Fan gets 'ugly' Tate Modern building tattooed across her body

Henry Fry, Arts London News, 5/9/13

21-year-old UAL employee Niamh Coghlan took fan frenzy to another level, when she decided to get a memento of her favourite gallery, Tate Modern, etched onto her skin. Spanning over a foot in grey and black ink, the distinctive Brutalist building covers the entire left-hand side of her ribcage. The Dublin native, who moved to London three years ago, explained her unusual architectural addition: "I had a bit of a rough time when I first moved to London -- I'm sure everybody does -- and I really found comfort in the Tate. It was a special place for me, I found refuge there. Then my love for tattoos started to grow so it just seemed logical." While not an obvious choice to pluck from the London skyline, Niamh says its unattractiveness is part of what appealed to her: "I think it's probably one of the ugliest buildings in London, which drew me to it. It's so easy to get pretty things tattooed isn't it?" Despite having over 13 tattoos, with plans for more, Coghlan has made the decision that the Tate will be the highest one on her body. She doesn't want to walk down the aisle one day as the illustrated bride. She is certain, however, that she'll be happy with her life-long illuminated torso, being a massive fan of the original: "There's a vibe in the Tate," she said. "The atmosphere just changes when you go in. Every time I enter I get lost not just in the art, but in the building." Coghlan plans to contact the Tate to see if there is the possibility of recognition for her commitment to the arts. Who knows, maybe life membership would be an appropriate prize for an indelible dedication?

Commentary: "Pippin's biggest fans" make history on new revival's recording

"The Mick" on her blog The Craptacular, 5/8/13

Yesterday, Stephen Schwartz composed a new harmony, just for me. Then, I promptly laid it down on a new track for his next album. And what were you doing, again? ...Okay. I'm embellishing. Or lying. Whichever. Mr. Schwartz was actually composing that harmony for a crowd of Pippin fans, all of whom sang together, live, for the Broadway revival's forthcoming cast recording. We were all there to join Andrea Martin in a sing-along of her show-stopping number "No Time at All." When I arrived someone mentioned offhand that they would be teaching us harmonies. I laughed out loud. "Sure, that'll last for about two seconds, then we'll all be singing in unison again."  Because... 600 people? 30 minutes of practice? No way would this crowd just learn a harmony by ear and then get it right enough to put it on a professionally recorded and released record. That's the last time I underestimate a crowd of theater lovers. In fact, we were so successful learning/laying down a harmony for the main chorus, that Stephen and [music director Charlie Alterman] made the impromptu decision to compose us a new harmony to add under Andrea's voice on the final notes of the track. Andrea Martin stopped everything for a second to point out that this was kind of historic. Stephen Schwartz was actually composing something new just for us, right in that moment. And suddenly, everything seemed ten million times cooler. Now I can't wait to get my hands on that record. Not just because I know I'm on it, but also because, we were good. To quote Andrea Martin again: "Are there any Mormons out there? Because literally you sound like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir." Or, you know, Pippin's biggest fans.

Commentary: Fan campaigns -- what they mean for future of entertainment biz

Rich Becker on his blog, 4/24/13

Ken Corday, son of the late Ted and Betty Corday (co-creators of [the daytime drama] Days Of Our Lives), recently allowed something he vowed would never happen. Characters EJ and Sami will have a second chance at romance. Many fans, specifically those who belong to the "Forbidden Love EJami" site, actively supported the power couple being reunited for the better part of six years. Two years ago, some of them asked me what I thought it would take for Corday to hear them out. I suggested five elements for the fan campaign. And while it might have taken two years to achieve success, the ratings have changed. Days has recently generated a year-to-year growth rate of 14% among women 18-49 and 18% in women 25-54. EJami fans are quick to attribute the ratings increase as a direct outcome from renewed interest in their favorite couple. They have every right to do so. The coordinated effort between fans, stars, and marketers are suddenly making soaps feel more accessible again. Fan campaigns can [also] transform cancellations into impossible success stories as Veronica Mars recently proved by raising $5.7 million for a fan-backed movie. You don't have to be a soap opera fan to see a bigger picture emerging for entertainment. Stories that can win supporters -- people who share the show beyond a network site, who support the actors outside their roles, who are interested in different storytelling formats, and who are even willing to pony up production dollars -- will eventually rewrite creator-producer-network-fan contracts. If one network doesn't want a show, creators will have more options. It's already happening in the book publishing world, with more writers (those with marketing savvy) willing to accept some risks, [as] e-books have captured 23% of the market.

Commentary: How to become an online music superstar, one fake fan at a time

Terry Matthew, 5 Magazine [Chicago IL], 4/10/13

Fake views, fake plays, fake fans, fake followers and fake friends -- the mainstream music industry has long been about "buzz" over achievement. Social media has taken the chase for the fumes of fame to a whole new level of bullshit. [Although] artists buying Facebook fans was exposed last summer, faking your popularity for (presumed) profit is now firmly ensconsced in the underground House Music scene. This is the story of what one of dance music's fake hit tracks looks like, how much it costs, and why an artist in the tiny community of underground House Music would be willing to juice their numbers in the first place (spoiler: it's money). "Louie" told me he artificially generated "20,000 plays" (I believe it was more) [on SoundCloud] by paying for a service he identifies as Cloud-Dominator. Louie paid $45 for those 20,000 plays; for comments (purchased separately to make the entire thing look legit to the un-jaundiced eye), Louie paid $53. This puts the price of SoundCloud dominance at a scant $100 per track. But why? Many of the tracks he juiced with fake plays were later featured prominently on the front pages of both Beatport and Traxsource -- a highly coveted source of promotion for a digital label. They've also been reviewed and given notice by multiple websites and publications. Louie didn't pay Traxsource, or Beatport, or any blogs or magazines for coverage. He paid Cloud-Dominator. All of these knock-on, indirect benefits likely add up to far more than $100 worth of free advertising -- a positive return on his paid-for SoundCloud dominance.