The Royal Jubilee celebrations afforded a rare moment of relaxation to reflect on the pomp and circumstance of such ceremonies. However ‘punk and circumstances’ contrived to fill some of that time, after we were asked to do a last minute gig with Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine. In case you missed Carter, here’s The Only Living Boy In New Cross:
I had not really noticed Carter USM when they appeared on the indie punk music scene in 1988. Razor sharp lyrics that reminded me of Jarvis Cocker and Richard Strange’s skills in this area. Indeed it seems that Jim Bob is something of an admirer of Mr Strange. In case you fancy catching up with Richard Strange’s work, you can catch him talking about the moment when the Sex Pistols asked to support The Doctors of Madness at ‘Punk Britannia’ on BBC 4 for a few weeks at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00s81jz/Punk_Britannia_PrePunk_19721976/
Watching the Jubilee river procession and its awe inspiring £32 Million bill made me think of the pomp and circumstance of Rock’s most expensive moments in the name of branding. Let’s sample a few of them:
The moment when Michael Jackson floated a statue of himself down the River Thames – a cool bill of 50 Million dollars for the ‘HIStory’ album that went with it:
Madonna’s ‘Express Yourself’ video – just a ‘modest 5 Million Dollars’ in 1988 by comparison:
Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody video weighs in at a rock bottom price of £4500 in 1974 – that’s about £43 K in today’s terms:
So, here’s the tough question on enduring brand value. Which of these do you consider will have the longest-term impact on society?
The Queen – £32 Million (2012)
The King of Pop – Michael Jackson – £50 Million (adjusted for 2012)
The Queen of Pop – Madonna – £7.2 Million (adjusted for 2012)
Queen – £43 K (adjusted for 2012)
If you are looking to spend a more modest sum for the Jubilee, M&S report that they have introduced a range of retro underwear (that’s in the sense of yesteryear, not pre-loved 🙂 )for the Jubilee. For even less money you can get a free copy of Punk Rock People Management from me. Simply click on one of the M&S women and get your copy for FREE.