Tulkinghorn: Rockin’ around the clock
It was surely only a matter of time. Late last month Tulkinghorn heard a rumour that Law Rocks, the legal market’s very own battle of the bands, had been put on hold while one of the competitors wrapped up a work-related conference call.
Over to Law Rocks organiser Nick Child of Keating Chambers for the lowdown on the story.
“He didn’t make them late,” insisted Child, who wouldn’t name the ‘guilty’ party, “it just meant I couldn’t move their slot, that’s all.”
Tulkinghorn believes you Nick. Still, it’s not exactly rock ’n’ roll, is it? These bands might play at the 100 Club, but Tulkinghorn bets this never happened to the Sex Pistols.
Elsewhere, at the first Law Rocks round of 2012, the last-minute changes to the running order saw debutantes Cripps Harries Hall’s outfit Corporate Jam open with a rousing set that included a tribute to Robin Gibb. They were followed by a revamped lineup from Blake Lapthorn’s Eclectic Zoo, while previous winners Real State from Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) were their usual tight selves. Keating Chambers’ Demolition followed with a rendition of Kings of Leon tracks, generating lots of Anthony Followill emulations from the crowd. Mrs Tulkinghorn particularly enjoyed watching their energetic drummer, Oliver Goldsmith, from those chambers.
DAC Beachcroft’s DACaBeas, a post-merger new venture, produced a great new band of which the judges (Planet Rock chairman Malcolm Bluemel, Thunder lead singer Danny Bowes and Tony Moore, formerly of Iron Maiden and Cutting Crew) were hugely complimentary. Finally, another previous winner, CMS Cameron McKenna’s The Stragglers, took to the stage with a brave set that was quite different from their norm.
The judges heaped praise on the bands, and particularly hailed the level of professionalism and quality of the sets.
This time it was BLP’s Real State that walked away with the glory after a stunning set and an even better encore.
“Give up your day jobs,” was the judges’ advice. Real State bassist and BLP partner David ‘Bomb the Bass’ Battiscombe’s colleagues have started a petition.
Sad influence
How’s this for a press officer comment beautifully devoid of any sense of context: “Hi, I thought you’d like to know that Jake Berry has just been named as one of the 50 most influential property lawyers and thought The Lawyer would be interested. He used to work at Halliwells you know.”
Sheikhy upstart
The Hogan Lovells annual press party might not be the crazed, booze-drenched affair it once was – times are hard after all, and of course there’s that Puritan Hogan influence to consider – but it can still be relied upon to throw out the odd colourful nugget.
Such as this, courtesy of insolvency partner Tom Astle. Tulkinghorn’s spy was all ears as Astle regaled her with the tale of his time at an indoor snow park in Dubai when he was told to get off the ski lift because a phenomenally rich and powerful sheikh had decided he would rather like a skiing lesson.
“We had to wait by the side and watch,” Astle admitted, spilling the beans over some deep-fried prawns at the firm’s bash last month.
City boys are not used to getting bossed around, and Tulkinghorn suspects Astle might have wished he’d gone to Aspen instead.
