Inside the Capital’s Summertime Ball 2015:

I am writing music and film reviews for a website. When the opportunity to cover the Capital’s Summertime Ball arose, I jumped on the occasion! I also pushed my luck, requesting a media run pass instead of the regular and usual reviewer pass. In all honesty, I was not sure it would work, especially because I sent the request from my personal email.

I am pleased to say: it fu**ing worked! When I got there, I was taken to the media room. And I realised I was absolutely not ready for this! I was with journalists from big publications: Yahoo, Ode, The Sun, Digital Spy, Metro, Daily Mirror, etc. I had been there for 10 minutes, trying to put on my best blasé and professional look, when we got told that One Direction would be coming to meet us in about 10 minutes.

I was sweating like a hooker in church! I was stressed out because I had a great question and because I was going to see One Direction and because imagine the push it would give to my career…and all the others were freaking out. It was damn hot in that room too. You get the picture!

They arrived and, for a minute, it felt we were actually sitting in hell: bright lights, burning heat, loads of shouting and kicking. Weirdest scene I have ever witnessed!

You know that strange feeling you get about celebrities: they feel unreal, like they only exist on glossy covers, in scandalous articles; like they actually live in your telly or in YouTube?

Well, once you actually see them in the flesh, they go back to being normal people who happen to have an extraordinary job. Those four guys looked absolutely normal, despite the craziness around them. In the end, you know, they eat, sleep and poop just like any of us, peasants! 

 

And I have felt the same way with any famous person I have encountered in that media room. Little Mix girls are sweet and funny. They are normal girls. Which makes it odd when they talk about their fans: I thought: “Imagine those words coming out of your mouth”. Because they are just so damn normal, so it just feels very strange!

Same with Nick Jonas or Carly Rae Jepsen or even Ne-Yo. These people, these celebrities, well; they’re just like you and me. For real! They just happen to have a very peculiar job. And it must be weird for them to live those situations on a daily basis.

That trip behind the scenes made me realise that being famous must be somewhere between a curse and a blessing. It was my first time and, like all first times, it was a bizarre experience but I am deffo up for it again!

Miss DiversiT

Welcome Back to Meeeeee!

Hi guys,

Hello potential new colleagues,

Good afternoon future boss,

As you can see, I have not posted any word on my blog since September 2013. What happened? Well, to quote one of my favourite lines in one of my favourite films, “What always happens…life.”

I have been writing for other websites, chasing published copies and opportunities to make my way into the big writing media world. I have also been working full time in Essex (important detail because I have lost many hours of my life stuck on the North Circular). Then, that job ended and I joined a group of girls working in marketing and communication. It started as a support group but they sort of broke me down: they said I could never be a professional writer because I am not a native speaker…

 

So, I started thinking it was true and felt quite lost. What was I supposed to do now?

No to worry, guys, I have found my goal: I want to work in digital, social media and content marketing.

And this blog needs to be resuscitated because it is now my window: I am exposing my charming words under the virtual neon lights of my blog. It is my LinkedIn extension but also my life 2.0. Also, what a shame not to take opportunity to express my opinions freely!

I am back and I have tons of stuff to say!

Hold on to your butts!

Miss DiversiT

(This name works for French-speaking readers – they read it “diversité”- and for English-speaking readers – they read it “diversity”. Clever girl!)

Skate King's Cross part 2!

