104 replies to this topic

[Christoff]

I had a great weekend and happy there's going to be a next one, hopefully we'll see Chris, Craig and Norman at that one.

Pros:

The guests were great, funny and reasonably talkative.

Danny doing his Cat meow for me and a friend while getting autographs.

Danny doing more of his Cat impressions on stage as well as performing Tongue Tied.

Hattie doing her Cat impression and hitting herself with her microphone on at least two occasions lol, and just generally being herself, VERY Holly-like

Robert occasionally acting like Kryten and the Kryten factor, the dog food eating was rather amusing and disgusting to watch, the big dude shoving the little kid in the pillow fight was hilarious too, as were the boos he got for doing so.

Finding out from Chloe, Robert and Danny that there's going to be a new series!  

Cons:

Last minute guest cancellations, though that can't be helped.

We didn't get to the convention until 11:30 on the Sunday due to not needing to be there until then as we only needed autographs from Craig and Danny, then found out Craig wasn't coming and we'd just missed out on the group photoshoot that was organised to make up for that

Not being able to get hold of one of those Backwards Brothers posters

Those awful puppet videos! The Bohemian Rhapsody video was reasonably amusing to watch, but got very repetitive after a while, and then the other videos after that were just embarrassing to watch, they really were bad and got boring.

Conclusion:

Good event, had a great time, enjoyed most of it (particularly the talks), just a little disappointing about the guest cancellations and missing the photoshoot.

What did everyone else think?

[bl00djunkie]

think? think? all the alchol killed my remaining cells..lol

i think what you said summed it up really but you missed how great mac is!!

[Christoff]

bl00djunkie, on Jun 14 2009, 11:06 PM, said:

think? think? all the alchol killed my remaining cells..lol

i think what you said summed it up really but you missed how great mac is!!

To be honest I can't really remember much of Saturday at the moment lol, but yes he was great, a better guest than I thought he would be actually   They were all great though

[crippsy_99]

Christoff, on Jun 14 2009, 10:59 PM, said:

Those awful puppet videos! The Bohemian Rhapsody video was reasonably amusing to watch, but got very repetitive after a while, and then the other videos after that were just embarrassing to watch, they really were bad and got boring.

Was it the ones made by the DJ's from other cons (Marwan, Karl, Jono etc)? If so, they went down very well at a convention run by a rival organiser back in April and no-one there thought that about them!
And the proceeds of the dvd go to charity.

Edited by crippsy_99, 14 June 2009 - 10:17 PM.

[Christoff]

crippsy_99, on Jun 14 2009, 11:12 PM, said:

Was it the ones made by the DJ's? If so, they went down very well at a convention run by a rival organiser back in April and no-one there thought that about them!
And the proceeds of the dvd go to charity.

I have no idea, I know me and the friend I went with weren't too impressed by them, they were good in small doses but when they did the long video today (Sunday) while waiting for the talk it got very annoying very quickly, I think pretty much everyone else felt the same, at least the people I could see.

Edit: In the "Post your pics" thread this image shows one of the puppets from the videos: http://i644.photobuc...74/29075BTL.jpg

Edited by Christoff, 14 June 2009 - 10:30 PM.

[1of2]

Had a great time

Pros:
The guests were very entertaining, with interesting and funny talks.
Nice to see Danny a day earlier than planned
The unplanned group photo was a nice touch - thanks (and thanks to Chloe for taking part - she wasn't suposed to be there today!).
Danny did a great job with his extended talk finishing off with an excellent performance of tongue tied. Well actually he finished off behind the screen but that's another story!
I have to admit I did enjoy the Bohemian Rhapsody video
I agree. Hattie is very Holly-like. With the addition of a neck, body, arms, legs, etc.

Pretty much echoing Christoff's pros really

and of course - The crew - as helpful and friendly as always


Cons: A whole 13 months until the BTL2

I am off to ponder on how to explain to people why 'fish' is funny  

[maegurwen]

1of2, on Jun 14 2009, 11:57 PM, said:

Danny did a great job with his extended talk finishing off with an excellent performance of tongue tied. Well actually he finished off behind the screen but that's another story!

