CLOSER TO THE HEART, 2014
While every project that Entec undertakes is important, some feel more personal than others. One example is an intimate annual event simply titled An Evening With Suggs & Friends. Headlined by the Madness frontman and staged by The Gig Company, it has relied on Entec for production support since its second year, in 2014. All tolled, it has earned around £1m for Pancreatic Cancer UK.
The show is the brainchild of The Gig Company’s founders Jenny Johnson and Suggs’ daughter Viva McPherson, an exceptionally motivated pair of event organisers brought together by the latter’s aunt Alanah, who tragically died of the disease.
This charitable cause is one that receives Noreen O’Riordan’s full backing, for personal reasons. In 2007, she tragically lost her partner and her children’s father John Roden – the world-renowned monitor engineer – to the disease. “It feels good to be able to give back some love and work alongside great friends who are very dear to me and my family,” she said.
Entec’s devotion to the event includes providing sound, lighting and rigging, while hiring additional services such as staging and risers from Centre Stage, a local crew from Affinity and trucking from R. Jameson. The company also plays a production consultancy role, in some cases bringing in Emma Jensen to help as PM.
“Unlike many event organisers, Viva and I don’t have a production background,” said Jenny. “Our specialities include harnessing connections, gathering prizes and co-ordinating the aesthetics. That’s why it’s so brilliant to work with Entec – production-wise, it’s in their hands. We just tell them what we want and they send in all the crew and equipment that are available. Once we became friends with Noreen we really turned a corner. Their commitment has been astounding.”
The event was first held in London at Porchester Hall on March 14th 2013 before being hosted for two years in the Emirates Stadium’s Woolwich Suite. It has since returned to its original venue, where the overall style of the programme has evolved in quality. As well as raising funds through tickets, the evening features a charity auction to boost the coffers with signed guitars, artwork, memorabilia and a holiday at Suggs’ Italian villa on offer. For the remainder of the event, the audience rocks to a stellar house band – featuring the likes of Robbie McIntosh, Wix Wickens, Margo Buchanan, Tommy Blaize and Steve Pearce – backing a roll call of stars such as Roger Daltrey, Jools Holland, Wilko Johnson, Chris Difford, Glenn Tilbrook, Emeli Sandé, Anne-Marie, Tony Christie, Ruby Turner, Phill Jupitus and Suggs himself, along with his wife, Bette Bright.
After one of the events, monitor engineer Maurizio Schiavi spoke on behalf of the Entec crew: “There’s very much a communal sense of ‘we’re all in this together… let’s make it work’. We all leave knowing we’ve done the best possible job for Jenny and Viva – something positive for such a very deserving cause.”
