andPOP » olympics

James McAvoy ‘To Take Lead’ in Danny Boyle’s Trance

Samantha Lui — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 03:33:46 +0000

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James McAvoy, who plays Dr. X in X-Men: First Class, has replaced fellow X-Men actor Michael Fassbender in the lead role of Danny Boyle’s next film Trance, according to a report in Variety magazine.

Trance, is a remake of a 2001 British TV drama written and directed by Joe Ahearne, who is best known for his work in Doctor Who. The film will be about an auction house employee who helps steal a painting, but then suffers amnesia and can’t remember where it is hidden.

I am a big fan of McAvoy so I am really happy about the news. Just having caught X-Men: First Class recently, I do have to say that the film was spectacular!

So hopefully…there won’t be any hard feelings between the two co-stars!!

But in other news, Boyle, who won the Academy Award for best director in 2008 for Slumdog Millionaire, is due to direct the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games!

Knowing that the task will be a big one, Boyle plans to shoot Trance before the event gets under way.

NBC Loses $223 Million on 2010 Vancouver Olympics

andPOP Staff — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 21:41:38 +0000

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We hope the top brass at NBC aren’t planning on a bonus this year – because they sure do not deserve it. First they have Conan debacle which cost them a boat load of money. Now the VancouverOlympics have officially cost them even more money.

PerezHilton reports that the 2010 Vancouver Olympics cost NBC $800 Million in TV and Online rights. However at the end of the day they lost $223 Million on the entire deal.

You can thank extraordinary production costs and less than expected ad revenue for the loss. However ratings were up from the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.

Interview: Dan Mangan Could Get Inspired by You

Sara Harowitz — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:32:21 +0000

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If you ride public transit, you are hereby warned: you may be the inspiration for Dan Mangan’s next song.

The 26-year-old indie folk singer from Vancouver admits he constantly finds new song ideas in the goings-on of everyday people and everyday life.

“I’m a bit of a thief,” Mangan told andPOP while in Toronto for Canadian Music Week. “I steal things. I steal headlines on newspapers and things that I read on sandwich boards on the street and [snippets from] overhearing people speak on the streetcar.”

The talented singer/songwriter, who has two full-length albums under his belt, is continually fascinated by the lives we humans lead. And while many musicians write about the supernatural and the extravagant, Mangan focuses on the simple, the almost unnoticed.

“I think every day life is more poetic than people think it is,” he said. “I think we’re very flawed, fickle creatures and I just get a kick out of it. And it’s not that I get a kick out of it because everyone else is flawed; I see myself as among the most flawed.”

Proof of this honesty is evident in lyrics such as, “I’m Mr. Charming without the charming,” on his song, “You Silly Git.” And for Mangan, who is fully aware that his writing is candid and, at times, painfully truthful, it’s not scary – it’s just life.

“Sometimes I feel like I’m maybe divulging too much or kind of exposing too much of myself,” he said. “But at the same time I don’t think that there’s a unique or new emotion that’s existed. If you have felt a certain way on some day, every single person on this planet, every single one, has felt that way. Maybe about a different circumstance and with different variables, but everyone’s felt that exact same way before.”

Mangan, who still lives in Vancouver, encountered an intense wave of emotions when he performed as part of the 2010 Winter Olympics (the same Olympics that made his long-time friend and collaborator, spoken word poet Shane Koyczan, internationally known after Koyczan’s opening ceremonies performance). The show, which also had artists like the Arkells and Sam Roberts Band perform, attracted nearly 30,000 people.

“I got to play the biggest show I’ve ever played in my life,” Mangan said. “That was madness. I’ve never played anything like that.”

And while the Olympics may have given him the biggest show of his career to date, Mangan is no stranger to music. He played in bands throughout high school and tried his hand at a solo career after graduation, playing at open mics around Vancouver and embarking on a self-booked tour with nothing but his guitar and his mom’s car. Luckily, his relatable lyrics and simple melodies took hold.

“It was the most incredible experience,” he said. “I remember coming back from that tour and thinking, ‘This is it. This is what I want to do forever.’”

Most recently, Mangan released his sophomore album, 2009’s Nice, Nice, Very Nice, which includes one of his most popular songs, “Robots.” A crowd favourite, “Robots” features a sing-along during which Mangan strongly encourages audience participation. There is something special about a room full of strangers singing, “Robots need love too, they want to be loved by you” that can convert just about anyone into a Dan Mangan fan. It is the kind of tune you will find yourself humming for days.

