Band in a Bubble

"Band in a Bubble" is a round-the-clock live broadcast, during which a band spends an extended period of time inside a "bubble" writing and recording an album. The "Band in a Bubble" concept was the creation of Paul Curtis, band manager, tour promoter, owner of Valve Records and visual artist based in Australia. The concept was developed in conjunction with Regurgitator and XYZ Networks.

Regurgitator - Melbourne (2004)

Curtis developed the idea in 1999 as more of an art orientated recording project conceptually stimulated by biospheres, the idiosyncratic way Regurgitator recorded albums in odd scenarios, and the idea of the insular artistic recording process juxtaposed against the extroverted performer and how that might impact on the creative mindset. After Curtis pitched the concept to the Australian band he managed, Regurgitator, he failed (fortunately) to convince the band about the merits of such an idea, and it was set aside for a number of years. Quan Yeomans, the band's guitarist, noted that he became more open to the idea of being in a bubble after seeing David Blaine's magic stunt. Yeomans told "The Age", "I happened to be there when David Blaine did his stunt over the Thames, and I just thought, wouldn't it be interesting if he was doing something creative, as opposed to just sitting around doing nothing?" [Blackman, Guy. [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/08/18/1092765006375.html "Reality check for boys in the bubble"] . "The Age". August 18, 2004.]

With the band's interest now confirmed, Curtis approached a number of television and media outlets, eventually finalising an agreement with Channel V Australia. The first "Band in a Bubble" was organized in Federation Square in Melbourne, Australia. Regurgitator holed up inside the glass bubble (box) for a period of three weeks, during which they recorded the album Mish Mash!. The staging began on August 31, 2004.

The goings-on inside the bubble could be viewed in several ways. In person, people could watch through the bubble's walls. Cameras positioned inside the bubble offered footage that was displayed on several large LCD screens in Federation Square and broadcast on a dedicated 24-hour digital channel on pay-tv network Foxtel. Channel V also carried a daily half-hour highlight show, hosted by VJ Jabba. After three weeks, the band emerged from the bubble and performed their new songs live to a large audience in Federation Square.

Yeomans' mother Lien, a popular Vietnamese cook and author, prepared food for the band during their stay. The food was delivered to the band through a hatch, which also served as a way for Curtis to communicate with the band. An audio link up was also located on the other side of the bubble so that visiting musicians and fans could talk to the band or record guest spots on the record. Yumi Stynes, another popular Channel V VJ and the partner of Regurgitator's Ben Ely, was a frequent guest and interviewer.

Following the Melbourne event, the "Band in a Bubble" concept was licensed for development internationally by subsidiaries of Endemol, the television production company responsible for such shows as Big Brother and Deal or No Deal. Plans were soon announced for "Band in a Bubble"s in the US and Europe.

A BAND IN A BUBBLE DVD will finally be released in Jan 2008 featuring a 3+ hour compendium edit by David Granato and the live performance from Federation Square.

Cartel - New York City (2007)

Endemol's first staging of the "Band in the Bubble" took place in New York City featuring pop-punk band Cartel. The show was developed in a partnership with MTV, Dr Pepper, and Epic Records, the band's label. The show launched on May 24, 2007.

The bubble is set up at Hudson River Park's Pier 54. As in the first instance, fans can stop by the bubble and watch the band through the building's windows. Twenty-three webcams have been set up around the bubble, which can be viewed via MTV.com and [http://www.drpepperbubble.com www.drpepperbubble.com] . MTV is also broadcasting four half-hour specials. [Gundersen, Edna. [http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2007-04-22-cartel_N.htm "Cartel bursts the marketing bubble"] . "USA Today". April 22, 2007.] During the series, Cartel is recording the follow-up to their 2005 album "Chroma".

The bubble was created using 55,000 pounds of steel truss and quarter-inch-thick fireproof rigid fiberglass. The bubble contains a two-thousand-square-foot recording studio, as well as a kitchen, dining room, lounge area, and bathroom. The band's sleeping area is on the top level, which is held nine feet in the air with airplane hanger cables. [Nordyke, Kimberly. [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i22635e34795b66819fae3c94862dc41c "Rockers Cartel record album in MTV bubble"] . "The Hollywood Reporter". April 23, 2007.]

On June 3, 2007 Cartel's front window was broken by striking winds coming from Pier 54, exactly 10 days after being first put into the bubble.

The staging concluded on June 12, when the band exited the bubble and performed the new album live.

References

External links

* [http://www.bandinabubble.com The Official Band in a Bubble Site]
* [http://www.DrPepperBubble.com Dr Pepper's Band in a Bubble]