And one that i shall always seem to remember

I think i can sum it up in one word.. Brilliant
The only con was traveling but thats a diffrent thing altogether.

[Zippy]

1of2, on Jun 14 2009, 11:57 PM, said:

Had a great time

Pros:
The guests were very entertaining, with interesting and funny talks.
Nice to see Danny a day earlier than planned
The unplanned group photo was a nice touch - thanks (and thanks to Chloe for taking part - she wasn't suposed to be there today!).
Danny did a great job with his extended talk finishing off with an excellent performance of tongue tied. Well actually he finished off behind the screen but that's another story!
I have to admit I did enjoy the Bohemian Rhapsody video
I agree. Hattie is very Holly-like. With the addition of a neck, body, arms, legs, etc.

Pretty much echoing Christoff's pros really

and of course - The crew - as helpful and friendly as always


Cons: A whole 13 months until the BTL2

I am off to ponder on how to explain to people why 'fish' is funny :headscratch:

I agree with the cons. Can't we move it forward. Maybe by about 13 months.

I had a fantastic time and can't wait for the next one. Although I lost Gold 1 & 2 for next year. Still managed to get below 10.

I'm gonna eat you little fishy, I'm gonna eat you little fishy, I'm gonna eat you little fishy coz I like little fish.

Edited by Zippy, 15 June 2009 - 07:36 AM.

[chris_mk]

Had a fun time, nice chilled out atmosphere. Favourite part was the guest encounter with Mac, who was awesome and really interesting and funny.

[Lizzy]

Christoff, on Jun 14 2009, 11:17 PM, said:

crippsy_99, on Jun 14 2009, 11:12 PM, said:

Was it the ones made by the DJ's? If so, they went down very well at a convention run by a rival organiser back in April and no-one there thought that about them!
And the proceeds of the dvd go to charity.

I have no idea, I know me and the friend I went with weren't too impressed by them, they were good in small doses but when they did the long video today (Sunday) while waiting for the talk it got very annoying very quickly, I think pretty much everyone else felt the same, at least the people I could see.

Edit: In the "Post your pics" thread this image shows one of the puppets from the videos: http://i644.photobuc...74/29075BTL.jpg

LOL... didn't you recognise the voices?! The puppet was Jason (SM) and the cameraman was Shabs! I think the puppet was one of the props? Jason's house is like a museum

1of2, on Jun 14 2009, 11:57 PM, said:

I am off to ponder on how to explain to people why 'fish' is funny

Fiiiish!!

[chunky monkey in funky town]

Had a great weekend, this was my first Con but not my last. was a shame there were the last min cancelled quests but these things happen.

thanks everyone for making me feel welcome.

[Christoff]

Lizzy, on Jun 15 2009, 11:25 AM, said:

LOL... didn't you recognise the voices?! The puppet was Jason (SM) and the cameraman was Shabs! I think the puppet was one of the props? Jason's house is like a museum

Hmm, seems not lol, but I did think that one or 2 of them were from the prop display so I did think it was done by Showmasters people.

Out of curiosity, were you the girl with DavidB over the weekend? I recognised him from his pics on here and thought I recognised you too

[trick of the tail]

PROS:

highlight had to be Robert...he was sooooooooooooooo funny...loved his guest encounter...legend...Danny was also great - he did well to cover the gap left by Craig...and when he came on stage without out his shirt....WOW! more of that next time, eh!!

CON:

my only negative, and its the same for every con I buy a gold pass to, is the drinks reception...there has to be a better way of organising it...it just doesn't work...the space used, the way the guests are moved round...etc...

I had a really great weekend, really relaxed and when something went wrong, SM did everything they could to lessen the sting...what more can we ask for - thank you showmasters and their excellent team...


Any chance for the next con that we can have the Big Four for both days...would really love to see then all interact and feed off each other...

[Christoff]

trick of the tail, on Jun 15 2009, 04:43 PM, said:

Any chance for the next con that we can have the Big Four for both days...would really love to see then all interact and feed off each other...

Me too, I'd also love to see the two Hollys together on stage

[dwarfbabe]

trick of the tail, on Jun 15 2009, 04:43 PM, said:

Danny was also great - he did well to cover the gap left by Craig...and when he came on stage without out his shirt....WOW! more of that next time, eh!!