His calm demeanour and thoughtful outlook make Mangan as down-to-earth as they come. Friendly and approachable, he encouraged people to come say hi to him after his set at The Courthouse during Canadian Music Week.

“People are really sweet,” he said. “I really appreciate it when people are really thoughtful, and I like to think that if I see a musician that I really like, I would probably go up and say hello as well. I don’t see it as weird. I try to make it as un-weird as possible for all parties.”

So if you spot Mangan on the street, whether he is wandering his home of Vancouver or exploring a new city while on tour, go say hello, and be sure to point him in the direction of a good sandwich board.

Here is where you can see Mangan perform next:
Mar 18. Austin, TX: Arts & Crafts SXSW Showcase @ Presbyterian Church w/ Timber Timbre, Gonzales, Sally Seltmann | 8:30PM
Mar 20. Austin, TX: Spune 2K10 SXSW Day Party @ J Blacks 11AM-6PM w/ Sarah Jaffe, Telegraph Canyon, The Orbans, Seryn, Doug Burr, Monahans | More TBA
Mar 20. Austin, TX: SXSW Showcase @ live.create. lounge w/ Vandaveer, Pink Nasty | 10PM
Apr 20. Montreal, QC: The Green Room (Salon Vert) w/ Laurent Bourque
Apr 21. Peterborough, ON: The Montreal House
Apr 22. Toronto, ON: The Horseshoe
Apr 23. Kingston, ON: The Grad Club
Apr 24. Ottawa, ON: Mavericks w/ An Horse
May 8. Vancouver, BC: The Vogue Theatre

Fred Ewanuick’s Canadian Rise to Stardom

Graham Slaughter — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:28:39 +0000

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Fred Ewanuick is just happy to have his own TV.

The Canadian actor, best known for his role as Hank Yarbo in Corner Gas, has been spending the past few weeks in his own private, fully-equipped chalet in Whistler.

“I’m like in heaven. I don’t have cable at home.”

Ewanuick, 42, scored his Rocky Mountain pad when he was selected by the Vancouver Olympic Committee (VANOC) to host the Olympic Victory Ceremonies in Whistler: a set of live performances each evening starring some of the world’s top acts.

“It’s such a blast. I think they said that the capacity is 8000, and we’ve been at capacity every night.”

Ewanuick has introduced artists such as Feist, The All-American Rejects, K’naan, Estelle, Usher, and The Fray. However, Ewanuick argues that some of the best music comes from the Olympic fans.

“You walk through the Olympic village at night and people just break out into ‘O Canada.’ It’s just crazy up here, the atmosphere is awesome.”

Raised in Port Moody, B.C., the actor has spent most of his career working on Canadian films and television shows. He doesn’t plan on migrating south to Hollywood as is common for many Canadian performers.

“I suppose I made a decision that I wanted to make a living here in Canada. Doing that, you don’t have much of a name for yourself anywhere else, so you take whatever you can to pay the bills. Then, Corner Gas came along and now I can pick and choose a bit.”

In Corner Gas, Ewanuick co-starred as Brent Butt’s best friend, Hank Yarbo. He built up his acting cred during the smash hit’s 106-episode run. Corner Gas confidently hung its hat in April, 2007, on the sixth season’s finale.

This was not the end for Ewanuick. The actor finally scored the opportunity to play the lead in his own television series.

The show, Dan for Mayor, is about a thirty-something man whose greatest achievement in life was graduating high school. In a spur-of-the-moment attempt to impress his ex-girlfriend Claire, played by Mary Ashton, Dan announces that he will run for mayor in the fictional town of Wessex, Ontario.

In a unique mash-up of politics and performance, the show took three actual mayors out of office and threw them into the world of acting. Viewers can expect a cameo by Toronto Mayor David Miller.

“It’s funny, I guess politicians don’t get shy in front of the camera. They loved it, and we had a lot of fun.”

Dan for Mayor is set to premiere March 1, 2010, on CTV at 8:30 p.m. ET.

In a show where actors are mayors and mayors are actors, Ewanuick brings his small town charm to televisions across Canada.

Alexisonfire’s Official Statement on Cancelled Olympic Show

Sara Harowitz — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 02:09:04 +0000

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Canadian rock band Alexisonfire have released an official statement about the free show they had to cancel at Vancouver’s LiveCity Yaletown Olympic venue last week, reports CHARTattack.com.

