianroberts]

Just a case of the marketing men over egging the pudding again !!

[Sonorous]

I don't think Sandy is talking about the marketing issues. yes it was over-egged, and yes the team need to learn from this. But Sandy's talking about the achievement of the band, the importance of the event, and his personal pride in being involved in a very important way.

Sandy did a cracking job yet again. You have every reason to be proud.