Lots more of that next time please!

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my only negative, and its the same for every con I buy a gold pass to, is the drinks reception...there has to be a better way of organising it...it just doesn't work...the space used, the way the guests are moved round...etc...

Maybe it could be held in the room where the party will be?  That way, there'd be plenty of room for everyone and we'd be in the right place when it was time for the party to start.

Quote

I had a really great weekend, really relaxed and when something went wrong, SM did everything they could to lessen the sting...what more can we ask for - thank you showmasters and their excellent team...

Seconded.  It's when things go wrong that you REALLY appreciate just how good SM/ME are.

[Lizzy]

Christoff, on Jun 15 2009, 03:58 PM, said:

Out of curiosity, were you the girl with DavidB over the weekend? I recognised him from his pics on here and thought I recognised you too

Yes I was! Or rather, he was with me lol Either is good (though I did help him with lifts lol) You should have come and said hi! Who were you? Not sure I've ever seen a pic of you? Tbh, I'm absolutely awful with putting names to faces unless I've met someone before- people must think I just ignore them, but I'm just useless! Saw a few faces I may have recognised, but as I said- I can never put 2 and 2 together!

[Christoff]

Lizzy, on Jun 15 2009, 05:23 PM, said:

You should have come and said hi! Who were you? Not sure I've ever seen a pic of you?

Who was I? I was me lol, and no you won't have seen a pic of me I probably should've gone over and said hi to you and a couple of others I recognised but... didn't   next time I will though

Edited by Christoff, 15 June 2009 - 04:39 PM.

[Havanaman]

Had a good week-end overall. Would tentatively come again but there should definately be reduced like-for-like ticket prices for those that bought one that attended this BTL. With Chris and Craig cancelling there MUST be substantial funds spare.

  PROs  -
The GUESTS - all were brilliant. Steve Wicks was obviously out gunned sometimes but he was very interesting to talk to and very friendly. Mucho thanks to Mac for turning up at the last minute. Great to have a quick chat with - really nice guy. Would have loved a longer chat at the Gold drinks.

The queues were kept moving better than Chevron. Crew were very good and cheerful to the end.

Ouroboros - nice touch. I smile everytime I think about it.


CONs
The hotel - it really is a God-awful place. Shabby, expensive and food choice - abysmal. BUT - good breakfasts. Choose one that is further north. Try around Birmingham - roughly the middle of the country. Not all fans come from London!

The cancellations. Don't believe Chris cancelled at the last minute - he wasn't even on the autograph sheets!! Craig mmmmm - well, he is known for cancelling I believe!!!

Gold Pass Drinks - saw Steve, Chloe and Hattie. Managed to meet Steve and Chloe. Badly organised. Crew not in useful evidence moving guests round. Chevron was better. Each time you chose a room that was too small and stuffy.

Gold Pass - Definately NOT worth it. See last comment and top of page.

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BTL2 - The top 4 + 2 Hollies + Mac + Chloe + Confidence + The Writers.

This next comment is for both BTL and Chevron.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE arrange for the guests to appear in costume at the opening ceremony and /or the photo shoots. I know Kryten would be too much to ask (or would it?) but the rest would be easy and take them all of 5 minutes to change clothes. They frequently do this in Europe and the States, why not us. Let's face it if the guys were not in a show we loved there wouldn't even be a BTL. So, let's see them as they are in the show - that's what we watch, after all!!!

[Lizzy]

Christoff, on Jun 15 2009, 05:39 PM, said:

Lizzy, on Jun 15 2009, 05:23 PM, said:

You should have come and said hi! Who were you? Not sure I've ever seen a pic of you?

Who was I? I was me lol, and no you won't have seen a pic of me I probably should've gone over and said hi to you and a couple of others I recognised but... didn't   next time I will though

Post your pic in the pics thread so I'll know for next time!! Need to stick mine in later...

Havanaman, on Jun 15 2009, 05:39 PM, said:

The cancellations. Don't believe Chris cancelled at the last minute - he wasn't even on the autograph sheets!! Craig mmmmm - well, he is known for cancelling I believe!!!

