What can I say about David Beckham?…

Even if you don’t know me, you will win no awards for guessing that Becks has been my idol over the years. From my sense of style (yes, that includes my hair) to my mentality when I used to turn out for my own team every Saturday, Becks has been an inspiration behind much of it.

He’s possibly the greatest British man in my lifetime. So much respect for him. As an ambassador to football and sport in general. A top class bloke, fantastic dad, fashion icon and leader of men.

What a career!

Thanks for all the great memories Becks! We wish you all the best!

Chelsea have deservedly won the Europa League cup. Fine. They are managed by ‘The Interim One’ who will be imminently replaced by ‘The Special One’. All well and good.

This is not a post about the fickleness of backing and sacking Chelsea managers who achieve things (think Roberto Di Matteo winning the FA Cup and the Champions League, Guus Hiddink the FA Cup, Scolari winning….oh wait, he was awful). No, as the title and image suggests, this is about John Terry playing no part in a European cup final, again, yet stripping off into his kit and hoisting the trophy.

There has been a lot said about this: He doesn’t deserve it; he is taking the credit away from the players who did win it; he is a racist, a cheat, an idiot, a liar and a generally unpleasant man. Normally, I would agree with most of the above.

Where I will defend him is on lifting these trophies. He played a big, big part in dragging Chelsea through to both the Champions League Final, and the Europa League Final. He is club captain and has been for the best part of a decade. He has helped shape this squad through force of personality and leadership (minus the Wayne Bridge moment fiasco).

Where he draws the stick, from me, is for changing into his Chelsea kit. I would not have begrudged Roy Keane or Paul Scholes from lifting the trophy with the great Manchester United team of ‘99, in their suits (although they did not, and stood to the side). Who would have?! Keano dragged United into the final against Juventus in the semi finals, despite knowing he was banned. Pure commitment, pure class. Terry, similarly, fully deserved to be up there with his team in his suit.

I leave you with this question. Had it been Frank Lampard who had been injured, would anyone have begrudged him suiting up and lifting the trophy? I think not. While Terry has not done himself any favours by jumping into his kit, I do think that this is just another excuse for people to hate on John Terry (who usually fully deserves it).

Alert: This is a very football orientated post. If you have no football banter (and you are clearly a specific type of person if you don’t), feel free to read up on the plight of the common badger .

I had the chance to speak to the writers of The Support Group the other day. If you are reading this far into the post then, as a footy fan, you will love this. Like me, and the majority of my mates, you probably have a group of you who send around football banter group emails. (Alert: if not, I already told you that this is not for you!). This is that, but in YouTube form.  It is a weekly show playing off the week’s football stories. Being shot the day before it runs means that the writers can incorporate all football banter making it extremely current.

There is the semblance of a plot, to give you that connection, but the majority of chat is based largely on hilarious football chat.

The writers are basically you and I; albeit slightly more gifted and successful. While chatting to them I couldn’t help trying to weave Yeovil Town into the show only to be rebuffed with “aren’t they in the relegation zone in League 2”….Brushing off this huge slur (we are in the League 1 Playoff Final, after all!) I do recommend having a watch on a Thursday afternoons (when each Ep is released) and perhaps stealing some of the banter gems for your own emails/chats.

If you have ever played drinking soccer Saturday; revelled in a particularly strong football stat (Can you name the 6 players who have scored for 6 different premiership teams?) then this is right up your street.

Football is the winner.

Watch all the episodes so far here:

To celebrate the release of Suits, Season 2 on DVD (arguably the coolest show on TV as far as I’m concerned) they have joined forces with Loaded Magazine and created the “Bromance App” giving you the chance to recognise the object of your bromantic affections in honour of Harvey and Mike’s ever growing relationship on the show.

If you’ve not seen the show it follows hotshot (yes, I went there) New York lawyer Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) after he recuits college-dropout and genius Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams) after spotting his raw talent – despite him not actually having a Law degree. This secret forms the basis of their bromance and adds to a clever, entertaining show with sharp wit and even sharper suits. If thats not reason enough to get you watching, paralegal & object of Mike’s affection Rachel Zane (Meghan Markle – right) is reason enough.

So, what makes the coolest looking show on TV even cooler? Instagram. The “Bromance App” invites you to upload an Instagram picture of you and a buddy, because Instagram makes everything look cooler, use the hashtag #SuitsS2DVD and you could be in with a chance to win a ‘Gentry Suit’ from the Life Of Tailor for River Island collection. I think its a great little idea (I’ve added my #Bromance picture) and can’t wait to see what Season 3 has to offer.

A link to the app can be found here http://a.pgtb.me/CRk2ms

Season 2 is out on DVD 13th May 2013, you can pre-order your copy here http://tinyurl.com/cytx5wx

The weather is heating up all over the world, and for tennis fans that means one thing: the summer Grand Slam season is approaching. And, for the first time in what seems like entirely too long, the “big four” in men’s tennis are all on track to participate. But who looks to be in top form for the upcoming Grand Slam events? Here’s a look at where each of the top four stand.

Novak Djokovic

With a rock solid hold on the world #1 ranking, as well as the Australian Open title under his belt, Novak Djokovic is off to another remarkable start in 2013. The Serbian stumbled a couple of times in March, losing in the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open to Juan Martin del Potro, and in the 4th round of the Sony Open to veteran Tommy Haas. But Djokovic’s form has been so strong that he remains the favourite for major events – perhaps even on French Open clay.

