PUTTING ON A 6-7 UNITED FRONT?

Remember the saying about “United We Stand, Divided We Fall”? I most certainly do and need to bring some closure to a subject that needs clearing up in that thick jungle of confusion and clutter and, well, horrendous music marketing. 

Of course, those involved in the “United” 6-7 project will deny it- and the denial mentioned here has nothing to do with the river in Egypt- but the marketing and promotion in Hong Kong of the international group Now United has fallen well short of expectations- at least, my expectations as I was the person who presented the “visionary” CEO of the Hong Kong Jockey Club with the idea and introduced him to the Chairman of X1X Entertainment which led to Wini meeting Simon- Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges and Simon Fuller- and the start of HKJC Entertainment.

Didn’t “Visionary Wini” see the car crash approaching?

Having not spoken to the HKJC CEO for almost two years after being setup and surreptitiously let go over lunch through a prepared speech by one of his executive shoe shine people, and despite what I thought were over ten years of friendship that started with me creating the Happy Wednesday brand for the Club, I reached out to make amends.

Despite the white powder keg of lies and vagaries, I decided to break bread with the great leader of what some refer to as the “evil empire”.

I sent the great man a message about how I thought that the Happy Wednesday brand needed a rather extensive refresher course and, more importantly, that I had an idea for the Longines Hong Kong International Races in December.

The idea was simple stuff: Invite the multi cultural and relatively unknown group known as Now United for HKIR week where the audience for the international races could be entertained by a singing and dancing group of young people managed by someone I had met over twenty years earlier- Simon Fuller.

Despite both of us not having heard their new music, Winfried liked the idea of Now United and also the link with a heavyweight name in entertainment like Simon Fuller, which would perhaps make him be seen as something more than a big man in horse racing.

It didn’t take long for me to wonder where exactly I fit in to everything and where I was heading and with whom and why?

This is when there were suddenly so many cooks involved coming from all sides and no one in charge of the kitchen that the chow fan being furiously stirred became something almost inedible.

East met West, Los Angeles met Hong Kong, there was this team and that team and the A Team, there was talk about working with a legendary Chinese film director on the celebrations for the Lunar Year of the Horse, bringing Andreas Bocelli to Hong Kong, launching something called the Academy of Pop, there were daily long distance conversations and…and what exactly was my role in all this?

Let’s just say that I was something like the piggy in the middle and quickly caught up in the usual HKJC shadow games and the art of deflecting accountability that have seemingly become the “brand personality” of the Club.

The reality show idea from Simon Fuller to find a new member from Hong Kong for the group happened almost like magic, because, well, it was invisible as the auditions were held behind closed doors.

A winner from Hong Kong was found- someone either named Oreo or Ariel and, well, no one cared.

Over the past few months, and with me seemingly out of the loop, Winfried has talked to me about how much he likes the music video for a dippy little ditty by Now United called “Beautiful World” which, I think, he mentioned was extremely popular with, er, local property agents.

Apparently, this is because of the “fantastic” footage of Hong Kong that’s intercut around 5-6 girls flouncing around and singing something in a strange sounding language.

It’s all been a very offbeat cha cha for those following this lopsided caravan with even Canto Popster, actor, former backup dancer and horse owner Aaron Kwok jumping on board and appearing at a dance rehearsal by the group and joining in by furiously rotating his shoulders.

Proudly looking on was the HKJC CEO. After all, he is the client and he had given birth to this baby.

Then, of course, there was the spooky and rather ghoulish music video filmed at night at an empty Happy Valley racecourse where some of those United girls were dressed like dominatrixes, kept yelling “Giddyup!” and vamped around in true Gangham Style horsey moves.

To those who buy into online numbers, the video racked up an amazing one million views- Fai Dee Lah Fai Dee Lah- in ONE DAY!!!

By this time, I had mentally divorced myself from the Pythonesque absurdity taking place and was palmed off to X1X Entertainment’s CEO to “sort things out” regarding some tiresome contractual issues. She is a nice enough person, but someone who had known me for less than a couple of months.

Nothing was sorted out and I am left with a number of rather expensive bills for dinners hosted for the team and its various players- and a Now United cake and fruit dish I had taken the initiative to have made on my dime.

What happened to my two great bros, buddies and amigos and confidantes with whom I first discussed Now United and helped bring them and the F Troop to Hong Kong?

They couldn’t “sort this out?” Pourquoi?

Where did all the talk of love and joy go, mes amis?

Who was in charge of this mess? Was there any due diligence served and why is it that practically no one in Hong Kong still knows the names of these girls, let alone the name of the group?

What was the link to horse racing? How did having this army of people benefit Hong Kong? Or is the best yet to come?

Personally speaking, Now United deserved better. Hong Kong was promised more during those Kumbaya days of press conferences and days of wine and roses.

Having said this, as the Hong Kong Jockey Club is the client and the buck stops with its CEO who is apparently fine with the ROI, everything must be peachy keen, right?

There are the days when looking back at what some were trying to put forward as a united front, I am reminded of that scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds” when Actress Tippi Hedren finds herself in a real flap.

I wasn’t caught up in a flap, but there are still very suspicious chicken feathers and a few chicken nuggets around me while it’s always good to know who your friends are. And those who never were.

The last time I saw Winfried was around three weeks ago. It was a polite enough though slightly tense dinner at Grissini’s with no mention of any financials for bringing the project to the table. He just rambled on about how I seem to believe that everyone at the HKJC is “stupid”. Maybe because it’s true?

When back home and talking about what had transpired that night with an excellent sounding board, I wasn’t comfortable about something, and I always listen to my sixth sense. 

The next day, I thought I was meeting with those closest to me for dinner. It turned out to be an intervention. 

They jogged my memory about various lies and deceit that had been going on for a couple of years and even the “borrowing” of ideas by certain individuals.

They also mentioned that horse racing was staring into a half empty glass and how Hong Kong racing needs something extremely special in December to come close to what attracted the massive crowds who recently attended the Everest race day in Sydney and the Melbourne Spring Carnival.

These friends were looking after my best interests and were making me see that I needed to rid myself once and for all of the Fredo Corleone and Keyser Soze in my midst.

And just like Pop goes the weasels and whatever else, I got it.

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