The statement: “We always take great care in the safety of our fans and are saddened that this happened,” the St. Catharines band said. “We are sincerely sorry that people were injured. We want to thank the security team, paramedics and police for their quick reaction. We especially want to thank our fans for cooperating and not making a bad situation worse.”

Twenty people were injured when the excited crowd pushed towards the stage during the first song of the band’s set. The pressure of the thousands of bodies broke a crowd control barrier and Alexisonfire was forced to stop the show before completing their first song.

Vancouver’s free shows as part of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games have been incredibly popular. For hit DJ Deadmau5, LiveCity Yaletown was reportedly at capacity by the early afternoon, while his set was not scheduled to start until late into the evening. And according to the Holland Park venue in Surrey, BC, nearly 30,000 people showed up to see Dan Mangan, Sam Roberts and Jully Black perform there. The free shows continue this week, hopefully without any further cancellations.

Olympic Alexisonfire Concert Cancelled After Barricade Broke; 20 Injured

Graham Slaughter — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 02:33:11 +0000

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Popularity hurts.

It only took ten seconds last night for the Olympic Alexisonfire concert in Vancouver to get shut down by chaotic fans, reports the Vancouver Sun.

The concert held in Yaletown LiveCity was brought to a fast halt after fans knocked down a barricade separating the crowd from the stage. The crowd then surged forward toward the band, injuring 20 crowd members and hospitalizing nine.

As soon as the mob rushed at the stage, the band stopped playing and the concert was promptly shut down.

“The reality of the situation is that it’s completely destroyed and it’s really dangerous and there’s an incredible amount of sharp objects up here and a lot of people got hurt when that happened,” says Alexisonfire guitarist and singer Wade MacNeil.

Organizers of the Olympic concerts are reassessing barricades to ensure that no one is injured at tonight’s musical line-up.

Classified Covers ‘Oh Canada’

@jordans_life — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:24:22 +0000

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Ever since the release of ‘Times Up’ in 1995, Classified has brought an unprecedented enthusiasm to hip hop. He is renowned for his straight up, honest lyricism and has never tried to hide the fact that he’s a proud Canadian. Thirteen albums later, he’s signed to a major label and continues to share is uninhibited patriotism with his latest single ‘Oh Canada.’ Just in time for the Vancouver Olympics. To get the single and more crafty sampling I suggest picking up his latest album ‘Self Explanatory.’

MTV’s ‘Over The Bolts’ Brings The Country’s Top Snowboarders Into Your Home

Ilan Mester — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 04:43:17 +0000

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If you mixed “The Hills” with TSN, you’d get “Over the Bolts,” MTV Canada’s brand new reality show that documents the country’s national snowboard team as they vie for 18 Olympic spots.

The show premieres this Sunday at 10 p.m. on MTV, but we got to see the first two episodes before its debut. And let’s just say you can already set the Tivo because “Over the Bolts” is as addictive as they come!

Michael Lambert, one of the country’s top snowboarders who stars in the show, admits there’s just something about reality TV that gets you hooked. “One of my friends was on the show ‘The City,’ Duncan Davies, so I enjoyed watching it and watching him interact with his girlfriend and stuff like that,” shares the athlete. “I think the dangerous thing about any of those TV shows is you can say ‘even though I may not watch them, every one of them is addictive.’ I could just watch two episodes and I could be hooked on any of them,” he laughs.

So when Lambert was asked to be a part of one, it was almost a no brainer. “I think right off the bat I was all over it,” he says. “As an athlete, this kind of opportunity is so rare, you know what I mean…if you’re my age or your age or in your early twenties, nothing is bigger than being part of a reality show.”

However, everything comes at a price. “I gave everything I had and that’s why it’s so hard for me to watch something like that…it takes you back to a place eight, 10 months ago, to a person that I hated and a person that didn’t have a chance at succeeding, a person that nobody respected. That’s the toughest part,” says a candid Lambert. Rest assured he has since changed.

Lambert was so open throughout our interview that he even talked about what it was like having a relationship while filming the show. “I find it really awkward,” he admits. “I think the worst part is that you’re basically asking something of somebody that doesn’t have anything to gain…it makes for something that’s very strange.”

