DANGEROUS: 'Lost In Music' Competition, March Music in the ESPspotlight

For the final Performance Week highlight, I have to revert to someone I covered during Creativity Week. That really is the burden of being The Greatest Entertainer of ALL Time, it means there's not a topic that you can't be referenced under, so really, the choice was out of my hands!

My first ever concert experience set the bar. I wasn't told where I was going by my trusty chaperone, aka 'The Mothership'; I just knew that I was to be at her office after school ON TIME, for one of her infamous 'Blockbuster' Rounds. Now for my non-Brit audience, I'm not referring to the now bankrupt film chain. In the 80s-90s, Blockbuster was a TV quiz show aimed at Secondary School students, presented by Bob Holness, that Mother Dearest quickly learned was a useful means of amusing trickery, when it came to getting me to do things she wanted. I personally hated the show however, since compulsory entry had won me everything from sauce on my spuds at dinner to trips all-around Europe; so I learned early on, that it was in my best interest to comply with the torture.

Michael Jackson on the Dangerous Tour
(Photo courtesy of mjjcommunity.com)

In this particular instance, my suffering won me a ticket to see Michael Jackson live, on his Dangerous Tour. For me to properly set the scene, you have to understand that when I learned my ABC, it was recited with Motown Soul. How I didn't enter the world with a pre-shaped afro (plus pick)...or curls coated (dripping) in some Soul Glo even, is beyond me. I had watched every tour video he ever released a few million times over, but one thing had always bugged me about them. Those crazy screaming, fainting, spirit-possessed females! What was wrong with them? Why couldn't they control themselves? I had always swore blind that you would never catch me acting such a damn fool if I ever got the chance to see MJ live. I was a quarter of their ages at least, and yet I had more common sense, in my humble opinion. Then he jumped out from beneath the stage in a blaze of fireworks and just stood there...stoney-faced and statue-like for what seemed like an eternity. I've never screamed so hard in all my life. The degree of sheer infectious hysteria in the air was a completely new experience; I was literally beside myself. As was my Mother, who was almost forced to sedate me (with a slap)...

The two-hour plus show that followed, was just another anchor moment that sealed my love of music, the stage and of course the incomparable MJ for life. Even after he buzzed off out of the stadium in that mini-helicopter space backpack thingy (seriously, the man flew out above our heads), and the announcement was made that "Michael Jackson had now left the building", I still didn't want to accept it, I was that caught up in the spectacle that I had just witnessed.

Whilst Bad, Dangerous, HIStory and This Is It were productions of a calibre that cannot be replicated, to this day, I fully believe that if Performing is your goal, then every time you step on a stage, you should be approaching what you do with a 'Showman's Mentality'. You, as an artist, should be aspiring to create your latest masterpiece, each time, in the first instance, but in the second, you should aspire to leave your audience wanting more of you after you've gone. When it comes to the people who have given up their time and energy to support your art, you should always endeavour to give those people what they paid for. Because when all is said and done, they came to see a Show...

Michael Jackson, Dangerous Tour 1992 (Photo courtesy of taringa.net)

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What a monumental week this has been! Have you enjoyed the different aspects? Need a recap? Oh alrighty then. Here's a round up of your Performance Week, from Friday to now:

'Nobody Does It Better?' - the Creativity to Performance Week crossover; I talked the lose-lose situation of Cover Songs, and had way too much mischievous fun in 'Battle of The Betters'...

Actress and Singer Cynthia Erivo was in the #ESPspotlight; fresh from her Nationwide-stint in the lead role of Whoopi Goldberg's Sister Act co-production...

'All The World's A Stage' - Getting you set for your Saturday night, I talked the Art in treating those DJ decks right! Legendary EPMD MC Erick Sermon's 2011 set at London's XOYO was the source of my inspiration...

'Saint Intoxicate' - A 'Spiritual' Sunday if ever there was one; #StPatricksDay and a Gospel offering from a part-Irish Sangin Supahstar seemed wholly appropriate. Ms. Mariah Carey at the 2006 Grammys got the job done.

'Breakin Baby!' - BGirl TERRA is a 6-year-old dancer with immeasurable talent. Taking the world by storm in the Baby round of the Chelles Battle Pro 2013 Dance Competition in East Paris at the start of  the month. This Wolverhampton lass just blew my mind with her performance. On Monday, I dared you not to watch her in AWE...

'Prose Over Pose' - Chicago-native Kristiana Rae Colón floored her audience at the 'Chill Pill Connects...' Spoken Word, Poetry and Improv showcase at the end of last month. Another beautiful talent, Tuesday's feature looked at Performing with no peripheral distractions to hide behind. Brilliant!

'Orchestral PARAfection' - already highly accomplished, yesterday I reminded you that The British Paraorchestra do more with their abilities than most of their able-bodied counterparts. An orchestra made up entirely of musicians with disabilities, they blew the entire world away when they opened for Coldplay at last year's Paralympic Closing Ceremony.

And that brings us up to date!

As you'll know by now, daily competitions form a major part of these features, giving you the chance to win prizes that benefit your career by boosting your exposure, everyday this month. Tailored to the week's theme, #ESPspotlight Reviews of your event, or your performance at one, have been the swag up for grabs. For those who just want to go straight to the good stuff, you can claim 50% off ALL orders for the relevant week's prize, by quoting #MarchMusic at the time of booking. If this is your first time catching the feature and you want to get involved, here's what you do:

1. Email your answer by 10:00AM tomorrow morning.
2. Tweet confirmation of your entry to ESP Ltd. on Twitter, using the #MarchMusic hashtag.
3. LIKE EricaSharlette Promotions Ltd. on Facebook.

Today is your last chance to win an event review, where Yours Truly will come out to your venue and write up your goings on in the honest, but entertaining way that only I can. If you're outside of London, you can still enter, but you will win a music review based on a single project that you submit*. Why not have a practice run? Yesterday I asked you:

The British Paraorchestra were introduced on a world stage when they opened for Coldplay, at the Paralympic Closing Ceremony last Autumn.

Name Coldplay's lead singer?

The answer was Chris Martin, and if answered correctly, ONE lucky person will be seeing me, front and centre at their upcoming show, notation device in hand, ready to review. For the entrants who didn't guess correctly however, they will automatically receive 50% off their next event review booking, charged at £12.50, instead of the usual £25 (entrants outside of London will receive a music review priced at £7.50, instead of the usual £15). Think you're ready?

Good, because here goes!

Name the worldwide #1 song from the Dangerous album that contains the name of a Planet in the title?

I hope you enjoyed the final Performance Week offering! Be sure to share your favourite live Performance moments in the Comment Box below. From tomorrow, we move into the final part of #MusicMonth and it's all about Promotion, with a brand new competition prize to match!

Read Me Later!

ES ;)

'Lost In Music' Competition Terms & Conditions:

• Only one entry per person, per day.
• Prize refers to ONE single/EP/Album/Event ONLY
• Applicable to Events within the London Regions ONLY. Winners outside of London and the UK will receive a Music Review*.
• Performance week runs from 15th-21st March
• Entrants MUST complete all stages for entries to be eligible.
• Answers should be submitted via email, with confirmation of entry tweets containing the #MarchMusic hashtag sent to ESP Ltd. on Twitter.
• Entrants must LIKE the EricaSharlette Promotions Ltd. Facebook Page for entries to be considered eligible.
• All methods of entry should contain the #MarchMusic hashtag.
• The #MarchMusic promotional code must be applied to claim the 50% discount.
• Entry deadline is 10:00 on the morning after each competition post, winners will be notified via email within 24 hours.