One week after my first experience with Skate King's Cross, I am back on my skate, ready to be bolder and to go for it, armed with my self-confidence gained last week. Putting the skates back on my feet was pretty much like I'd forgotten all about last week. When I left the security of the bench, I still beat the air around me, trying to find my balance and to get accustomed to my new shoe wear. It took about ten minutes to do so. Then, it was all about skating in rhythm with the music, displayed by two talented DJs. Although I wish the music would have been less "modern" and more "seventies" and disco-like. My friend threw the idea that we should make silly pictures with silly poses and we had a great time, just pretending for a few seconds that we were actually confident and good at skating! The problem is that they were many professionals (or, at least, very talented skaters) on the rink. So, they do figures, skate backwards, grab each other and skate together, filling half of the rink with their big abilities. Then, you have the people who are very unsure (and sometimes, very drunk, which is definitely not helping). So, between the pros and the people who fall every two seconds, trying to grab you and attract you in their fall, it quickly gets hard to actually skate. Both my friend and I fell, both because someone skated right in front of us, coming out of nowhere. We both panicked and, unsure about how to brake, we ended up her, on her bum and me, on my knees. That was not fun. So, after a great, refreshing and well-earned lemonade, we decided it was time for us to leave the rink to the pros. We had a lovely night and a lot of fun and, between, you and me, we're planning to find a permanent skate rink that we could visit regularly. Because, Skate King's Cross, sadly, is closing on the 6th of September. There are only a few days left to go and have fun so, don't hesitate and, as Nike would say, just do it!
 Miss DiversiT

The Spice of Life is an open mic night!

Last week, I went to an open mic night for the first time and it was surprisingly amazing: this might be one of the best ways to discover new talents and new music!

Eight pm, a bar called “The Spice of Life” near Leicester Square. It is a Monday night but the streets are packed with people. Entering that quite common-looking pub, the fun is just a door and a staircase away.

Downstairs, it feels like I’m on a movie set: the atmosphere is the one of an underground bar during prohibition. Small tables shared by small groups, a bar with a small counter, soft lights, candles and a small stage, just a couple of meters away from the front row tables.

The first to take the stage and face their audience is a duo called “Sally”: they’re the union between a flamenco guitar player and vocal harmonies. The first song was not a big hit but the second one, an impressive and original reprise of “Imagine” by Lennon, left us all gob smacked.

Jaz came second: his energy and humour left their mark. While playing the piano like a manic, he got us all interacting and singing with him. He sang “She broke my heart” and we went “Awww”; he chanted “She was engaged” and we replied “Boooh”. Quite a good sing-along if you ask me.

Then came Sarah, from the band “Paper Aeroplanes”, dressed in a long black skirt and a funny sweater showing a monkey wearing tasty pink glasses. I might not be very objective because I love their music dearly. I discovered them recently and would advise you to check them out: they’re insanely good!

She sang 4 songs including “Circus” and “Little Letters” and an exclusive-never-played-before-song. My favourite, thought, has to be “Fable” because the lyrics caught me off guard and brought many sweet thoughts back to my head. Hiding behind a guitar that seems way to big for her and looking quite frail, Sarah gave an excellent performance despite the stress (it was her first open mic nigh too!).

I stayed a bit longer to listen to a band made of four young guys. They didn’t have a band name and I apologise for not remembering their names. They were really good and I’m pretty sure these guys will meet success very soon. Thank God, I’ll recognize their faces and will be able to correct my paper…Their vocals and music were great and left me wanting more.

I have to say that this open mic night was a thrilling experience! It has to be done at least once. This is such a great idea for a date… And if you love music, I truly believe that this is the new way to discover good music!

Miss DiversiT

“Southcliffe”, the new Channel 4 drama that will wrench your guts

Yesterday evening saw the airing of the first episode of “Southcliffe”, a new TV drama by Channel 4 that will leave you on the edge of your seat, with a weird feeling inside your belly.

Written by the talented and award-winning Tony Grisoni (who worked on the “Red Riding” series a few years ago), the action takes place in a small fictional country town where a gunman spreads panic and blood on his mad journey across Southcliffe.

The four-part mini-series shows what chain of events led to these bloody shootings and how the town reacts to what happened, as the inhabitants wake up from what feels like a nightmare.

Not without reminding about the shootings in Cumbria in 2010, “Southcliffe” explores the wide range of feelings that led and resulted from the gunman’s actions through the eyes of a journalist, originally from the town.

This TV drama is served by many well-known and talented British actors: Rory Kinnear (Black Mirror) is the journalist, Sean Harris (Prometheus) plays Stephen, Joe Dempsie (Skins, Games of Thrones) plays Chris, while the next episodes should see the apparition of Kaya Scodelario (Skins, Wuthering Heights).

