London and Provincial Music

Lots of people will have a need at some time for PA Hire London.  Be it a business who is holding a conference or somebody who is having a large celebration, PA Hire London is a necessity when trying to communicate with a large group of people.  Not only can PA Hire London be used for speaking but it can also be used to play music through, thereby making it the ideal choice for any sort of celebration, be it private or corporate.

Of course there are lots of companies who offer PA Hire London but if your event is extremely high profile you will want to ensure that you get the best possible PA Hire London that you can.  Obviously this can sometimes seem more difficult than originally thought.  What is the best way to filter through the different organisations which offer PA Hire London and find the one that is the best for you both in terms of level of service and the price.

One company which offers PA Hire London is A1 Pro Entertainments.  They have great value PA Hire London for any corporate or public events.  They have a large stock of PA Hire London and all of their systems are of the very best quality designed specifically for the kind of indoor and outdoor events that need music or voice amplification.  They can also give advice to their clients as to which would be the best PA Hire London for the event that they are planning.  What is more, they deliver, set up and test all their equipment beforehand completely free of charge.  They can be visited online at www.a1proents.com where you can browse their site to see exactly what they have to offer.

A chill is in the air and that can only mean one thing the annual Coca Cola “Holidays Are Coming” ads of course!

As our favourite holiday approaches there is lots of exciting bars news (you can pull this little fact out to impress your friends – yes you with your finger on the pulse)! Global clubbing brand and House music fashionistas Hed Kandi have decided enough is enough and it’s time to launch the very first Hed Kandi bar in the UK! Did a wave of excitement just hit you? – good, I thought so.  Hed Kandi nights are legendary world over and to have a daily offering of it on our door step is a very exciting news indeed. They have opted for South of the River and will occupy space on the busy and lively Clapham High Street. This is a great addition to the Clapham Bar scene and will be drawing the central London clubbing crowd down to the cool southern lightlife strip. There will be of course the feel-good funky house sets from the Hed Kandi DJs at the weekends and will be more chilled during the week. The key date to look out for is November 19th; this is the Hed Kandi Bar launch party date and will be open and rocking from this day forward.

Leaving Clapham we go to Shoreditch, never one to be  to be outdone in the new bar stakes, Shoreditch is boasting the launch of the exciting new Tokyo-inspired Glo Glo’s Bar. This cool new bar boasts colour-changing ceiling panels and an intimate but edgy bar atmosphere. Exotic drinks and cutting edge Japanese dishes will keep you coming back for more.   Who does design and novelty better than the Japanese?  Haven’t been yet – so looking for some insight from our you – leave a review and let me know how it is.

Continuing on the new bar theme, I can’t complete this article without a mention of another cracker, The NightJar. Destined to be the hottest new Jazz and Caberet (maybe they were inspired by this summer’s movie showing at Somerset house?!) bar in the East End, bringing the cool speakeasy style bar right into the heart of Old Street. This opening highlights a trend in the evolution  of Shoreditch bars from the standard arty/indie bar that was popular in the last 5 years to something that is a little out of the ordinary. Any bar that serves a cocktail called the BBC and is delivered in a waft of Absinth smoke is worth a trip – would I lead you wrong?

Another little nugget of information I have come across involves Cobra Beer getting in on the festive spirit and has decided to support National Curry Week (21-25th November), how kind of them? Yes well if your stomach can handle it, order yourself a nice big Cobra Beer and bag yourself a 2 for 1 Curry deal in participating venues.

My final shout regards the hottest sporting event about to hit our lives, The Ashes! Bring on the all-nighter’s tuned in and down the pub absorbing what promises to be one of the most exciting Australian v England series in years. Legendary nights will be had, sparking tales of “that night we stayed up all night watching the ashes 2010″ but the big questions is, where pub can I watch the Ashes in London?! Don’t worry, I am on it and have some recommend ashes pubs in london for you. Despite the obvious Australian bias, The Walkabout will be full of banter and beers and of course The Sports Café will be showing every ball. We also have it on good authority that The Alexandra in Clapham could have their arm twisted to show the ashes down under all night if there is enough demand. For more recommended London pubs for watching the ashes cricket 2010, click here.

The wedding of the decade is soon going to be rolled in the view of the general public in the auspicious month of April in London. Celebrate this wedding with Royal Albert Hall Style with lavish classical music for your ears. Visitors can stay at nearby hotels in Kensington London can take the pleasure of the classical music serenading their senses to the hilt. Here is a look at this majestic concert:

When: 17th April, 2011

Royal Albert Hall

What better way to set in motion the wedding preparations but with the intriguing and majestic surroundings of the Royal Albert Hall? Visitors can trace a royal connection with this eminent building through none other than Queen Victoria herself who inaugurated this historic venue in the year 1871. Artists from all over the world consider it a mark of prestige bestowed on them if they are given a chance to perform in this most treasured building of London. The place is holding a special evening bathed with compositions of maestros and performers from all across the world to commemorate the royal wedding. While staying at any of the nearby Kensington London hotels, visitors can enjoy this grand concert.

Highlights of the Evening

Listen to all time classical pieces by “timely Bridal March” by Wagner, “Wedding March” by Mendelsshon, “Glory” and “Land of Hope” by  Elgar and “Hallelujah Chorus” and “Jupiter from the Planets” by Handel among many others all under the same roof at the magical ambience of Royal Albert Hall. Royal Choral Society, Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, among more will enthral the audiences with their performances. You can make your kids a thriving part of this concert in this complete family event.  Why not generate a love for classical music in them which will also expand their horizons. Look forward to a night surrounded by classical musicians playing on instruments as well as serenading with their vocals.

Kensington Olympia Hotels

Visitors can stay at any of the hotels in Kensington Olympia which are hardly minutes away from this historic live music venue of Royal Albert Hall. If you have a knack of living in opulence, luxury hotels near Kensington Olympia will suit your style. In case you are facing financial constraints and want to enjoy standard basic facilities in your budget, many cheap or bed and breakfast hotels in Kensington London will have you grab ideal accommodation deals.

Nearest Tube Station

Visitors can board a tube to South Kensington tube station to reach Royal Albert Hall located in Kensington Gore.

Cost

Turn to this phenomenal show at a fraction of a cost of what you would pay at other such grand concerts or events. The tickets can be availed starting from just £ 13.50 reaching to around £49.50 per person.

Start your booking immediately for this royal concert in London unless you fall short of tickets as the wedding season of April will observe travellers pouring from all over the world.

 

For many years I have supplied music for and played in bands that
provide music for corporate entertainment. Clients have included Audi,
The Evening Standard, Sainsburys, P.C. World, Safeways, Large corporate
clients at Henley and Ascot, I.T.V. and H.M. Treasury. Because of this
experience I felt it would be relevant in putting down some pointers in
helping clients choose the right kind of music for their particular
corporate entertainment.

Interestingly enough, most corporate hospitality entertainment work
tends to require music as an ingredient to a larger recipe. What I mean
by this is a great deal of corporate events are offering a multi
service package. Typically an organization may be putting on an
evenings entertainment to thank its workforce for a particularly
successful year. They may be offering music, food, comedy, a close up
magician, a casino and a caricaturist. The corporate client organizing
needs to decide what part the music has to play in the days/evenings
entertainment.

Questions he or she needs to ask are:

Is the music specifically for entertainment or is the music for background listening?

Do we need one style of music early on in the proceedings and then a change of style later in the days/ evenings entertainment?

Do you expect the corporate clients to be networking and discussing business or are they just there for a good time?

What overall atmosphere do you want to project with the event?

Is there going to be a change of location for the music as the entertainment event unfolds?

Different styles of music bands lend themselves to different
corporate hospitality situations. Below are a number of typical
corporate hospitality events with music suggestions for suitable music
entertainment.

Corporate entertainment model 1.
Evening reception with dinner and speeches.

In a situation such as this you will typically need music from the
outset as part of the meet and greet of the corporate evening. A
four-piece swing or Latin group is ideal with a larger ensemble for
particularly large gatherings. A professional outfit can pitch the
music at just the right decibel level so your guests can talk and enjoy
the entertainment without it encroaching on conversations. The
musicians would typically be dressed in Lounge Suits or Tuxedos (or the
female equivalent) to mirror what the guests are wearing themselves.
The music portrays an atmosphere of sophistication, which again
hopefully reflects the evenings overall ambience.

It is rare for corporate clients to want to dance especially as
clients there relationship is business not pleasure! In most cases it
is more important that the band is flexible in when it is needed over
the course of the evening i.e. At the top of the night for the
reception, a smaller version of the band (The pianist maybe for the
dinner), stopping for speeches and then after the speeches to play
until other entertainment is put on for the corporate clients. In this
situation give the band a clear idea of how you expect the evening to
go. What to wear, when they will be needed, when they need to get their
instruments in the building and be set up, when breaks will be
required, let them know if it is convenient or not to feed them and
then finally how they can leave when finished so as not to disrupt the
rest of the entertainment.