After seeing the show, you’ll understand that Lambert and his confidence play a key part in “Over the Bolts” and making it interesting. But the confidence in the first few episodes is fake according to the alpine snowboarder. “I think that the confidence that I was displaying in the show there, I think it’s fake,” he reveals to andPOP. “I think it’s me just saying the word ‘confident’ and thinking that that’s what’s gonna get me the end result. Whereas now, it’s a completely different confidence that I have beginning in the next episodes… where I got my best results in my life,” Lambert shares. “That confidence was from me being humbled by these types of things and starting to be respectful with myself and just preparing the best that I can which is obviously the most boring athlete story ever, but unfortunately it’s actually what works.”

And for any aspiring snowboarders out there who want to practice the sport professionally, Lambert’s advice is quite simple: go out and compete. “You wanna take it, it’s not some sort of crazy dream. You just go and you do it. I think that’s my advice; compete.”

As for the 2010 Olympic games, it’ safe to say Lambert is more than excited, in fact he’s “very very excited”. “It’s something I’ve always dreamed about doing, and it sounds stupid but you know, I’ve really always wanted it and I think it’s just really really cool to be there and I want it. I’m doing everything in my power to get it this time but if I don’t, I’m going again you know what I mean? I’ve wanted that and I’m not going to die without it.”

“Over the Bolts” airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on MTV with encore presentations every Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET on CTV.

Michael Phelps Revealed to be Drinking Before Accident

Vanessa Baker — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:25:25 +0000

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American Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps admitted to police he had a beer an hour and 15 minutes before he was involved in a car accident last Thursday in Maryland, reports Perez Hilton. Police, however, have ruled out alcohol as the cause of the collision, saying Phelps showed “no signsof alcohol impairment.” They deemed sobriety tests unnecessary at the scene of the accident.

The other driver, Amanda E. Virkus, caused the accident by running a red light.

Phelps and the two passengers in his Cadillac Escalade walked away from the crash uninjured.

The swimmer has been issued a citation by police, as he was driving with an invalid license at the time of the incident. He will not be required to pay a fine, but must appear in court to explain why he does not have a valid driver’s license.

NBC Looks Back At Beijing Olympics

Eva Lam — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 20:35:50 +0000

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Can’t wait until 2010 for your next Olympics fix?

Here’s your chance to relive highlights from this summer’s Games, when NBC airs a two-hour primetime special about the Beijing Olympics on Dec. 27.

“Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony: TV Event of the Year” will be hosted by Bob Costas and Matt Lauer, who also covered the opening ceremony when it took place on Aug. 8.

An estimated 2 billion people worldwide watched the dazzling display of fireworks, music and synchronized performances, which culminated in the lighting of the Olympic Cauldron.

In addition, the special will take a look back at some of the biggest Olympics moments, including Michael Phelps’ record-setting performance.

It will also take a brief look forward at the 2010 Winter Olympics, which will be held in Vancouver.

Beijing Olympics Drew 4.7 Billion Viewers

Eva Lam — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 17:18:45 +0000

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About 70 per cent of the Earth’s population watched the Beijing Olympics, making it the most-viewed Games in history.

According to data released Friday by Nielsen Media Research, 4.7 billion people watched some portion of the Games in between the Aug. 8 opening ceremonies and the extinguishing of the flame Aug. 24.

That smashed the previous record of 3.9 billion viewers for the 2004 Athens Olympics.

China topped the list of countries in terms of viewing percentage, with 94 percent of its population of 1.3 billion people tuning in to the Games.

Close behind was South Korea with a 94 per cent audience reach in its much smaller population, and Mexico with a 93 per cent audience reach.

Nielsen said the estimates were based on data its companies and partner firms collected in 37 markets around the world.

Oprah To Welcome Olympic Athletes

Eva Lam — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 13:24:26 +0000

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Over 150 U.S. Olympic team members will help kick off the 23rd season of “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

A number of gold medalists are among the special guests at the Sept. 2 taping in Chicago’s Millennium Park, including record-breaking swimmer Michael Phelps, gymnast Nastia Liukin, beach volleyball teammates Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, and basketball players Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Lisa Leslie.

Winfrey’s company, Harpo Productions, said the episode will be a “welcome-home celebration” for the athletes, as well as a chance to put the spotlight on Chicago as the city bids for the 2016 Olympics Games.

The season premiere of Winfrey’s talk show airs Sept. 8.

Fans of Phelps, who took home eight gold medals at this year’s Games, can catch the 23-year-old swimmer again that night when he appears on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.”

As previously reported, he will also present an award at the Sept. 7 MTV VMAs, host the Sept. 13 season premiere of “Saturday Night Live” and release a book in December.

