Ayling takes Sanctuary rostrum
Bob Ayling, the former chief executive of British Airways, has taken centre stage as the £120,000-a-year chairman of troubled music group Sanctuary.He has brought with him fellow Holidaybreak director James Wallace, who joins the group as senior independent non-executive director and chairman of the audit committee.
His arrival at the company, whose artists include Beyonce and Iron Maiden, follows a £110m rescue refinancing.
Mr Ayling said: "Before its recent troubles, Sanctuary was successful over many years. The new board is determined that it should be again."
The shares, which were trading around £147 in April 2001, closed up ½ at 51p yesterday. Mr Ayling said his priorities were proper corporate governance standards, financial transparency and performance.
5 Comments
Ayling takes over ailing Sancuary.
If it would sell, we may yet, see Bruce do that country album.
Just kidding.
Kevin Shirley's Studio Diary 4
Written by Pål Johansen
Tuesday, 11 April 2006
Read on for the latest update from Kevin "Caveman" Shirley on what's happening in the Iron Maiden Studio!!
Hello, Maiden fans. I'm sorry that some of you disapprove of my diary's content, and I do care, but really - what can I tell you. Song titles, NO; lyrics, NO; album title, NO - so bear with me as I attempt to interest you with the little I can share. By the way, it cost me $3000 to have you all hit my site - so that's no reason for me to do it - I don't hear a great call to sell Caveman t-shirts and soap-on-a-rope on my website. All that said - here's what happened...
A GREAT WEEK!!!!!
Bruce came in and sang three songs over two days - very well too! He cycles in on his bike - about 4 o'clock and leaves about 8 - and we're glad to see him go when he finally packs his bags, as the last hour is always spent listening to a discourse on planes and flight patterns and various other topics that he's very well versed in! I compiled the lead vocals from about 3 - 6 tracks depending on the sections of the songs I was concentrating on. I used about 80% of the original live tracking vocal, cut when the band cut the basic tracks - and there's a magic spirit on them! The three amigos, Adrian, Davey and Jan also came in - Jan did an amazing solo - filled with his trademark "Blackmoresque" licks and some awesome wild whammy bar nonsense, Adrian did one of his note-perfect precision solos and Davey rolled out some of his fluid and flighty solos, and we have finished 3 of the 10 album tracks - AND mixed two!! Finished! FINAL MIXES! the album opener, and rocker single,and a great durgy track with an evil 7/8 groove! * We are so far ahead of schedule - Steve's bass sounds totally sick, he says he's never been happier with how the band, his bass, and the album is sounding - and I think this could be as big as anything they've ever recorded. It's definitely the high point of our relationship - that is Maiden with me producing.
And that is what happened in the studio. Bruce likes to suck on the caramel from Twix bars, after removing both the chocolate and the biscuit first; Steve eats pasta for dinner - with cream, pesto and bacon - every night! - and guards his private life strongly (adamant that he wants to keep me away from his 21 year old daughter, who is gorgeous and a really good singer!); Adrian has me scour Google maps for good fishing sites and hears tuning problems all over the place, where there are none (I think he'd even drive perfectionist producer Mutt Lange crazy); and Jan goes to the footy and on the piss with his mate, Ginger Mick, and doesn't seem to give a toss about anything. He likes to be away from home cos his wife loads him up with manual chores, which he does but hates doing! Sensibly, they like to watch their pennies, and I guess that's how you get to keep 'em. I, on the other hand, am a spendthrift! Bruce is Bruce - the one, the only! Lovable, irreplaceable, unique and an incredible voice! That's the way Maiden should be!
I work hard in the studio, and play hard. Always have - and my evenings are generally spent drinking with much younger friends, who have me pay and like to imbibe to absolute inebriation! Just last night I had to rescue a totally inebriated young lady from the London School of Economics who had gone "coma" in the ladies bathroom of the London Soho House! On Tuesday, I took Drew and Alex out drinking - Drew was sick for two days, and Alex was beyond useless the next day. Pathetic! 'Arry maintains it's my fault because I took them young 'uns out - wha'evah!
And that's all - off to the studio. Tomorrow I'm going to bicycle to Brighton - about 65 miles, or 100kms - and tonight I am going to see a William Blake thingy at some gallery.
I have no new pictures, so have included this one. "Arry says his arse isn't as small anymore! It's an image from the new Ross Halfin book on Maiden, I believe!
toc toc.....is there anybody out there ?
(listening bruce's show with a vodka).....slave to the power of beer, my friend where u r ? i've lost you