Corporate entertainment model 2.
Company Party.

Still corporate entertainment, still corporate hospitality but a
totally different set of requirements for the music. Ask yourself these
questions: Are your work force the type of workforce who will want to
dance at some point in the proceedings? If they are, then a
professional band with flexibility is essential. My experience is that
people of all ages will join together to dance to music from the
sixties and seventies. Whatever background music you require earlier in
the day/evening be it Latin, Swing, Rat Pack or Lounge, if you are
hoping to provide entertainment that will get people dancing remember
this fact. Sixties and Seventies. For some inexplicable reason this is
the music that gets people up on their feet.

When choosing your music ask the band if they can cover this part of
the corporate entertainment requirement. Get samples of their music if
need be. There is nothing worse than an ill equipped band struggling
through alien repertoire. However good the band is, if they do not play
the right repertoire, the right style of music then the corporate
entertainment will fall on deaf ears.

Let me at this point provide a caveat. Your workforce work together
They are not always going to be the best of friends however
professional their relationships are at work. Answer truthfully, will
they really want to dance together or is it asking too much? I would
say that in all the years of providing music for this kind of corporate
entertainment / hospitality , as long as the music is right, the
workforce tended to dance 30 or 40% of the time. It could be said that
a workforce who will enjoy each others company in this way is a
reflection on the talent of senior management to create a happy team!

Corporate entertainment model 3.
Company Fun Day.

These come in two types. The type to entertain your own workforce or
the type to entertain prospective clients. Both types of corporate
entertainment require music that is fun. This means that the music must
be perceived as fun and the band must be perceived as fun. In both
cases Jolly Dixieland Jazz or the summer sounds of Latin music are most
suitable.

Ask yourself these questions: does the band need to be mobile?
Meaning do you want the music to move around the site at various points
in the proceedings? If so then the jolly jazz route is most suitable. A
good professional outfit of four or five players can play acoustically
and move around a site as directed.

If the band can be static and close to electrical power then either Jolly Jazz or Latin Music is suitable.

Is the event outdoors or indoors and do you have provision for bad
weather? This is England, never trust to luck, assume the worst! Any
band that needs power cannot play in the rain for health and safety
reasons. At the first hint of inclement weather a band will have to
breakdown their equipment. Build this situation into your corporate
entertainment music decisions.

How do you want the band to dress? It is a fun day after all! In the
past I and my musicians have dressed as Elvis, Cavemen, Circus Clowns,
in fact all manner of characters in the name of corporate entertainment
and corporate hospitality. Good bands will have suitable outfits for
most situations but don`t hesitate in providing something off the wall
for a special event. Most professional players have a strange urge to
jump into such costumes at the earliest possibility! As someone who has
played at a nudist camp and for a toga party, both dressed accordingly,
take my word for it!

To draw this article together let me say this. Choose the right kind
of music for the event. Brief the band accordingly but make sure you
have a professional and flexible outfit, things can change over the
course of the event and you want to make sure the band are both
co-operative and able to fulfill your needs. Don`t hesitate to ask the
band for any special requirements you have. Do it in plenty of time so
they have time to prepare.

The corporate entertainment and hospitality you offer to your guests
reflects directly onto your company. The music and musicians must be
the type who are aware of this. Dont go for second best just to save a
small amount of money. You need a well prepared, well dressed band who
are both polite and charming to your guests. They need to play the
right kind of music for the event in order to help make the day or
evenings corporate entertainment a resounding success!

About the author

Jeff Williams is a London based trombonist and vocalist who has worked
all over the world in most areas of the business. He also runs a
successful, specialist, live music agency using the best of London
musicians, servicing both private and corporate clients playing all
over the country. He would be happy to advise you with your own event
or party and offers bespoke solutions for the perfect occasion.

Halloween London 2010

The witching hour is almost upon us again. Luckily Halloween falls on a weekend this year so you can really go for it! Halloween in London can be a minefield of hundreds of events in hundreds of bars and clubs – some wierd, some wacky, some a let down and some mind-blowingly brilliant. I have been scouring all the bars and clubs in London to discover the best Halloween nights/events in 2010 and these are my recommended ones:

1) Delphic present Acolyte – The Warehouse Project (Southwark)

The Warehouse Project is an institution in Manchester. Bringing the best DJs to Manchester, every “Project” is always sold out. This is their first trial in London and by the looks of the line up they will become an institution in the world’s greatest city! The “warehouse” for this event will be in Ewer Street Car Park, near Southwark. There is always something quite special about these transformed car park events! So to the line-up…Delphic (live), The Whip (live), Fenech Soler (recently toured with Groove Armada – live) plus many others. So expect a night of house and indie fusion. Tickets are sold out but i would strongly recommend you look on various ticket sites to get one. This will be one of the best Halloween nights in London! 2030-0400  with last entrance at 2330 and strictly 18+

2) Urban Nerds @ XOYO (Shoreditch)

XOYO is the new kid on the block of “must-visit” venues/bars in Shoreditch. Not open for long but have already hosted some of the biggest London nights out this year. So what have they got for Halloween 2010? A cracker! Hosted by Joker and MC Nomad and a 2 hour set from Circus Records, this will be a night of dubstep to be remembered. Room 2 goes darker with bass and electro beats and underground garage. Also, they promise some “terrifying surprises”. £12 saver ticket and £15 on the door.

3) The Haunted Ballroom @ Scala (Kings Cross)

A regular on the London Halloween circuit, The Haunted Ballroom is no ordinary night out. Don’t come to Scala expecting just DJs and Halloween decorations – this night is a veritable feast of different shows, spectacles and DJs. The different rooms are also being decked out by their art directors who have worked on films and music videos. The acts to expect include dark ventriloquists, provocative poets, award winning comedians, live drumnbass and vintage rock n rollers! Probably the most eclectic night on offer in London this Halloween. 2100-0400. Tickets £18.50.

4) Detone’s Halloween Scream Up @ East Village (Shoreditch)

East Village is consistently one of the best bars / clubs in Shoreditch. Wether you fancy a drink in the bar upstairs or dance all night in the club downstairs, you are rarely disappointed. All Shoreditch bars are pulling out all the stops for Halloween but East Village have a brlliiant line-up promised. Darren Emerson’s label night returns with the best in house and tech house downstairs and upstairs expect a mixture of disco, funk, reggae and soul! There really should be something for everyone to enjoy here! Fancy dress is not compulsory (phew) but there is a prize on offer for the best costume. 2100-0330. £8 before 11pm and £10 after.

5) Death at the Disco @ Cargo (Hoxton)

A ghoulish story haunts Cargo. A couple of young lovers are rumoured to have died together under the railway arches, where Cargo is now housed. They are often heard mumbling and speaking to each other in that very spot but no one can ever hear exactly what they say. Every Halloween Cargo throws Death at the Disco to celebrate these two young lovers. The venue are promising a complete revamp for Halloween with Disco Blood Bath, Trailer Trash and Eric Volta all on the decks. I am sure this will not be a let down and if you listen close enough you may hear those young lovers enjoying themselves too. Tickets are £12 in advance and £15 on the door but be warned, the early bird tickets have already sold out.

I hope these 5 nights offer something for everyone and I am sure you will have a memorable Halloween in London if you pick one. Get out the house, away from the trick or treaters and enjoy a ghoulish night out in London!

 

Most people in the world love to sing and dance, whether they are young, adult or children.

Most people in the world love to sing and dance, whether they are young, adult or children. They would love to replicate their favorite actor or actress and want to be like them. There are many pop singers in the world, but one that has touched millions of heart and soul is Legendary Michael Jackson. He is known as the greatest Pop-Singer, dancer, lyricist, actor and a performer.

But unfortunately he is no longer with us. He died in 2009 but still people remember him and his groundbreaking performance. You can remember him by wearing his costume during Halloween night. Michael Jackson Halloween costume could be a wonderful idea to make everyone freak on the Halloween Day.

Michael Jackson Thriller Adult costume:

Thriller costume has a “v” pattern and ruby red color pants. Wig and shoes are not included, but you’ll definitely require wig. Accessories that you may require with this costume are wig and shoes for your dance moves. Michael Jackson didn’t wear gloves in this video, so it is not compulsorily unless you need it for another costume. His thriller video is classic and a record breaker. Music and dance moves are memorable.

Michael Jackson – Billie Jean Adult Costume:

Billie Jean Halloween costume includes sequined jacket, buttoned down sequined black shirt and sequined glove with matching socks. Accessorize the costume with fashionable wig and shoes. Buy from outside dark pants and you’re ready for the Halloween party. These costumes are very popular for years, but this year there is more demand. So buy one now before it is too late. You can pay tribute to king of pop by wearing Michael Jackson Billie Jean costume.

Michael Jackson -  Bad Adult Costume:

Bad costume features a jacket with loads of zippers and buckles, matching pants showing a red stripe on one side and several buckles, gloves with faux leather straps, buckled boot covers and matching bracelet. It has a gold belt to tie it all together. Accessories required for this costume are shoes, boots and wig.