Nerves wrenching, gloomy and terrifying, “Southcliffe” is what I would call great British television! It has a great intensity, while being well executed and sadly realistic. I read on Twitter last night, shortly after the end of the first episode, a comment of a man saying that he needed to watch videos of kittens and puppies before going to bed. I cannot help but agree with him: “Southcliffe” is definitely not for the faint hearts. Still, it is so good it hurts! 

The last episode is to be aired next Sunday, at 9pm…It is going to be a long week, guys!

Miss DiversiT

Percy Jackson in the Bermuda Triangle…oops, sorry, “Sea of Monsters”

For this second instalment of the Percy Jackson saga, the trio formed by Percy, Grover and Annabeth are going on a quest to find a magic golden fleece. They are accompanied by Tyson, a clumsy but friendly Cyclops…nothing exceptional here!

If you liked the first Percy Jackson, you will like this one probably just as much. It is equally intense, scary and there are loads of creatures, colossuses and oracles to satisfy your monster hunger. Set in what we, humans, call the Bermuda Triangle, this episode sees Percy and his friends go on a quest to find the golden fleece, only magical instrument to save the dying tree that protects their home: Half-Blood Camp.

The highlights of this film are probably the creatures: the bright, colourful and lovable Sea Horse is every little girl’s dream (or will be!); the vicious bull robots were really impressive and dangerous; the Oracle was really frightening, both physically and verbally. On the downside, you would think that, after creating so many monsters, it would be easy peasy to make perfect believable Cyclops…Well, apparently not!

Being a huge fan of Harry Potter, I have to say that the trio that Percy forms with his friends rings a bell and that similitude can be annoying because too obvious at times: Percy is Harry: a threatening prophecy puts some extra pressure on his shoulders; Grover is Ron: funny and laid back but always there when you need him while Annabeth is Hermione: clever, know-it-all and the feminine asset of the group.

Overall, the storyline is good, despite a crazy rhythm that will ask all your concentration if you do not want to miss the plot and the evolution of the story. The action and the sense of humour are there (while in a disaffected leisure park, Percy and Annabeth sing “It’s a Small World”, funny reference to Disney).

The ending is definitely hinting that a third film is to come in the near future so, brace yourself and get ready: this is not the last time you hear about Percy Jackson!

I will leave you with a funny detail: the director of this film is called Thor Freudenthal! Tell us about prophecies and predestination…

Miss DiversiT

“Dream Out Loud” A documentary about how to make your dreams come true

Three weeks ago, the Olympia was welcoming the International Make Up-Artist Trade Show, also known as IMATS, and on the big opening night was the premiere of a very touching documentary called “Dream Out Loud”.

Directed by Juliet Landau and Deverill Weekes, this short film tells the success story of Kazuhiro Tsuji, a talented and widely recognized-among-his-pairs make-up artist. To borrow Weekes’ words “This film is about excellence and about the story between two men who connected through an art form.”

Kazuhiro started his life in Japan and, as a kid, was living in a fish market. It all started when he saw an article about the make-up artist Dick Smith and that triggered his interest for professional make-up techniques. He started by practicing on his own face and, later, on his fellow students friends’ faces.

The film then goes a bit deeper in Kazu’s art and talent by revealing the struggles he faced on the set of “Looper”. The challenge was to make Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis look alike, the first playing a younger version of the second in the movie. Kazuhiro worked on a lot of details to create similarities between their faces. Gordon-Levitt said that his own mother had troubles recognizing him. “At the end of the shooting, I was more used to that new face than my own!”

Other than his incredible talent, Kazu has an eye for detail and is a perfectionist, always in search of the little subtle thing that will make a difference.

Kazu says that he connected to Smith and that they understand each other through their art. He also confesses that he is never 100% sure about his work and how well it is executed. It is hard for him to gain self-confidence.

At the end of the screening, after 20 fascinating and touching minutes cradled by the music of

Subterraneans, Dewerill came back on the stage and Kazu warmly thanked him. He added that, if he agreed to that project, it is because he wanted to share that it is important to know what you want to do with your life and to go for it.

This film was amazingly sweet and very true. It shows that if you hold on to your dreams, they can actually come true. A good reminder that you should never give up.

Miss DiversiT