As in any summer, the music industry is currently alive with all manner of outdoor related chatter right now. From terrace parties in Ibiza, to week-long events beneath the Croatian sun, and the aftermath of Glastonbury, it’s all about open air during June, July and August- especially when the weather is this good.
Amongst the major domestic events coming up, The Rolling Stones are set to play Hyde Park in London this weekend. Which would be a big enough deal in itself, but the fact that they’ve lined up three stages of artists, many of whom top charts in their own right, means the whole thing is really a mini-festival. Yet it isn’t the only significant attraction set to make an impact on people visiting the famous greenspace over the next few days.
With footfall set to increase by tens of thousands for the show on Saturday, those behind the launch of new digital free-to-air channel, Drama (from UK TV), must be delighted, because they’ve decided to place a huge statue of Mr. Darcy, Pride & Prejudice’s timeless stallion, in The Serpentine to pull in the attention of would-be and could-be viewers. At 12-foot, the fibre-glass effigy makes a real impact, and is clearly visible from a fair old distance, despite being half submerged in water to recreate the famous scene that made Colin Firth the man many women wanted to marry, recently voted as the most memorable British television moment ever. Apparently.
Whether the team responsible for the stunt- which has already made today’s online headlines at The Drum, The Independent, and half of the UK’s other web news outlets- knew about their timing is unclear. But, as anyone who has ever been to any gig or music event in a city park will know, crowds are inclined to end up all over the place on departure and arrival, so the marketers can expect a huge amount of people- in addition to the abundant locals out sunbathing on what’s set to be one of the hottest weeks of the year- to see their work.
And, if, like us, you think this is a great idea, albeit helped along by weather and circumstance no end, but have no plans to call in at Hyde Park any time soon to see the giant hunk then don’t worry. Mr. Darcy is on something of a promo tour for the summer, and is scheduled to be moved to the Scarborough coast next week, before being installed in the lake at Lyme Park in Cheshire once finished on the road, where he will remain in place until February, with both locations used in the world famous BBC adaptation (during which Firth had his day). All very fitting, take a look at the video explanation below.