Michael Jackson – Beat it Jacket Adult Costume:

This type of costume includes crimson, faux leather jacket featuring multiple zipper details around the waist, on the chest and on the detachable sleeves; and shimmering silver embellishments on the shoulders. Put this and get ready to rock as the renowned talented king of pop. Accessories needed for this costume is wig. Buy from outside Shirt, belt, pants, socks and shoes. This costume is available in all adult sizes.

Michael Jackson – Billie Jean Motown Glove Adult:

Basic need of every Michael Jackson costume is the silver sequined Glove. Placed only in one hand, this glove is essential. You can find this type of glove in any costume store. Along with the Billie Jean Motown Costume you can wear this type of glove.

Michael Jackson -  Long Adult Wig:

A wig of long black hair is very important along with the costume. One of the important accessories along with the costume is wig. Always wear the right wig that is required for Michael Jackson costume. Halloween fantasy sells long adult wig that will go well with any of the Michael Jackson costume.

Enjoy your Halloween by wearing Michael Jackson Costume and give a tribute to the king of pop.

If you want to impress your partner on your first date, there is nothing better than arriving with her at one of the known clubs in London and get a VIP treatment from the moment that you arrive, instead of waiting in a long queue for entering the nightclub. Of course you do not want to waste half of night just to enter the night club.

Getting nightclub VIP tables in London is something to impress any girl especially if the club is really elegant. If you want to spend the whole week to call different night clubs and try to book a table there then go ahead but, if you want to make it happened like a snap then all you need to do is log on to your computer and fill in the electronic form on velvet eve parties website and tell them your name and phone number. After that you will get the confirmation on your nightclub VIP tables where you want them.

Do not forget to list your name and all your guest names in the form so they are able to arrange the right table for you and avoid any misunderstanding that may happen. Velvet Eve Parties will take it from there and you will receive a confirmation on your mobile phone or your email to tell you the status of your booking.

In addition to this, you can arrange your birthday party in London with velvet eve parties. Just tell them how many people are coming and where you want to hold your party and they will arrange everything you need. Also if you do not have a clue about where to hold your party, send velvet eve parties an email and they will be happy to let you know your options.

Night clubs in London are highly diversified and people always spend a lot of time trying to know more about the night club before they decide to visit it. on the other hands, some people tend to go and try their luck with one of these night clubs wondering how the night will be but, with velvet eve parties, you do not need to guess anymore as you are able to know everything about the night club before you hit it. You will even be able to take a glimpse of the nightclub while you are still home and you can decide whether it worth the visit or not.

Make your nights with friends more interesting through hitting the clubs that really suit your taste and play the kind of music that you really like and the most important the ones that suit your budget.

Early life

Page as a child

Page Joseph Falkinburg, the oldest of three children, was born in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, the son of Sylvia (ne Seigel) and Page Joseph Falkinburg, Sr. Page was raised by his father during his early years, after his parents divorced. The name “Dallas” came from his love of the Dallas Cowboys. His brother and sister were raised by their maternal grandmother. Page lived with his father from the ages of three to eight. His father took him, at eight years old, to live with his grandmother, who raised him. Page admitted in his autobiography that he is dyslexic. He had many challenges hit him throughout his childhood and educational years. DDP attended St. Joseph’s High School (now Monsignor Donovan High School) in Toms River, New Jersey and Point Pleasant Boro High School in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. Page was a basketball player with the Panthers of Point Boro High School.

Professional wrestling career

Early years / American Wrestling Assiciation

Main article: Diamond Exchange

DDP, Curt Hennig and Diamond Doll Tonya in 1988

Page’s first wrestling appearance was in Canada in 1979. However due to poor initial training and a subsequent bad knee injury he gave up wrestling shortly afterward. His next appearance was not until WrestleMania VI, where he drove Rhythm and Blues (The Honky Tonk Man and Greg Valentine) to the ring in his pink Cadillac. At this time, he was virtually unknown in the World Wrestling Federation.

Page worked in the nightclub business running a hip club in Ft. Myers Florida, “Norma Jeans”, (known for its Pink Cadillac) located on Route 41, Tamiami Trail beside the Ft. Myers airport, Page Field, no relation, and worked there before and after he started working as a wrestling manager in the American Wrestling Association (AWA). He started managing in 1988, where he handled Badd Company (Paul Diamond and Pat Tanaka), a team he led to the AWA World Tag Team Championship on March 19. Badd Company, was often accompanied by a pair of female valets known as the “Diamond Dolls” (Tonya, Jennifer and Torri). During his time in the AWA, Page also managed Col. DeBeers, Curt Hennig and Madusa Miceli as the leader of the Diamond Exchange stable. He worked for the AWA at 12 dates over a period of nine months, where they filmed all the television shows in one day. He also worked as a color commentator in Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) where he worked alongside Gordon Solie, before finally debuting as a professional wrestler.

In 1990, Dallas received a tryout with the WWF as an announcer, but never got the job. When FCW went down, Page was still involved in the club business until Dusty Rhodes returned to World Championship Wrestling. WCW started booking and brought Page in on a small contract in early 1991.

World Championship Wrestling

Managing the Freebirds and the Diamond Mine (19911992)

Main articles: The Fabulous Freebirds and Diamond Mine

Page came to World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1991 as manager of The Fabulous Freebirds (Jimmy Garvin and Michael P.S. Hayes). Page managed the Freebirds to a shot at the NWA World Tag Team Championship where they defeated Doom (Butch Reed and Ron Simmons) on February 24. Before that match took place, Page unveiled the stable’s new road manager, Big Daddy Dink, formerly known as Oliver Humperdink, who interfered in the match. During this match, Page introduced the Diamond Dolls. Page added Scott Hall to the stable under the name of Diamond Studd. Page also worked as a color commentator for WCW with Eric Bischoff. With rumors that the WCW wanted to take the Diamond Studd away from Page, he decided to take the advice of Magnum T.A. and begin to wrestle himself. He headed to the WCW Power Plant where Buddy Lee Parker, The Assassin, and Dusty Rhodes trained the 35 year old rookie. He debuted as a wrestler in a tag team match later that year. With the Diamond Studd, he faced Kevin Sullivan and his partner. He was relegated to the “jobber” list. He made his wrestling pay-per-view debut at Starrcade in 1991, teaming with Mike Graham in a losing effort to Jushin Liger and Bill Kazmaier.

Page continued wrestling and brought other wrestlers into his stable, The Diamond Mine, such as Scotty Flamingo and Vinnie Vegas (Kevin Nash). The relationships between DDP, Flamingo, and Vegas were used in many angles over the following months. Page went in the corner of Scotty Flamingo, at Clash of the Champions XXI on November 18, 1992, when Flamingo fought Johnny B. Badd in a worked boxing match. Flamingo won this bout with a little help from Page who filled Flamingo’s glove with water. The following year, after Studd and Flamingo left the stable, Page teamed with Vinnie Vegas as the Vegas Connection. The Vegas Connection never returned to WCW until 2001 under the name “The Insiders”, because Page was fired from WCW shortly after the team’s debut due to his torn rotator cuff. The injury occurred in late 1992 in a tag match with Tex Slazenger and Shanghai Pierce (later known as The Godwinns).

Single competition; “The People’s Champion” (19941997)

Page determined to continue improving his character, sought the help of Jake Roberts who advised him on the psychological aspects of the business. After his injury had healed, Page returned to WCW television in 1994, with his wife Kimberly as the Diamond Doll, and an on-screen bodyguard, Maxx Muscle. He held open arm wrestling challenges to win Kimberly but Maxx always helped him win or arm wrestled for him. He also had a long feud with Dave Sullivan because Sullivan gave Kimberly gifts (and largely because Page was defeated by Sullivan in one of the arm wrestling contests, which earned him a date with Kimberly). At Fall Brawl, Page won his first championship when he defeated Renegade for the WCW World Television Championship. In the build-up to his first title defense at Halloween Havoc, there was growing dissension between Page and Kimberly. Johnny B. Badd defeated Page for the TV title and again at World War 3 on November 26, winning Kimberly’s freedom from DDP. At Uncensored on March 24, 1996 The Booty Man with Kimberly as The Booty Babe defeated Diamond Dallas Page in a Loser Leaves Town match.

