Find out what's in style and what's not in the UK at the moment.
HOT!
- The Arctic Monkeys
- Fantasy films
- Digital gadgets
NOT!
- Chico
- The winter chill
- Shopping the old-fashioned way
In the world of music...
The Arctic Monkeys – HOT!
There's a new band on the pop-rock scene that has been touted as the next big thing in Britain.
The Arctic Monkeys, a rocking foursome from Sheffield, England, fought off Robbie Williams and The Pussycat Dolls to get their first number one on the British singles chart a few weeks ago with I bet you look good on the dance floor. The success of their debut single is an example of the marketing power of the Internet, since the boys built up a massive online fanbase before the hype was picked up by Domino Records, who signed them in June this year.
With a style that has been compared to The Libertines, or as a mix between The Strokes and Reel Big Fish, the buzz around the band has meant sold out shows all over the country. Their next single is due out in January and fans are eagerly awaiting their next offering.
Check out The Arctic Monkeys official site here!
Chico – NOT!
A not-so-hot performer is making big waves on UK reality television.
UK is currently in the grips of one of its greatest reality TV star searches, The X Factor. While the show, where aspiring singers perform and are voted off each week, sometimes unearths some real talent, this year it has uncovered Chico. The Welsh-born Chico, who has lived in Morocco for most of his life, is a cross between Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin, and a former stripper with a penchant for leather pants, open shirts and using smoke machines for his performances.
While some of the country is going mad for the charismatic 34 year-old Chico, the rest of the UK is sitting around wondering why the Moroccan, who is known for peeling off his clothes and substituting his own lyrics to songs, hasn't been voted off the show yet. Perhaps it's because he made X-Factor history recently when he sang the first non-cover version ever on the show, a song especially written for him aptly titled It's Chico Time!
Despite cringe-worthy performances, it seems the nation is bizarrely fascinated. X-Factor judge Simon Cowell described one of his recent performances as:'horribly brilliant'. With only a few weeks to go in the competition, Chico's future is in the viewers' hands.
Find out more about Chico and The X-Factor here
In winter entertainment…
Fantasy films - HOT!
Witches, wizards, magic wardrobes and breathtaking fantasy landscapes are hot in the UK at the moment, with the release of two major films which will no doubt take the Christmas box office by storm.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe are the talk of the town, both bringing the magic from best-selling children's books to life. And it's not just the kids who are impressed. With the fourth Harry Potter film being significantly darker and scarier than the previous instalments (and the first film where one of the major characters meets an untimely death), cinemas are being packed with both the young and old.
An evil white witch, a talking lion and a magic world you can only get to through a wardrobe ensure that The Chronicles of Narnia will no doubt also be a feast for fantasy lovers. Many adults will be queuing to see the Narnia they remember from C.S Lewis' classic novels brought to life, while children who may not have even read the books will want to experience this magical mix of lions, unicorns and make believe worlds.
To read more, check out the official sites:
The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
The winter chill - NOT!
It's lucky there are some great films around at the moment, because it's getting colder in the UK and we're spending more time indoors to escape the chill.
There are other things to do in the UK winter apart from going to the cinema though, and they don't all have to be indoors! Although it will get pretty cold outside over the next few months, many Brits are looking on the bright side, and finding ways to enjoy the winter outdoors.
Seasonal ice-rinks have opened all over the UK in places such as Manchester, Dublin, Bristol, Bath and Nottingham. London has also opened rinks at famous landmarks such as the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace and the National History Museum, and in beautiful settings such as Royal Windsor, Kew Gardens, Somerset House and Greenwich.
And it's not only the ice-skaters who are getting excited. Snowboard experts and winter sports enthusiasts from around the world descended on Trafalgar Square in London recently, as it was transformed into a winter wonderland. Sixty-six tonnes of snow and a giant ramp were brought to the Square for the Red Bull Rail Storm, London's first ever urban snowboarding competition. What a way to get warm!
To find out more about the Red Bull Rail Storm, go here or learn more about snowboarding in the UK here!
And in technology…
Digital gadgets HOT!
It is the generation of digital cameras, iPods and mobile phones smaller than your credit card, and it seems that every time you look around there's a new and amazing piece of technology.
The latest digital revolution to captivate UK audiences is DAB or Digital Audio Broadcasting, which is gaining momentum in the UK and across Canada, Asia and Europe. Digital radio transmissions are crystal clear and you can even have a set-top box that displays data, images and other content.
Have you ever heard a song on the radio and wanted to know who it's by or what it's called? A digital set-top box on a digital radio will tell you all the information you need to know about what you are listening to. It can tell you the name of the DJ or information about a programme, e-mail addresses, up-to-the-minute sports results or competition details. There will also be lots more to listen to because on average the DAB listener will have double the choice of stations compared to listening via FM.
At the moment, UK listeners can tune in to digital radio via the Internet or through digital television, or you can buy a new kind of radio. As more and more stations take off though, we think DAB will become the next greatest gadget in the UK.
To find out more about DAB or to listen to English radio, visit here
Doing your shopping the old-fashioned way – NOT!
Technology-savvy spenders in the UK are turning away from main street stores in favour of online shopping more than ever before, and high street retailers are suffering from a downturn in sales.
New research, from UK digital technology firm Conchango, shows that more and more Brits prefer to shop via the Internet rather than visiting shops themselves.
Paul Dawson, Head of User Experience at Conchango, said, 'Online retail sites these days offer consumers convenience, choice and a more relaxed shopping experience coupled with great deals. Clearly the consumer now feels in control, so confidence and additional spending is a natural consequence of this.'
More than 10% of the survey respondents confessed to being a changed person when shopping online, saying they felt more confident than when shopping on the high street.
This swing in consumer behaviour combined with the continued success of shopping sites (such as eBay and iTunes, which is recording massive profits) may mean that the Christmas shopping crowds may be a little more bearable this year!