Andy Murray

Despite getting over the Grand Slam hump at last year’s U.S. Open, and despite some chatter as to whether or not he could overtake the world #1 ranking, Murray remains #2, and he is actually far closer to Roger Federer at #3 than he is to Djokovic at #1. Still, two singles titles in 2013 and a victory over Federer in the Australian Open semifinals show that Murray has continued to make strides. He’ll certainly be in the mix, particularly during Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

Roger Federer

At #3 in the world and without a 2013 singles title at an ATP event, Federer is by his own standards having a poor season. However, 3 of his 4 losses on the season have been to Murray, Rafael Nadal, and Tomas Berdych – all respectable losses – and Federer has at times shown flashes of the brilliance he possessed in his prime. Particularly at Wimbledon, Federer will be a threat to win at least one Grand Slam this summer. Even in gradual decline, Federer on a good day is still spectacular.

Rafael Nadal

Finally, there’s Nadal, and the way he’s playing after returning from injury, he may want to think about talking to Aviva to insure his knees. Nadal has been far better than anyone had any right to expect. After losing in the final of his first ATP tournament back, Nadal won 3 straight singles titles, defeating Federer, Berdych, del Potro, and David Ferrer along the way. Though technically #5 in the world (Ferrer is #4), Nadal is once again a member of the “big four” – and should be the favourite to claim the title at the French Open, where he has historically been all but unbeatable.

No doubt, these four will compete for Grand Slams this summer. And though other stars like Ferrer, Berdych and del Potro are capable, it seems that the gap between the Big Four and the rest is as wide as ever.

The music software that inspired a generation will make its debut on iOS and Android touchscreens this year, if a new Kickstarter campaign is successful.

eJay Pure is a collaboration between independent developer Wired Productions and the original creators Helmut Schmitz and Bernhard Throll, designed specifically for touchscreen devices.

In 1996, the original eJay empowered PC users to create their own original music tracks from a vast selection of samples, beats, riffs and effects. The simple drag and drop interface allowed users to concentrate on their compositions rather than wrestle with a complicated interface – and resulted in spectacular tunes which could easily be compared to commercial releases.

eJay Pure will put the power of eJay into the hands of everyone. Functionality will be redesigned from the ground up to fully utilise the benefits of touchscreen technology. Users will be able to effortlessly drag and drop samples into their musical soundscapes, creating original music tracks on the fly.

For the very first time, eJay Pure will expand its musical soundpacks to include indie and rock alongside its traditional dance, hip hop and techno offerings.

“eJay was the first music creation software to break into the mainstream, offering PC owners the chance to produce music tracks which could rival those created in expensive recording studios,” says Leo Zullo, managing director, Wired Productions.

“There are countless anecdotes of eJay providing the spark to ignite a career in music – many DJs who cut their teeth on the software are still active members of its community. We’re thrilled to be engineering the software from the ground up to enable anyone anywhere to compose their own masterpieces.”

The team at Wired has been working on eJay Pure for the last nine months, and have completed pre-production, prototyping, technology R&D, and have begun recording new samples. The remaining development budget for eJay Pure is £300,000. Wired Productions is putting in fifty per cent – but it needs the support of the eJay community to fund it through to completion.

“eJay singlehandedly created a music creation phenomenon,” says Helmut Schmitz, eJay Creator . “Its simplicity belied an engine which allowed for incredible flexibility and stunning production values. Some of the tunes which emerged from the eJay series are still played in clubs all over the world. The idea that we’ll be able to put this technology into people’s hands is tremendously exciting.”

Fans can pledge their support for eJay Pure HERE from as little as £1. Rewards include downloadable copies of eJay PC titles, exclusive eJay Pure merchandise – and even the opportunity to record your own song for inclusion within the final version. In addition, everyone who pledges – at whatever level

Enjoy boys and girls, enjoy.

It’s a matter of fact that many people feel awkward when they start going to the gym.
Planet Fitness’s USP is very clear. No Gymitadion! The marketing message is absolutely direct; Workout without feeling uncomfortable.

Although I think this positioning really works, I am sure some people perceive Planet Fitness to be a ‘visually disturbing’ gym and would rather go somewhere with more attractive members.

Isn’t part of going to the gym being inspired by better-looking people? Let me know your thoughts on this.

Probably my favourite living artist, Justin Timberlake – he’s back and today he’s unveiled the official video for his comeback single “Suit & Tie” featuring Jay Z/produced by Timbaland. This comes from his 3rd album; The 20/20 Experience (available 18 March) and follows the announcement that he is set to hold a one off concert in London on February 20th.

I’m not crazy about the single but I love the style and like JT, I don’t really need a reason to bust a suit & tie, that’s just how I role folks! The album track Mirrors is also available to download and if that’s a taste of what we can expect from JT in 2013, we should have something special coming our way.

Future/Sex was my Uni theme music so I can’t wait for the next chapter…

Watch the well dressed official video below…

Love this activation!

On Monday February 4th a day-long TAKEN 2 Phone Challenge took place on the streets of Soho. A multi-platform, interactive and immersive treasure hunt, bringing the dramatic themes of TAKEN 2’s Istanbul story onto the streets of London.

The challenge was designed to celebrate the release of TAKEN 2 on Blu-ray and DVD release from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

It began with 50 mysterious mobile phones being posted to journalists. The phones arrived in unmarked envelopes, with just a Twitter handle and hashtag pointing towards the challenge to come. Messages from a special Bryan Mills email address laid out the terms and conditions of the task, along with targeted Tweets and texts to heighten the tension.

A set of phone calls gave contestants a series of increasingly cryptic challenges, launching a London-wide treasure hunt, all inspired by the drama of TAKEN 2, including:
- Meeting a Turkish man smoking on a bench in Soho Square and following his map
- Cracking a code at an Istanbul-themed restaurant
- Demonstrating a “particular set of skills” at a secret market stall
- Navigating to an end point at a TAKEN 2 safe house.

The winner of the challenge earned themselves a Five Star weekend break in Istanbul. Sweet!

Take a look:

#BryanMills