DDP

Page returned on the May 18th, 1996 edition of WCW Saturday Night defeating Billy Kidman. On May 19, Page participated in the Lord of the Ring Tournament (Battle Bowl) at Slamboree. Page was victorious when he defeated The Barbarian with two Diamond Cutters. The winner was to be the number one contender for the World Title which at that time was held by The Giant. However, he never received the title shot that he earned that night. Page was feuding with Eddie Guerrero when the New World Order (nWo) was formed. Since Nash and Hall were both former partners of Page, they assisted him in his matches in the tournament being held for the vacant US Title. Believing their help was not appreciated, however, Hall and Nash attacked him during the tournament finals, therefore handing the belt to Guerrero. After demonstrating the benefits of the nWo, they asked him to join. He responded by giving them Diamond Cutters on January 25, 1997 at Souled Out, starting a face turn and a feud with the nWo. Page began a feud with “Macho Man” Randy Savage in 1997. On an episode of WCW Monday Nitro, Savage, aided by Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, attacked Page and spray-painted “nWo” on his back. A few weeks later at Uncensored, Savage and Miss Elizabeth “broke kayfabe” (a worked shoot) by revealing to the world that Page and Kimberly were, in fact, married. Savage then proceeded to beat up Page, ensuring a future match between the two. At Spring Stampede, Page and Savage battled in a match where Page emerged victorious, but it was the not the end of conflict between the two. A few months later at The Great American Bash, they squared off again in an anything goes, lights out match. This match ended with Savage defeating Page with help from (then) Tag Team Champion Scott Hall. At Bash at the Beach, Scott Hall and Randy Savage defeated Diamond Dallas Page and Curt Hennig. Curt Hennig, who Diamond Dallas Page had recruited personally to join WCW and team with him, turned on DDP during the match. Hennig defeated Diamond Dallas Page in a Grudge Match at Road Wild. At Fall Brawl, Page teamed with Lex Luger to defeat Scott Hall and Randy Savage in a NO DQ match. Page even dressed up as masked wrestler La Parka and beat Savage. Around this time, Page also started fighting nWo leader, Hollywood Hulk Hogan. Page and Savage battled for the last time at Halloween Havoc. The match was billed as a Las Vegas Sudden Death Match, where Savage pinned Page after Hogan, dressed as Sting, came out and hit Page with a baseball bat in his already “injured” mid-section, resulting in Savage picking up the win. On an episode of Nitro shortly after Halloween Havoc, Page fought Hogan, but was again beaten down by the nWo.

Teaming with the stars; United States Heavyweight Champion (19971998)

DDP and his one-time tag team partner Karl Malone in 1998.

At Starrcade, Page won the United States Heavyweight Championship from Curt Hennig. The following year at Uncensored, Page defended the title in a Triple Threat, Falls Count Anywhere contest against Chris Benoit and Raven, putting Raven through a table with a Diamond Cutter to retain the belt. Later in the year, Page tagged with Karl Malone against Hulk Hogan and Dennis Rodman at Bash at the Beach, losing due to interference. Page tagged with late night talk show host Jay Leno at Road Wild, where they defeated Hogan and Eric Bischoff.

DDP and Jay Leno in 1998.

At Fall Brawl, Page won the WarGames main event, and got a World title shot against the undefeated Goldberg at Halloween Havoc. Page did not win the match, but the match was voted WCW Magazine’s “Match of the Year” 1998. Halloween Havoc ran slightly longer than expected resulting in a number of cable companies blacking out the end of the Hogan versus Warrior match and all of the DDP versus Goldberg contest. WCW decided to air the Goldberg versus DDP title bout in its entirety on the October 26 edition of Nitro, which proved immensely popular in the ratings and resulted in a ratings win for Nitro over Raw the last win Nitro would ever have. Despite this setback in the World title picture, Page rebounded this same following night of Halloween Havoc, on the October 26 edition of Nitro, with a win over Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart to capture the United States Heavyweight Title.

World Heavyweight and World Tag Team Champion (19992001)

Main articles: Jersey Triad and The Insiders

Page became WCW World Heavyweight Champion in April 1999, at Spring Stampede when he defeated Sting, Hogan, and Ric Flair for the title in a Four Way Dance with “Macho Man” Randy Savage as Special Guest Referee. Page pinned Flair after giving Flair the Diamond Cutter. Shortly after gaining the title, Page wrestled Goldberg for his championship. Page turned heel during the match, using everything at his disposal to try and beat down Goldberg (the match eventually ended in a no contest). His first reign as champion lasted 15 days: on April 26, Page was defeated for the World Championship by Sting on Nitro in the first hour of the show. A little more than an hour and a half later, Page was given an opportunity to regain the title thanks to a challenge match set up by the returning Kevin Nash; he was pitted against Page, Goldberg, and the newly crowned champion Sting. During the course of the match, Page hit Nash with a foreign object to take the win and regain the title without actually defeating the reigning champion. Page was defeated by Nash at Slamboree that year, and fell out of the World title picture shortly thereafter.

DDP and Kevin Nash as the WCW World Tag Team Champions.

Shortly after Slamboree, Page entered into an alliance with fellow New Jerseyan Bam Bam Bigelow and won the WCW World Tag Team Championship from then champions Perry Saturn and Raven on May 31, thanks to Chris Kanyon turning heel on former ally Raven and costing the team the championships. Page, Bigelow, and Kanyon became known as the Jersey Triad and through their alliance with WCW “President for Life” Ric Flair took advantage of the Freebird Rule in their subsequent matches (meaning any combination of the three could defend the championship). The Triad held the titles until June 10, when Saturn and Chris Benoit (now stablemates in The Revolution) took the titles from them. The team regained the belts at The Great American Bash three days later, but would lose them to Harlem Heat at Road Wild in August. Later that night, Chris Benoit defeated Diamond Dallas Page to retain the United States title. The group broke up shortly thereafter and Page began feuding with Hogan again, joining Sid Vicious and Rick Steiner in a team effort to take on Hogan, Sting, and Goldberg. Soon after that feud ended Page turned into a hero again and feuded with both Kanyon and Bigelow before the year ended.

In 2000, with WCW under new management, Page earned a shot at the vacant WCW World Championship Belt at Spring Stampede against Jeff Jarrett. In a surprise twist, Page’s wife, Kimberly, turned on Page and helped Jarrett become the new WCW World Champion. Page got the better of Jarrett on the April 24th edition of Nitro, where he defeated Jarrett in a steel cage match to become WCW World Heavyweight Champion for the third time, but would lose the title to his very own tag partner, actor David Arquette three days later on Thunder; the rules stated that whoever got the pin would win the title, and Arquette pinned Jarrett’s partner, Eric Bischoff. Page attempted to win the title back at Slamboree later that month in a triple cage match against Arquette and Jarrett, but lost after Arquette hit him with a guitar. Page then entered a feud with Mike Awesome, who defeated him in an Ambulance Match at The Great American Bash after Kanyon turned on Page.

Page took some time off shortly after this, but returned in late 2000 as a full time wrestler. After Page came back he formed a tag team with Kevin Nash called The Insiders, and the team won the tag team championship on November 26 at Mayhem by defeating Perfect Event (Shawn Stasiak and Chuck Palumbo). The team was temporarily stripped of the titles but won them back at Starrcade defeating Stasiak and Palumbo again. Page and Nash lost the titles to Palumbo and Sean O’Haire at Sin in January and broke up shortly thereafter. After his tag team run Page briefly feuded with the returning Kanyon, which saw Kanyon defeat Page at SuperBrawl Revenge, and Page defeating Kanyon the following night on Nitro, ending their feud. Page then moved into the World Championship picture again by facing Scott Steiner. Their feud hit a climax at WCW’s final PPV Greed, saw Page’s final match in WCW and a semi-burial type defeat as he passed out in Steiner’s finisher, The Steiner Recliner.

World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (20012002)

When WCW was purchased by WWF owner Vince McMahon in 2001, Page was one of the few major WCW stars to sign with McMahon. He debuted in the WWE on the June 18th, 2001 edition of RAW when he unveiled himself as the stalker of the The Undertaker’s wife, Sara. Page did it to make an impact and wanted to take on the biggest dog in the yard, but he then became obsessed with Sara. Page soon joined the the Alliance during the WCW Invasion.

Page and Chris Kanyon reunited on the August 6th, 2001 edition of RAW when Kanyon helped Page attack The Undertaker backstage. Three days later on August 9, 2001 edition of SmackDown, Page and Kanyon defeated the APA to win the WWF Tag Team Championship.

The feud with the Undertaker went on for the best part of Three Months and ended when Undertaker and Kane defeated Page and Kanyon at WWF Summerslam 2001 on August 19, 2001 in a Steel cage match for the WWF tag team championship, where Page got injured which kept him out of action until late October, 2001.

He became known for his catch phrase “Yo! It’s me, it’s me, it’s DDP!” While Page was injured he developed a new gimmick in September, 2001 to become a motivational speaker, something he did in real life, in what would come to be known as his Positively Page character. The name came from the title of his autobiography that was published during his WCW days. The character, who Page developed after attending the Tony Robbins Results 2000 seminar in October 2000, involved Page constantly smiling and acting optimistic, with his trademark phrase “That’s not a bad thing…that’s…a good thing”.

His return televised match was on November 3, 2001 at Rebellion losing to The Big Show. After the Alliance lost at Survivor Series DDP along with the rest of the alliance members kayfabe lost their jobs. Page eventually won his job back by defeating The Big Bossman on the January 17th, 2002 edition of SmackDown! and also competed in the Royal Rumble Match on January 20, 2002 but did not win it.

