SingStar Team Highlights Of 2010 And Pikachu’s Predictions

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It’s New Year, but what have the SingStar Team been doing and enjoying when they weren’t busy making SingStar?

We asked them and here are the answers they gave us, and some predictions for 2011 from SingStar’s office oracle!

Arthur Yarwood – Lead Tools Programmer

Arthur_Yarwood

The best gig of 2010 for me was Einstürzende Neubauten at the Forum in Kentish Town. They’re a crazy German band who pioneered the industrial music scene in the 80s and are famous for their use of weird and wonderful home made instruments. It’s amazing how good a box of forks can sound!

It was interesting to see the reaction from the security guards in the pit when they played ‘Silence is Sexy’ which uses the noise of a smoking cigarette as its signature sound. It was fine; they had fire extinguishers on hand…

Charu Desot – Associate Producer, SingStore

charu_desodt

Lesson learnt the hard way in Paris: avoid anywhere near the Eiffel Tower after 10pm on New Year’s Eve.

Best thing about coming back to work in Jan? All the souvenir goodies people bring back to the office. Maple syrup sweets, seaweed flavoured Kit Kats (chocolate), dried whole fish – we’re an International bunch!

Ben Whyntie – Senior Transcriber

Ben-Whyntie

Favourite celebrity?
My hero is Ricky Gervais, without a doubt. I’d love to shake his hand. I love The Office and can be found quoting the show around our office much to the annoyance of my colleagues. Martin Freeman walked past me once last year. I was too scared to say hello.

Favourite supermarket?
Has to be Tesco.

Favourite film?
Hmm… at the moment, it’s Iron Man.

Favourite TV shows?
The Simpsons, The Office, Lost (not in that order).

Favourite bands?
Protest The Hero, Avenged Sevenfold, Tinie Tempah.

Favourite beer?
Carlsberg.

Which celebrity would you like to go out for a drink with?
I think I’d hit it off with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. Might be tricky as they’d have lots of ‘in jokes’ from filming Sherlock Holmes, but I’m sure we’d get on. You just know Jude would get the shots in.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A policeman. Though after watching too many episodes of The Bill, I thought playing the trombone would be safer.

Anything else you want to add?
No.

Anna Kulinskaya – Online Producer

anna_kulinskaya

Planning a trip away next year? Check out the National Geographic Shop on London’s Regent Street for amazing posters and travel inspiration. Or, if you’re bored at home over the holidays, get into Inception – the BEST film of 2010.

Kevin Mason – Principal Designer

This year I’ve spent a lot of time having adventures in exotic locations. Whilst in Hawaii I had the opportunity to get in a cage and bother some sharks. I did spend a few minutes in the water checking out nature’s most awesome predators, but unfortunately, I don’t have particularly strong sea-legs and threw up over the side of the boat and onto a shark’s back. Take that, Mr Shark!

Nina Scherer – Content Manager, SingStore

Nina_Scherer

Just a quick one from me as you’re all probably thinking ‘oh, no, not her again’!

My favourite new albums, artists and gigs of 2010 include:

  • The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart’s self-titled debut and their amazing gig at 229 earlier this month.
  • John Grant’s debut solo album – thanks to Duncan in Music Licensing for lending this to me only a few weeks ago. It’s beautiful and very clever indeed.
  • Band Of Horses gig at the Roundhose and every single bit they have ever written/sung/published.
  • The Charlatans doing all of ‘Some Friendly’ and more at The Roundhouse.
  • Kiss at Wembley, what a show!
  • Foreigner and Europe at the Roundhouse. I had NO idea how many Foreigner tracks I actually knew until that night.
  • Europe and Nena (not together, mind) at the tiny Relentless Garage.
  • Bands I’d like to see live (again), see more new stuff from in 2011: all of the above plus Mona, Alberta Cross, Freelance Whales, The Posies, Die Toten Hosen, Suede, Pulp, Muse, Bon Jovi, The Avett Brothers, Dazzled Kid, Phoenix, Biffy Clyro. I could go on…

Happy New Year! Xx

Richard Bates – Technical Director

In early December I went to a music festival at Butlins in Minehead where I enjoyed bands, the beach and the X Factor final (on the telly in someone’s chalet – it’s kind of hard to explain).

Richard-Bates

Gillian Connole – Music Licensing Manager

The gig I enjoyed seeing most this year was Aloe Blacc at the Jazz Cafe.

Dave Ranyard – Game Director

Dave_Ranyard

I’ve been camping a lot this year and I took the whole family to Camp Bestival (brilliant festival when you have small kids) on the Isle of Wight which was ace. Including Mr. Tumble!

Suzanne Tee – Producer

Suzanne_Tee

My best bits of 2010:

E3 + Hollywood hills, Foreigner & Europe, beating Ellie Gibson in a dance-off, racing for my life, belly dancing, Armstrong and Miller, TaskMaster, Ace of Daves, I Love the 90s, JLS-tagging.

Also, We have our own way of making decisions here at SingStar HQ and it involves my little plastic Pikachu. It actually lives on Nina’s desk because he will only answer to her for some reason so here’s what he had to say. (This is where you’ll have to imagine the little fella shaking or nodding his head whilst saying yes and no in Pikachu.)

Pikachu< ?p>

Pikachu’s predictions for 2011:

Will Nina get to touch Jon Bon Jovi at their gig in Hyde Park next year? Yes

Will Jon Spanyol sign a recording contract in 2011? Yes

Will Richard H. achieve his dream by appearing on TV in 2011? No

Will Dave R. be in a band in 2011? Yes

Will Suzanne manage to get tickets for Take That in 2011? Yes

Will England win a major sporting competition in 2011? Will Germany? Yes and yes

Will Let Loose reform and release a new single in 2011? Yes

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