You read it here first. It seems a Herald story - in which public relations executives savaged TVNZ's satirical comedy about a bunch of public relations executives - has inspired a face-to-face showdown.
Last night the cast of Spin Doctors faced up to their real-life equivalents at a city restaurant. In an inspired bit of promotion, Auckland's top PR people (who told us they thought the programme was "puerile, not funny, hammy and hackneyed" and "best viewed with the volume turned down") had the chance to share their displeasure with TVNZ while journalists stood around and laughed. And made a dent in someone else's credit card.
Sadly, we can't reveal the guest list because the folk at Comedia Pictures, who make the show, don't share our sense of humour. And deadlines prevented us from attending and reading all the name tags.
But, Cedric Allan, director of Porter Novelli, the country's biggest PR firm, said "wild horses wouldn't keep me away" from the two-hour schmooze.
PACIFIER'S POPCORN HIT: With their self-titled album sitting solid at six in the New Zealand charts, and a tour here in the offing, Pacifier (the band formerly known as Shihad) are making an impact in the United States - in cinemas at least. Their song Everything, from the Pacifier album, is the first cut on the soundtrack for the hit film Swimfan, which is topping the US box office.
A sort of Fatal Attraction for teens, Swimfan stars Jesse Bradford as a champion high-school swimmer with a charmed life - he is popular, has a sweet girlfriend and won a swim scholarship to a top varsity. Along comes Erika Christiansen, an outsider who develops an obsessive crush on Bradford, and before you can say "bunny boiler" the poor guy is accused of using steroids and putting his girlfriend in hospital. Cheery stuff. Everything plays over the closing credits. Well, it worked for Bryan Adams didn't it?
VINYL FINAL: Those with an affection for the sound of a deftly manipulated stylus on vinyl should spare a patriotic thought this weekend for our own DJ Alphabethead. The Wellington turntablist, known to his long-suffering mum and dad as David Morrison, is representing New Zealand at London's Brixton Academy at the DMC Technics World DJ Finals.
The winner of the NZ finals, he will be up against DJs from 30 countries in what is his first trip overseas. Pity we aren't sending a whole team. Because then we could call them the Backward Black Caps, eh?
BURNING QUESTION: Does feelgood movie of the moment, Bend It Like Beckham, in any way reflect the life of a female soccer player? Well, yes, says Michele Cox, who represented New Zealand for 13 years and played in Germany. Female soccer teams are not as well funded as men's teams, boyfriends are often reluctant to support their soccer-playing girlfriends, and the Americans really are that good. And yes, female soccer players are often asked about their sexuality. "People say to me all the time, 'You don't look like a lesbian'."
TOURISTS: A quick recap on the week's tour news in case you missed it - Sir Cliff Richard is playing the Mission Estate on Saturday February 22next year. To the Red Hot Chili Peppers NZ tour, there's been the addition of Papa Roach, and Aussies Quirk (we haven't heard of them either but apparently the singer goes surfing with Pepper bassist Flea) to the bill.
Meanwhile on the smaller but possibly more interesting scale here comes Canadian electronica-DJ chap Manitoba, who is playing Auckland's Kuja Lounge on Tuesday, September 24, and American "riot grrrl" rockers Sleater Kinney at the Kings Arms on Friday and Saturday December 6-7, with alt-rock legend Bob Mould playing the same venue on the following night. Expect a confirmed line-up on the Rumba Show (at Western Springs on November 30) this week. And the first Big Day Out line-up announcement is due the first week of next month, with highly probables including Queens of the Stone Age and the Strokes.
<i>Chatterbox:</i> PR doctors in a spin
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.