Page became the European Champion on the January 31st, 2002 edition of SmackDown, when he defeated Christian, a former follower of his positive “philosophy”. At WrestleMania X8, Page retained the title in a rematch. He lost the title, however, to William Regal on an episode of SmackDown that aired March 19. At age 46, he had nagging injuries, including a neck injury he suffered in a match with Bob Holly on the April 18th, 2002 episode of SmackDown, so his WWE contract was allowed to expire.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (20042005)

On April 1, 2004, Diamond Dallas Page announced his return to the ring. After working for several independent promotions, he debuted with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling on November 12, feuding with Raven and Erik Watts. Page received an NWA World Heavyweight Championship title shot on March 13, 2005 at Destination X but was defeated by reigning champion Jeff Jarrett when Monty Brown turned heel and hit Page with the Pounce. Page left TNA shortly thereafter.

Juggalo Championship Wrestling (2009)

On August 9, 2009, Diamond Dallas Page made a special appearance with JCW aligning himself with the jWo. He hit his trademark Diamond Cutter finisher on Trent Acid late in the match.

Life after wrestling

Fitness guru

A copy of the Yoga for Regular Guys DVD

The birth of the Yoga for Regular Guys Workout came in 1998 while Page was recovering from ruptures to his L4/L5 discs. He was reluctantly brought into power yoga with his wife Kimberly. While watching her daily workouts, he realized that yoga had benefits that he had not yet explored.[citation needed] Page regained his flexibility and strength that were hindered by his ruptured disks. His favorite kind of yoga (according to his “Yoga for Regular Guys” book) is “Power Yoga,” an Americanized version of “Ashtanga Style” yoga. Page worked with Dr. Craig Aaron, the “Yoga-Doc,”[citation needed] and made his own the Yoga for Regular Guys Workout.

Lawsuit

Page’s infamous “Diamond Cutter” hand gesture

Page is commonly associated with the “Self High Five” as well as the “Diamond Cutter” symbol, a hand gesture made by joining the thumbs and index fingers on each hand to form a diamond shape, then parting the two hands in one swift motion. He created the symbol in 1996 and later copyrighted it. In December 2005, Page filed a lawsuit against rapper Jay-Z, who, he claimed, had “illegally adopted his trademark hand gesture”. Page accused Jay-Z of trademark and copyright infringement, and sought a prohibitive injunction and monetary damages.

Other media

In early 1998, Page appeared in the music video for the song “Rising” by Stuck Mojo, off of Stuck Mojo’s album of the same name. Raven and The Flock also made an appearance in the music video. The WCW United States title belt was prominently featured on the album cover.

Diamond Dallas Page also appeared in The Devil’s Rejects along with Danny Trejo as a pair of bounty hunters who call themselves “The Unholy Two”.

In March 2000, He sang a duo with Zorak in the 2nd episode of Brak presents the Brak show starring Brak.

Starting January 14, 2010, Page will appear in the GSN reality series Carnie Wilson: Unstapled. In a promo for the show, Carnie is speaking to Page on her couch. He also shows up in her singing promo for the show. He apparently has a major role to play in it as Carnie’s work-out coach, friend and pseudo-therapist. Prior to her recent pregnancy, he helped Carnie lose 50 pounds (which she regained during the pregnancy) and plans to slim her down again as part of the show.

Personal life

On July 3, 2004, Page announced that he and Kimberly had amicably separated. He and Kimberly officially divorced in 2005.

In wrestling

Finishing moves

Diamond Clash (Belly to back inverted mat slam) TNA

Diamond Cutter, sometimes from the top rope, while applying a fireman carry or a overhead gutwrench innovated

Signature moves

Belly to back suplex

Belly to belly suplex

Discus clothesline

DDT, sometimes while jumping

Elbow drop with theatrics

Figure four leglock while using the ringpost for extra pressure

Fireman’s carry slam

Flying clothesline

Gutwrench gutbuster

Inverted atomic drop

Pumphandle backbreaker

Reverse chinlock

Russian legsweep

Shoulder jawbreaker

Side slam

Sidewalk slam

Slingshot crossbody

Spinning sitout powerbomb pin

Spinning spinebuster

Sunset flip

Swinging neckbreaker

Tilt-a-whirl mat slam

Wrist-lock followed by multiple shoulder blocks

With Bam Bam Bigelow

Aided Diamond Cutter

With Chris Kanyon

Belly to back suplex (DDP) / Neckbreaker (Kanyon) combination WWE

Russian legsweep (Kanyon) followed by an elbow drop (DDP) with theatrics

Managers

Diamond Dolls

Kimberly Page

Maxx Muscle

Wrestlers managed

Badd Company (Paul Diamond and Pat Tanaka)

Col. DeBeers

Curt Hennig

Madusa Miceli

Bam Bam Bigelow

Johnny Ace

Dick Slater

Fabulous Freebirds (Michael Hayes, Jimmy Garvin, and Badstreet), with Big Daddy Dink

Diamond Studd

Vinnie Vegas

Scotty Flamingo

Nicknames

DDP

“Handsome” Dallas Page

“The People’s Champion”

Positively Page

Entrance themes

“Glam” (WCW) 19941996

“Self High-Five” (instrumental cover of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana) by J.Hart and J.Helm (WCW) 19962000

“Dog” by FAT late 2000arly 2001

“Spirit” by Dale Oliver (TNA) 20042005

Championships and accomplishments

DDP as the WCW World Heavyweight Champion.

Pro Wrestling Illustrated

PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (1996)

PWI ranked him # 4 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the year in the PWI 500 in 1997.

PWI Feud of the Year (1997) vs. Macho Man Randy Savage

PWI ranked him # 4 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the year in the PWI 500 in 1998.

PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (1999)

Swiss Wrestling Federation

SWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

World Championship Wrestling

WCW World Heavyweight Championship (3 times)

WCW United States Heavyweight Championship (2 times)

WCW World Tag Team Championship (4 times) with Kevin Nash (2), Chris Kanyon and Bam Bam Bigelow as the Jersey Triad (2)

WCW World Television Championship (1 time)

World Wrestling Federation

WWF European Championship (1 time)

WWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) with Kanyon

Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards

Best Wrestling Maneuver (1997) Diamond Cutter

Most Improved Wrestler (1996)

Worst Gimmick: Stalker (2001)

During Page’s two reigns with Kanyon and Bam Bam Bigelow as the Jersey Triad, the titles were defended using the Freebird Rule.

Filmography

DDP as Scorpius in Gallowwalker

First Daughter (1999) as Dirk Lindman

Ready to Rumble (2000) as Himself

Rat Race (2001) in a deleted scene

Nice Guys

Bald (2005) as Huge Bruce

The Devil’s Rejects (2005) as Billy Ray Snapper

Jack’s Law (2006) as Spider Benson

Hood of Horror (2006) as Jersey

Splinter (2006) as Detective Stiles

Driftwood (2006) as Captain Kennedy

Knight Fever (2008)

Gallowwalker (2009) as Scorpius

40 Year Old Virgin (Deleted Scene)

Bibliography

Genta, Larry and Page, Diamond Dallas (2000) Positively Page, ISBN 0-9679922-0-6

Aaron, Craig and Page, Diamond Dallas (2005) Yoga for Regular Guys: The Best Damn Workout on the Planet, ISBN 1-59474-079-8

References

^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch “DDP’s profile”. Online World of Wrestling. http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/d/diamond-dallas-page.html. Retrieved 2009-07-31. 

^ a b “Positively Page”

^ a b c “Own Your Life” audio book on CD

^ WrestleMania XIX DVD

^ a b c d “The Career of Diamond Dallas Page” Jan Jorgensen

^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (4th Edition 2006). Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4. 

^ “DDP introduce Col DeBeers in his stable; Todd Becker Vs Col DeBeers /w DDP & Tonya”. American Wrestling Assiciation. AWA. 1988-08-27.

^ a b c d e f g h i j k “DDP’s bio”. Wrestling Museum. http://www.wrestlingmuseum.com/pages/wrestlers/dallaspage2.html. Retrieved 2009-07-31. 

^ a b Milner, John M. (October 21, 2005). “Kevin Nash’s bio”. SLAM! Wrestling. http://www.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/Bios/nash.html. Retrieved 2009-08-20. 

^ Davies, Ross. Kevin Nash, p.29

^ “Trademark infringement lawsuit between DDP & Jay-Z now settled;info”. wrestleview.com. http://www.wrestleview.com/news2006/1185398664.shtml. 

^ “Message From Page” for 11/14/2009 from his website

^ a b “DDP Vs. Chris Kanyon w/ The Flock”. World Championship Wrestling. WCW Monday Nitro. 1998-10-04.

^ a b c d e “Tag Team title; Jersey Triad Vs. Benoit & Saturn”. World Championship Wrestling. WCW Great American Bash. 1999-06-13.

^ a b c d e f g h “US Heavyweight championship; DDP Vs. Chris Benoit(c); No Disqualification match”. World Championship Wrestling. WCW Road Wild. 1999-08-14.