I feel like I need to comment on this or there'll be an argument...
Chris cancelled Thursday, right? The leaflets I believe were printed on Thursday, as a crew member told me. SM prob found out from him on the Weds and told us the next day- or maybe they had been trying to sort things with him for a while and had 2 versions of the leaflet- don't jump to conclusions. What good would it do them to fake announce a guest?

Craig genuinely was ill as he had an evening radio show the night before and cancelled that last min too- and he said he'll 100% be at BTL 2 to make up for it. He's cancelled only once before at LFCC- and he still went, just heavily disguised in make up for a TV show about how people treat those with disfigurements! He went to LFCC, and the talk, and filmed the other cast's reactions.

Havanaman, on Jun 15 2009, 05:39 PM, said:

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE arrange for the guests to appear in costume at the opening ceremony and /or the photo shoots. I know Kryten would be too much to ask (or would it?) but the rest would be easy and take them all of 5 minutes to change clothes. They frequently do this in Europe and the States, why not us. Let's face it if the guys were not in a show we loved there wouldn't even be a BTL. So, let's see them as they are in the show - that's what we watch, after all!!!

The cast aren't allowed to keep their costumes- and it is expensive to get hold of them/ replicas... and would prob be expensive to convince them to do it. They do it in America as they have tens of thousands of attendees to each con and they can afford it! This show had about 300 attendees...
Yes, we watch the shows, but we should admire them as actors, not just their characters.

[dwarfbabe]

Havanaman, on Jun 15 2009, 05:39 PM, said:

Had a good week-end overall. Would tentatively come again but there should definately be reduced like-for-like ticket prices for those that bought one that attended this BTL. With Chris and Craig cancelling there MUST be substantial funds spare.

Disagree that there should be reduced ticket prices.  They brought in Mac at very short notice and brought Chloe back for an unscheduled group photo shoot that was never part of the original plan.

Quote

The hotel - it really is a God-awful place. Shabby, expensive and food choice - abysmal. BUT - good breakfasts. Choose one that is further north. Try around Birmingham - roughly the middle of the country. Not all fans come from London!

Didn't try the food at the hotel so can't comment on that.  The hotel was a bit shabby but it is being renovated at the moment and so, by the time we're back there next year, it should be a lot better (fingers crossed).

Quote

The cancellations. Don't believe Chris cancelled at the last minute - he wasn't even on the autograph sheets!! Craig mmmmm - well, he is known for cancelling I believe!!!

The reason Chris wasn't on the autograph sheets was because SJ changed them at very short notice.  Mac wasn't on there because she wasn't aware when she changed them and didn't find out until it was too late that he was attending.  I've never heard of Craig cancelling before and know from personal experience (I've met him several times) that he loves doing these events and meeting his fans and so don't believe he would cancel unless there really was no option.

Quote

Gold Pass Drinks - saw Steve, Chloe and Hattie. Managed to meet Steve and Chloe. Badly organised. Crew not in useful evidence moving guests round. Chevron was better. Each time you chose a room that was too small and stuffy.

I managed to meet Steve and Hattie.  Have suggested in an earlier post that it may have been better held in the room where they had the parties.

Quote

Gold Pass - Definately NOT worth it. See last comment and top of page.

I thought the Gold Pass was worth every penny I paid and more.  You got six autographs which would have cost at least £10 each at a normal signing event (some may have been more) so that's £60, four individual photo shoots again at £10 value each so that brings it to £100 and then a group shot with a value of at least £25 so that's £125 altogether.  Add into that the two parties plus the free drink and nibbles at the drinks reception and I think it was very good value.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Quote

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE arrange for the guests to appear in costume at the opening ceremony and /or the photo shoots. I know Kryten would be too much to ask (or would it?) but the rest would be easy and take them all of 5 minutes to change clothes. They frequently do this in Europe and the States, why not us. Let's face it if the guys were not in a show we loved there wouldn't even be a BTL. So, let's see them as they are in the show - that's what we watch, after all!!!

Don't really see the point of this.  Personally, I go to events to see the people BEHIND the characters, not the characters themselves.