Post by Inside Australian Idol on Dec 7, 2003 21:54:07 GMT 10
Festive crowds an Idol fear
December 07, 2003
A FEAR of rioting crowds has forced the cancellation of Guy Sebastian's album launch at NSW's Erina Fair Shopping Centre today.
Sebastian, the Australian Idol winner, was due to appear at the Central Coast retail precinct at noon today. However, Lend Lease, which owns Erina Fair, ditched the launch last week.
"We had to make a decision as to whether we felt it prudent to hold the event," a spokesman for Lend Lease said.
"To maintain the comfort and safety of our customers, we decided it was best to cancel."
The spokesman said Lend Lease were told by Sebastian's record label, BMG, to expect a crowd of between 7000 and 15,000.
"At this time of year, it is peak period and we have so many customers doing Christmas shopping," the spokesman said.
"We had to consider the impact on them." The launch has been shifted to Sydney's Martin Place at noon today.
Retailers around Australia have pre-ordered about 300,000 copies of Sebastian's debut album, Just As I Am, to meet the huge demand.
After his Sydney launch, Sebastian will continue on the grip-and-grin circuit in Adelaide on Tuesday, Melbourne (Wednesday), Brisbane and the Gold Coast (Thursday) and Sydney (Friday).
On Saturday, he flies to London to compete in the final of World Idol, pending the results of a compulsory medical examination ordered by Idol producers.
"Guy is attempting to open British bank accounts, which is difficult at the best of times," a spokeswoman for BMG said.
Joining Sebastian in England will be his new manager, David Caplice, a representative from record label BMG, and Idol's Ian "Dicko" Dickson, who has been booked as a judge for December 16's World Idol final.
Sebastian wants to show a different side of Australia when he competes for the World Idol crown.
"Australians are not all like the crocodile hunter," the 21-year-old with the Afro hairstyle said.
"Australians are balanced people, so it will be cool to represent the other side as opposed to just the ocker."
Dickson, who no longer catches a bus to his day job in BMG's marketing department, claims to be still coming to terms with his instant celebrity.
"I bit off more than I can chew," he admits. "People come up to me in the supermarket and say, 'Gee, you're not as fat as you look on TV', or, 'Your teeth aren't as bad as I thought'. I'm like, 'Bugger off! I'm doing my shopping!'
"But 95 per cent of people have been really encouraging."
In other Idol news, runner-up Shannon Noll has begun recording his debut album in Sydney with Craig Porteils and Bryon Jones. His first single, to be released on Australia Day next year, will be a cover of Moving Pictures' 1980s chart-topping weepie, What About Me?.
The Daily Telegraph
entertainment.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4459,8092701%255E10431%255E%255Enbv,00.html
December 07, 2003
A FEAR of rioting crowds has forced the cancellation of Guy Sebastian's album launch at NSW's Erina Fair Shopping Centre today.
Sebastian, the Australian Idol winner, was due to appear at the Central Coast retail precinct at noon today. However, Lend Lease, which owns Erina Fair, ditched the launch last week.
"We had to make a decision as to whether we felt it prudent to hold the event," a spokesman for Lend Lease said.
"To maintain the comfort and safety of our customers, we decided it was best to cancel."
The spokesman said Lend Lease were told by Sebastian's record label, BMG, to expect a crowd of between 7000 and 15,000.
"At this time of year, it is peak period and we have so many customers doing Christmas shopping," the spokesman said.
"We had to consider the impact on them." The launch has been shifted to Sydney's Martin Place at noon today.
Retailers around Australia have pre-ordered about 300,000 copies of Sebastian's debut album, Just As I Am, to meet the huge demand.
After his Sydney launch, Sebastian will continue on the grip-and-grin circuit in Adelaide on Tuesday, Melbourne (Wednesday), Brisbane and the Gold Coast (Thursday) and Sydney (Friday).
On Saturday, he flies to London to compete in the final of World Idol, pending the results of a compulsory medical examination ordered by Idol producers.
"Guy is attempting to open British bank accounts, which is difficult at the best of times," a spokeswoman for BMG said.
Joining Sebastian in England will be his new manager, David Caplice, a representative from record label BMG, and Idol's Ian "Dicko" Dickson, who has been booked as a judge for December 16's World Idol final.
Sebastian wants to show a different side of Australia when he competes for the World Idol crown.
"Australians are not all like the crocodile hunter," the 21-year-old with the Afro hairstyle said.
"Australians are balanced people, so it will be cool to represent the other side as opposed to just the ocker."
Dickson, who no longer catches a bus to his day job in BMG's marketing department, claims to be still coming to terms with his instant celebrity.
"I bit off more than I can chew," he admits. "People come up to me in the supermarket and say, 'Gee, you're not as fat as you look on TV', or, 'Your teeth aren't as bad as I thought'. I'm like, 'Bugger off! I'm doing my shopping!'
"But 95 per cent of people have been really encouraging."
In other Idol news, runner-up Shannon Noll has begun recording his debut album in Sydney with Craig Porteils and Bryon Jones. His first single, to be released on Australia Day next year, will be a cover of Moving Pictures' 1980s chart-topping weepie, What About Me?.
The Daily Telegraph
entertainment.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4459,8092701%255E10431%255E%255Enbv,00.html