^ a b c d e “Brian Adams vs Diamond Dallas Page”. World Championship Wrestling, TNT. WCW Monday Nitro. 1999-01-04.

^ a b c WWE WrestleMania X8 (2002): European championship; Christian Vs. DDP (c). World Wrestling Entertainment. http://www.amazon.com/WWE-WrestleMania-X8-Hulk-Hogan/dp/B00005RIYO. 

^ a b c d e f “DDP Vs. Goldberg”. World Championship Wrestling. WCW Halloween Havoc. 1998-10-25.

^ a b c “DDP Vs. Goldberg”. World Championship Wrestling. WCW Fall Brawl. 1999-09-12.

^ a b c d e “Tag Team title; Jersey Triad Vs. Benoit & Saturn”. World Championship Wrestling. WCW Bash at the Beach. 1999-07-11.

^ “Four Corners match”. World Championship Wrestling. WCW Spring Stampede. 1999-04-11.

^ “Mike Enos vs Diamond Dallas Page”. World Championship Wrestling, TNT. WCW Monday Nitro. 1996-10-28.

^ Davies, Ross. Diamond Dallas Page. p. 31. ISBN 0823934934. 

^ “Raven’s profile”. Obssessed With Wrestling. http://www.obsessedwithwrestling.com/profiles/r/raven.php. Retrieved 2009-07-31. 

^ “Swiss Wrestling Federation Title Historys”. titlehistories.com. http://www.titlehistories.com/Swiss_Wrestling_Federation.htm. Retrieved 2008-07-11. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Diamond Dallas Page

Professional wrestling

portal

Yoga for Regular Guys site by DDP

Interview with DDP on Tha O Show

Dallas Page at the Internet Movie Database

Where are they now? on WWE.com

Diamond Dallas sues Jay-Z over “Diamond Cutter” hand sign

DDP Interview 2/8/06

“The Career of Diamond Dallas Page” website compiled by Jan Jorgensen from various sources

“Own Your Life” audio book on CD

“Positively Page”

 

Links to related articles

v  d  e

WCW World Heavyweight Champions

Ric Flair   Lex Luger   Sting   Big Van Vader   Ron Simmons   Hulk Hogan   The Big Show   Randy Savage   Goldberg   Kevin Nash   Diamond Dallas Page   Bret Hart   Chris Benoit   Sid Vicious   Jeff Jarrett   David Arquette   Booker T   Vince Russo   Scott Steiner   Kurt Angle   The Rock   Chris Jericho

v  d  e

WCW World Television Champions

Danny Miller  Ivan Koloff  Paul Jones  Ric Flair  Angelo Mosca  Mr. Wrestling  Greg Valentine  Rufus R. Jones  Rick/Ricky Steamboat  Baron Von Raschke  Johnny Weaver  Masked Superstar  Roddy Piper  Sweet Ebony Diamond  Ron Bass  Charlie Brown/Jimmy Valiant  Jos LeDuc  Bad Leroy Brown  Mike Rotundo  Dick Slater  The Great Kabuki  Mark Youngblood  Tully Blanchard  Dusty Rhodes  Arn Anderson  Nikita Koloff  Rick Steiner  Sting  The Great Muta  The Z-Man  Bobby Eaton  Steve Austin  Barry Windham  Scott Steiner  Paul Orndorff  Lord Steven Regal  Larry Zbyszko  Johnny B. Badd  The Renegade  Diamond Dallas Page  Lex Luger  Prince Iaukea  ltimo Dragn  Alex Wright  Disco Inferno  Perry Saturn  Booker T  Rick Martel  Chris Benoit  Fit Finlay  Stevie Ray  Chris Jericho  Konnan  Scott Hall  Hacksaw Jim Duggan

v  d  e

World Tag Team Champions

1970s

Luke Graham and Tarzan Tyler  Karl Gotch and Rene Goulet  Mikel Scicluna and King Curtis Iaukea  Chief Jay Strongbow and Sonny King  Mr. Fuji and Professor Tanaka  Haystacks Calhoun and Tony Garea  Dean Ho and Tony Garea  Jimmy Valiant and Johnny Valiant  Dominic DeNucci and Pat Barrett/Victor Rivera  The Blackjacks (Blackjack Lanza and Blackjack Mulligan)  Louis Cerdan and Tony Parisi  The Executioners (Executioner #1 and Executioner #2)  Chief Jay Strongbow and Billy White Wolf  Dino Bravo and Dominic DeNucci  The Yukon Lumberjacks (Eric and Pierre)  Tony Garea and Larry Zbyszko  Jerry and Johnny Valiant  Ivan Putski and Tito Santana 

1980s

The Wild Samoans (Afa and Sika)  Bob Backlund and Pedro Morales  Tony Garea and Rick Martel  The Moondogs (Rex and King/Spot)  Mr. Fuji and Mr. Saito  Chief Jay Strongbow and Jules Strongbow  Tony Atlas and Rocky Johnson  Adrian Adonis and Dick Murdoch  The U.S. Express (Mike Rotundo and Barry Windham)  The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff  The Dream Team (Brutus Beefcake and Greg Valentine)  The British Bulldogs (Dynamite Kid and Davey Boy Smith)  The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart)  Strike Force (Rick Martel and Tito Santana)  Demolition (Demolition Ax and Demolition Smash)  The Brain Busters (Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard)  The Colossal Connection (Andr the Giant and Haku) 

1990s

Demolition (Demolition Ax, Demolition Smash, and Demolition Crush)  The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags)  The Legion Of Doom (Road Warrior Animal and Road Warrior Hawk)  Money Inc. (Ted DiBiase and Irwin R. Schyster)  The Natural Disasters (Earthquake and Typhoon)  The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott)  The Quebecers (Pierre and Jacques)  The 1-2-3 Kid and Marty Jannetty  Men on a Mission (Mabel and Mo)  The Headshrinkers (Fatu and Samu)  Diesel and Shawn Michaels  The 1-2-3 Kid and Bob Holly  The Smoking Gunns (Billy Gunn and Bart Gunn)  Owen Hart and Yokozuna  The Bodydonnas (Skip and Zip)  The Godwinns (Henry and Phineas)  The British Bulldog and Owen Hart  Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels  Steve Austin and Dude Love  The Headbangers (Mosh and Thrasher)  The New Age Outlaws (Billy Gunn and Road Dogg)  Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie  Kane and Mankind  Steve Austin and The Undertaker  The Big Boss Man and Ken Shamrock  Jeff Jarrett and Owen Hart  Kane and X-Pac  The Acolytes (Bradshaw and Faarooq)  The Hardy Boyz (Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy)  The Unholy Alliance (The Big Show and The Undertaker)  The Rock ‘n’ Sock Connection (The Rock and Mankind)  The Holly Cousins (Crash Holly and Hardcore Holly)  Mankind and Al Snow  The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) 

2000s

Edge and Christian  Too Cool (Grand Master Sexay and Scotty 2 Hotty)  Right to Censor (Bull Buchanan and The Goodfather)  The Rock and The Undertaker  The Brothers of Destruction (The Undertaker and Kane)  The Two-Man Power Trip (Steve Austin and Triple H)  Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho  Diamond Dallas Page and Chris Kanyon  Chris Jericho and The Rock  Booker T and Test  Spike Dudley and Tazz  Billy and Chuck  Rico and Rikishi  Edge and Hulk Hogan  The Un-Americans (Lance Storm and Christian)  The Hurricane and Kane  Christian and Chris Jericho  Booker T and Goldust  William Regal and Lance Storm  Chief Morley and Lance Storm  Kane and Rob Van Dam  La Rsistance (Ren Dupree and Sylvan Grenier)  Evolution (Batista and Ric Flair)  Booker T and Rob Van Dam  Chris Benoit and Edge  La Rsistance (Rob Conway and Sylvain Grenier)  Eugene and William Regal  William Regal and Tajiri  Rosey and The Hurricane  Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch  The Big Show and Kane  The Spirit Squad (Kenny, Mikey, Nicky, Johnny and Mitch)  Ric Flair and Roddy Piper  Rated-RKO (Edge and Randy Orton)  John Cena and Shawn Michaels  Paul London and Brian Kendrick  Hardcore Holly and Cody Rhodes  Ted DiBiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes  Batista and John Cena  CM Punk and Kofi Kingston  John Morrison and The Miz  The Colns (Carlito and Primo)  Edge and Chris Jericho  Chris Jericho and The Big Show  D-Generation X (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) 

2010s

The Miz and The Big Show

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WWE European Champions

The British Bulldog  Shawn Michaels  Triple H  Owen Hart  D’Lo Brown  X-Pac  Shane McMahon 