Flipsyde Benefiting from Olympics

andPOP Staff — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 16:10:55 +0000

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Flipsyde may be a small-town band, but they’re fulfilling big dreams.

The members of Flipsyde, the four-member eclectic band from Oakland, California, were playing in small garages and basements until they got their big break.

Illustrious talent scout Martin Kierszenbaum ? who recently started his own personal music label, Cherrytree Records ? stumbled upon a musical gem. He spoke to Flipsyde’s manager on the day the band was already auditioning for Interscope competitor Warner Bros.. Not sure whether it was luck or coincidence, and not waiting to find out, Kierszenbaum signed Flipsyde on the spot.

They recorded their first album with Cherrytree/Interscope Records called “We the People,” an LP originally released in Summer 2005, but re-released when NBC’s Winter Olympic advertising team picked up their track “Someday,” and took it straight to the skating rink. NBC filmed the band’s music video for the single, which simultaneously showed off Flipsyde’s talent and showcased the Torino games.

Flipsyde had finally arrived and CD sales and media appearances reflected their newfound fame.

Flipside appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, performed at the Winter X Games, and rubbed elbows with artists like Snoop Dog and Black Eyed Peas in a cross-Europe tour. The band’s hob-knobbing and quick rise to celebrity was not only a sign that good things were in the cards, but clearly spelled success.

?It?s beautiful thing, our fans love us,” says Piper, Flipsyde’s auspicious emcee. “We?ve been writing and coming up with stuff for a while. We were just lucky to get Jimmy Iovine to take interest in us.?

Flipsyde also received much of their popularity in Europe, with their “Happy Birthday” single charting well in Scandanavia, and rated the number three most downloaded song on iTunes in Sweden. “We the People” not only received attention from media moguls, but fans seemed to be hooked on Flipsyde’s unique sound. The album entered Billboard’s Top Heatseekers chart at 43, in January.

It’s no wonder that listeners don’t want to change the dial; Flipsyde seems to have something that fans have been waiting for. With edgy lyrics and instrumentals, Flipsyde sings about real life experiences and political issues. The band takes a unique alternative covering social issues, drug abuse and poverty, making their music as diverse as their band members.

Piper rhymes with strong conviction and politically motivated lyrics. Steve Knight is the band’s lead singer who?s sandy and rough-edged vocals inspire music-lovers of all walk of life. Dave Lopez plucks acoustic and electric guitar strings with a sensual South American sound and Deejay D Sharp ties tracks together with solid record scratches and impeccable flair.

?Our music comes from the soul. We?re influenced by life. Our group is really diverse, I mean, Steve is a white boy from Alabama, and I?m half Brazilian. Our head guitarist is from Chile, D Sharp is a Oakland boy and a hip-hop head,? says Piper. “We’re all about breaking down the barriers out there, we’re not focussing on close-minded people. We do music for us.”

Lead singer, Steve Knight agrees. He believes that they stand out from other bands already in the industry. ?I think we?re a new kind of music. I call it Slash music. We?re rock, slash hip-hop, slash soul…we?ve got the best of all worlds,? says Knight. ?We do our own thing. We?re not worried about bling bling, we?re just trying to make our own music that our fans can relate to.”

Steve Knight puts his real-life experiences to sheet paper and wrote their breakout single.

He wrote “Someday” when he was at a low point in his life. He decided to use the song to motivate others.

“I was involved with drugs, I had no concrete future. I wrote that and it inspired me to make better for myself. We?re making music to open their minds and to make people think. People can educate themselves and realize that the world is bigger than they are. There are other issues out there,? says Knight.

Flipsyde is still reeling from their quick rise to fame, but the surrealness of it isn’t leaving them dazed or confused. Although the members of Flipsyde have received a lot of attention from major media players like NBC and others, they say their newfound celebrity won?t change their music.

?I?m gonna do what inspires me, and what inspires people. If mainstream success changes our music then it wouldn?t be real anymore,? says Knight.

Flipsyde’s rise to fame is far from over and the group has several projects and performances lined up. The band is talking about another album, and is focused on touring their home turf, the United States. They also plan to tour with funky hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas again and perform with the sensual female posse, The Pussycat Dolls, on the Honda Civic Tour in March.

“We can?t wait to see our fans. We get so much energy from them, the love is amazing,? says Piper.

For more information on Flipsyde, visit flipsyde.com or check out their MySpace profile.