The Stage

Get into the groove

Published Monday 21 December 2009 at 15:50

Does anyone know of a showbiz club anthem? While the Irving Berlin classic There’s No Business Like Showbusiness salutes the glamour and excitement of our profession, it is never going to be a beat thumping, heart pounding dance floor filler is it?

The question arose while I was with three friends recently in the run-up to Christmas festivities. Between us we totalled some 120 years in the biz. While one friend was high on the international ladder of success, we realised we shared one unique, important attribute which bound us together - we had survived in our profession. This gave us a bond where we could chat freely with each other, knowing we had paid our dues, were long-serving Equity members and most importantly we had earned trust. But how many, we discussed, appreciate that our profession is about survival? Gloria Gaynor’s classic I Will Survive nearly touches the spot, but it is the wrong subject matter. It would be great to have a heartfelt, bad, mean, beat, survival anthem which really portrays our profession.

So if your readers have any suggestions for my next party, they would be welcome. Maybe there is a song-writer who would like to emulate Irving Berlin with a street cred, modern version showbiz survival anthem. After all, not only us veterans, but our young professionals, would perhaps like to shake things down, on the dance-floor, to our own special, particularised tune.

Dave Eager

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