Mideon  Jeff Jarrett  Mark Henry  Val Venis  Al Snow  Kurt Angle  Chris Jericho  Eddie Guerrero  Perry Saturn  William Regal  Crash Holly  Test  Matt Hardy  The Hurricane  Bradshaw  Christian  Diamond Dallas Page  Spike Dudley  Jeff Hardy  Rob Van Dam

v  d  e

WWE United States Champions

NWA

Harley Race   Johnny Valentine   Terry Funk   Paul Jones   Blackjack Mulligan   Bobo Brazil   Ric Flair   Ricky Steamboat   Mr Wrestling   Jimmy Snuka   Roddy Piper   Wahoo McDaniel   Sgt. Slaughter   Dick Slater   Magnum T.A.   Tully Blanchard   Nikita Koloff   Lex Luger   Dusty Rhodes   Barry Windham   Michael Hayes   Stan Hansen

WCW

Sting   Rick Rude   Dustin Rhodes   Steve Austin   Jim Duggan   Big Van Vader   Kensuke Sasaki   One Man Gang   Konnan   Eddy Guerrero   Dean Malenko   Jeff Jarrett   Steve McMichael   Curt Hennig   Diamond Dallas Page   Raven   Goldberg   Bret Hart   Scott Hall   Scott Steiner   David Flair   Chris Benoit   Sid Vicious   Lance Storm   Gen. Rection   Shane Douglas   Rick Steiner   Booker T   Chris Kanyon   Tajiri   Rhyno   Kurt Angle   Edge

WWE

Eddie Guerrero   The Big Show   John Cena   Booker T   Carlito   Orlando Jordan   Chris Benoit   John “Bradshaw” Layfield   Bobby Lashley   Finlay   Mr. Kennedy   Montel Vontavious Porter   Matt Hardy   Shelton Benjamin   Kofi Kingston   The Miz (current)

Categories: 1956 births | American film actors | American professional wrestlers | American television actors | Dutch Americans | Fictional criminals | German Americans | Living people | People from Ocean County, New Jersey | Professional wrestling announcers | Professional wrestling managers and valetsHidden categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements from January 2009

Introduction

The information age is upon us, a paradigm with consequences compared to the Industrial Revolution. As land and agriculture products were replaced by energy in the Industrial Revolution, so information seems to replace energy as the basis for economic life in post-industrial societies. The WWW depends on effective telecommunication networks not available to a large part of the world, but it initiates rapid change when introduced. 1

2 The Internet is the fastest growing communication medium in the world today. It is seen as a communication revolution, and as space and time are collapsed individuals across the world interact and communicate to a degree scarcely anticipated.

The Internet is about 35 years old. The first experimental network was created in 1969 3 , but the full advantage to the public and the tremendous growth came with the introduction of the World Wide Web in 1994. Already in 1996 there were around 40 million users on the Internet, and nearly 20 million of them had access to the WWW. 4 . During the last ten years almost everyone in the advanced nations is on the Net: government agencies, universities, artists, museums, small companies, global conglomerates and private citizens.

Predecessors of today’s digital installations were first exhibited in the 1960s, like Michael A. Noll 5 creating some of the earliest computer-generated images, among them Gaussian Quadratic (1963). The works of John Whitney, Charles Csuri and Vera Molnar remain influential today for their investigations of the computer-generated transformations of visuals through mathematical functions. In 1968, the exhibition “Cybernetic Serendipity” at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London presented works which anticipated many of the important characteristics of the medium today 6 .

Digital technology has revolutionised the way art is created and experienced. Not only have traditional forms of art such as printing, painting, photography and sculpture been transformed by digital techniques and media, but entirely new forms of art such as net art, software art and digital installations have emerged. Some of the vital themes raised by this development are viewer interaction, artificial life and telepresence with multiple identities and personalities. Issues regarding sales and collections, presentation and preservation of digital art are hotly debated.

Paul Valéry 7 predicted in his essay “The conquest of Ubiquity” that the near future would see the reception of artworks transmitted from afar by electricity. If we did not know this was written in 1928, it could be describing contemporary telematic art.

By integrating written, oral and audio-visual human communication, its character changes fundamentally, as well as our culture of systems, beliefs, codes and action.

Even though some digital art concepts date back almost a century, an understanding of Internet art requires knowledge of the age and environment it inhabits. 8

 

1. Internet Art

Digital art 9 developed in the 1960′s based on an alliance between art, technology and science, in a collaboration largely fostered among universities. Nicholas Negroponte 10 declared that the goal was to combine the visual capabilities of film with computer processing. The Internet, WWW and digitalisation provided new conditions for artistic creation, practice, distribution and perception. Those who mastered the new technology were enthusiastic; those who did not argued that art “generated” by a computer cannot be defined as fine art.

Digital technology has given artists possibilities to synthesise traditional art forms and has brought the art of collage to a much higher level than has ever been possible. An image can be completely transformed in multiple ways and re-mixed with different visually interactive layers. Works can be copied without any decrease in quality. Digital media and traditional methods also frequently merge into new unities 11 .  Fine art, music, dance, animation, film, video and robotics can be synthesised, for the first time giving the artist the ability to create art that includes all these elements. Art presented at Internet Web sites has a potential world-wide audience, and works created by traditional methods are presented side-by-side with reproductions of such works. 12   Digital works can be presented either as a print or on a high-resolution flat wall-mounted screen13, as 3-D works, video, animation or any synthesis of known art forms. To some artists and art institutions this fast, seemingly uncontrollable and partly unregulated development is frightening, as it questions the role and values in art. Values regarding originality, authenticity and uniqueness that have been cherished for hundreds of years are not applicable to digital art. However, the technology is here to stay and it won’t go away even if traditional art communities keep ignoring it.

The Internet has allowed participation and collaboration between geographically-dispersed individuals. Among the best known is Douglas Davis’s The World’s First Collaborative Sentence (1994) where thousands of people have made contributions. Exploding Cell  was created in 1996 by MoMA with artist Peter Halley, and in Generation/Mutation artists world-wide were invited to choose an image, download it to their own computer, modify and return it. Artists in China and Europe are collaborating in Art for the People convened by Marketforces in London. 14  Such cultural exchange is important, not only as new possibilities for artists, but as a mean for broader understanding between people and cultures.

The introduction of networked telecommunication have, however, introduced an art totally different from anything experienced before. Roy Ascott has defined Telematics 15  as “computer-mediated communications networking between geographically dispersed individuals and institutions…and between the human mind and artificial systems of intelligence and perception”. Telematic emphasises the process of artistic creation and the systematic relationship between artist, network and viewer16. The idea of art as a system capable of transforming behaviour and consciousness was fundamental to Ascott. To achieve this the art must be interactive 17 , allowing the audience to be actively engaged. Control over content, context and time can be shifted to the viewer through interaction, thereby questioning the distinction between artist and viewer.

The Internet also provides for a field of interaction between human and artificial intelligence. Telematic art therefore challenges the traditional notions of realism by facilitating the creation of alternative or simulated forms of reality, or the “hypereal”. In the early 1990′s Demetri Terzopoulos developed a bio-mechanical software model of a fish, and Karl Sims created 3-dimentional images of forest and plants with highly complex structures in Panspermia (1990). In 1994 Christia Sommerer and Laurent Mignonneau presented A-Volve 18 , a bright virtual habitat. Other artist-scientists such as Thomas Ray and Jane Prophet (TechnoSphere, 1995) also simulate processes of life. Evolution, breeding and selection have become methods for creating art works with “living” image worlds and viewers “playing God” creating new “life”, manipulating the reproduction system, controlling the simulated biotype and  “killing” by withdrawal of “nourishment”19.  Some virtual-reality environments that completely immerse the audience into an alternative world have been developed within an art context. The Canadian artist Charlotte Davies’s Osmose (1995) and Ephemere (1998) are classic examples.

By the involvement and interaction of the viewer, the artist has no longer control of the final result or even the survival of the work. Besides it seems like art has become a testing ground for scientific theories. With Netlife Thomas Ray predicts that artificial intelligence will form in the Internet and be able to go anywhere on the planet in milliseconds.

Body and identity are subjects with long traditions in art, even more so with the Internet. Online identity allows a simultaneous presence in various spaces and contexts, a constant “reproduction” of the self without body. Subcultures are fostered, with groups existing only on the Internet and group members geographically far apart, possibly only knowing each other as avatars20. Roy Ascott’s vision is “‘a multiplicity of bodies”, and his Aspects of Gaia: Digital pathways across the Whole Earth (1989) combined the disembodied experience of telematics and cyberspace with the corporeal experience of concrete reality in physical space.

Several philosophers, including Jean Baudrillard celebrate what they call the techno-body. 21 In her book How We Became Posthuman, Katherine Hayles states: “Increasingly the question is not whether we will become posthuman, for posthumanity is already here. Rather the question is what kind of posthumans we will be” 22 .

Since the introduction of photography in art, realism has been hotly debated. Telematics adds a new dimension to this debate with artificial life and multiple identities. Another dimension was added in September 2001. Wolfgang Staehle had a solo show at Postmasters Gallery in New York, where he presented three live views, one of them through a Web camera pointed at downtown Manhattan. The events of the 11th of  September was unfolded live on the gallery walls and created an unexpected, shocking context for the concept of “‘the ultimate realism” in art.

 

2. Digital Art and Theory

Digital art did not develop in an art-historical vacuum, but has connections to previous art movements, among them Dada, Fluxus, and conceptual art. The importance of these movements for digital art resides in their emphasis on formal instructions and in their focus on concept, event and audience participation, as opposed to unified material objects. The Theory of the Avant-Garde, technology as a sequence of creations, adoptions and liquidations, was radically different from the traditional attitude. Net artists in the early 1990′s often combined an avant-garde rejection of the artist’s individuality and originality with the possibilities provided by computer-mediated communication to generate anonymous, parodic, shared, multiple and inauthentic identities.

Jean Baudrillard23, “a theorist of the computer screen”, describes an audience that is absent, absorbed into the PC-monitor, losing one’s own image and predicting the disappearance of reality. Baudrillard ‘s concept of  “Hyper-realism” designates an experience of the contemporary world which is radically “unoriginal”.

Marshall McLuhan 24 believed that new technologies promote democracy and enhance human perception. In proclaiming “the medium is the message” 25 , McLuhan meant that content matters less than the structures of media and shapes human consciousness in profound ways. Roy Ascott 26 believes that the Net is the infrastructure of a dynamic new human consciousness powered by associative thought.  The viewer is empowered as his Internet interactivity levels artistic authority. It can even be argued that the participatory mode of the Internet heralds a culture where everyone can be an “artist”.

Digital technology and the Internet raise critical questions about the concepts of originality and authenticity. But already with the invention of photography the original was less relevant and challenged the idea of the uniqueness of a work of art. Walter Benjamin 27 favoured the newer, more democratic forms of art and discussed the impact of mechanical reproduction, believing that it contributed to human emancipation by promoting new modes of critical perception.  The “aura” of works of art was related to their special power in religious cults and the unique situation in time and space. The concept of time and space has radically changed with the World Wide Web, an artwork being able to be anywhere and anytime reproduced at high-quality. It can be argued that we are now on the threshold of the real democratisation of art.

The project life_ sharing 28 (2001) by Duo disputed the idea that information and intellectual property could be controlled. When it was turned into public property and published on the Web, the project became infinitely reproducible. 

 

3. Art Market

The art market does not merely sell art commodities but actively helps to define what counts as art and particularly what is “significant” art, and thereby alters our perception of art 29 .  Sales and the price of art attract more public attention than most other commodities, and when Charles Saatchi buys an artwork it is announced widely30. If someone like him starts collecting Internet art, the perception of the value of digital art will change as well.

 

Internet  Galleries

One of the most well-known consequences of WWW is the growth of Web based galleries, either existing dealers going online or virtual galleries existing only on the Web. 31 The Internet has opened up a global market for artists, and Paul Wynter, at London Art, says: “The site features 10,000 images from 900 artists and sells 20 to 30 works a month at an average price of £ 750 – £ 800……. Between four and five thousand people visit every day. A Cork Street gallery doesn’t have that.”‘ 32  London Art takes only 35 % commission, instead of the more usual 50 %,  because the business is not so expensive to run. In March 2004 World Printmakers had 112,000 page views 33 , reflecting an interesting exposure for artists represented at virtual galleries. Most of the Web galleries, though, have art made by traditional methods and Internet galleries are not especially in the forefront promoting and selling digital art.

An artist with a personal Web site promoting his or her own art can deal with potential customers directly without going through commercial galleries or other middlemen, and many find it fascinating to be free of any interference. However, it requires thorough technological knowledge and a strong effort to attract potential clients to one’s Web site34. As always the artist must prioritise the time to either create art or market it.

 

Art as a digital commodity

The art market is based on ownership and scarcity, with a few artists as international stars. Unique originals, limited editions and exhibitions in prestigious galleries are important when art is basically an investment. These lead to the high pricing of selective traditional art. But digitised art and digitised copies of traditional art can not only be perfectly multiplied but also can be offered “incognito” – artist unknown or anonymous. Digital art and Internet ideology can therefore be seen as an anti-commodity with questionable authenticity and indeterminate origin.

Commercial galleries are trying to convince potential clients of the possibility of earning money based on the “scarcity model”, mostly for wealthy clients. From an investment point of view it is understandable that the market for digital and Internet art has been limited. Digital prints have, however, been sold in limited editions or as customized art, and software or “programming art” has been licensed and acquired35. Digital art can be made affordable to ordinary people who buy art for art’s sake.

 

4. Democracy, Copyright and Commercialism

We live in the “Age of Access”36, and more and more the questions are: who has access to the communication channels, and how can this access be controlled?

The issues regarding copyright and ownership threaten the democratic and free ideology of the Internet since it actually questions our capitalist economic system. A “piracy” war is being fought by the music industry, new digital copyright laws are being promulgated37 and large global companies are aggressively38 commercialising the Internet. These will powerfully affect the creativity of artists. Many argue that digital copyright is one of the most valuable concepts in the new millennium. Corbis already controls 76 million digitised images39  and has spent more than $ 100 millions to purchase the rights to reproduce images from the Louvre, the Hermitage, London’s National Gallery and the Detroit Institute of Art. Together with Getty Images Inc.40 they are currently buying the digital rights to nearly every image that may have a market value. Based on the globalisation and the conglomerate’s market power, Joost Smiers 41 , proposes the complete abolition of copyright arguing that investors, not artists, are the main beneficiaries.

Global cultural conglomerates will, with little doubt, force the Internet into their existing economic system and values. Without an open software code, the Internet’s future as a free and open communication channel is debatable. New ways to control content and access have been developed. Asian countries are already attempting to introduce censorship.

The largest content providers are American, and we might as well face Americanisation and homogenisation instead of globalisation in fine art, as witnessed in the music and film industry.

When buying a piece of art is just a click and a credit card away, and with massive advertising by large international players influencing local buyers to buy internationally “known” names as an “investment”, the survival of the local art market and the local artist is at risk. Walter Benjamin might not after all be so impressed by the Web as a democratic space for art.

 

5. Art Institutions

The art establishment, trained to operate within the boundaries of tradition, seems to have found it difficult to recognise digital projects as being art. Museums, curators, educators and gallery owners all have to learn new skills, both with regard to technology and receptivity. The traditional way to exhibit, evaluate and preserve art changes with digital- based art.

Museums

Digital art made its official entry into the art world only in the late 1990s, when museums and galleries began increasingly to incorporate such art forms into their shows and dedicate entire exhibitions to it.42 Major international art events, including Documenta, the Whitney Biennial and the Venice Biennale have exhibited Internet art, and large institutions such as the Guggenheim, SFMOMA, the Walker Art Center and the ICC have acquired digital Internet- based art. 43

Museums can store written information about art objects together with digitised images, video, sound and oral presentations, with enhanced capabilities to present versions of an art work as it evolves to a finished state, multiplying and intensifying visitors’ experience.

The digital medium, however, poses a number of challenges with regard to collection and preservation. The curators have to take new roles, curating information as well as preserving art depending on changing, unstable technology with an interactive audience and art works not intended to last. An increasing number of international exhibitions and art events like SIGGRAPH rely on virtual curatorship.44 Many also argue that Internet art should only be presented on-line since it belongs to the context of the Internet, and should not be taken into ‘the white cube model’ of museums.

 

Educators

Art schools face a challenge by the fact that new generations of students use the computer and the Internet as their daily tools, with the Web as the obvious place to gather information, as the technology gap between generations seems to enlarge.

Most universities use the Internet to present themselves to future students and teaching professionals. Publishing research projects and having interactive discussions with other professionals and students are becoming more common.  Already in 1980, Roy Ascott organised an international artists’ computer-conference, “Terminal Art”, and he later founded the Centre for Advanced Inquiry in the Interactive Arts (CaiiA).  In 1995, CaiiA became the first online Ph.D program with an emphasis on interactive art, and in 1997/98 CaiiA-STAR was established (now “Planetary Collegium”) as a global network for advanced research of art and technology. 45

 

Conclusion

Digital technology, the Internet and the World Wide Web represent a total paradigm shift comparable to the Industrial Revolution, and artists can now radically and globally change content, context and form, but with limited control of the artworks’ final destiny.

Artistic creation, practice and production have been revolutionised by the possibilities to synthesise art created with traditional methods, as well as with sound and audio-visual art forms.

Internet and World Wide Web collaboration between artists and geographically-dispersed viewers is a new artistic practice. Viewers are invited to interactively participate, even to the extent of “playing God” with art, utilising telecommunications and artificial life techniques.

Even though accepted and collected by highly prestigious museums, digital art has not so far been embraced by private collectors. Internet art contradicts the current market model because it has no physical original, is endlessly reproducable, and may have indeterminate authenticity and ownership. Thereby, digital art is jeopardised as an investment.

The Internet has had an ideology and tradition as an open, free and democratic communication channel with a global audience. However, large international conglomerates have commercialised the Internet enforcing capitalistic values and questioning the future of art and artist.

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