sick kids

The Veronicas’ Management Do Not Know This Earth Term, ‘Charity’

12:30PM Clem Bastow | The Veronicas are caught up in a scuffle by association, with word that their management is holding onto a booking fee payment – of $17,500 – despite cancelling the appearance the fee was paid for. This would be all boring and businesslike were it not for the fact that said gig was in actual fact not another shopping mall appearance stadium gig and instead a charity gig for a sick little boy, which leaves the Veronicas camp looking, well, less than pleasant. James Hempenstall, 14, had attracted Shannon Noll, Daryl Somers, Ricki-Lee Coulter and other performers for his planned Beneath the Stars: Songs of Hope and Joy concert in October. Most artists offered to perform for free at Brisbane’s Riverstage concert to help James, who is almost totally blind, raise money for The Starlight Foundation. The Veronicas – made up of twin sisters Jess and Lisa Origliasso – and Shannon Noll had agreed to sing for a reduced fee of $30,000 each. But the Veronicas’ management asked for an up-front deposit before the concert organisers could announce they would perform. The Veronicas had come on board late, so James’ father, Peter Hempenstall, borrowed $20,000 from family friends. But three weeks before the concert date, the show was cancelled because only about 200 tickets had been sold. Mr Hempenstall said he had approached The Veronicas’ Australian representatives, and New York manager Jason Richardson, a few days later to ask for a refund of the deposit. “They told me the money had already been spent,” Mr Hempenstall said. “They said they’d bought plane tickets and had made arrangements for their band.” Unfortunately for all involved, it looks as though Mr Hempenstall’s own business acumen was a little shaky, with his Beneath The Stars Foundation in debt to the tune of $50,000, but we wonder – would it have been that hard for The Veronicas (not to mention SHAZZAAAA) to appear at the CHARITY concert for, like, nothing? And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why we are not Sir Bob Geldof and Midge Ure. More »

David Beckham Makes Sick Children Cry; Pulls Wings Off Bees

4:45PM Clem Bastow | Before we begin we should note that our headline is something of a misnomer; we were captivated by news previews last night along the lines of “Just what did David Beckham do to make this cancer patient cry?” and hoped that he’d totally lost it and stuck a tack in her commemorative soccer ball or something. Then today dawns and it turns out Becks’ “snubbing” of said young soccer fan wasn’t a statement at all, and just a simple matter of, er, not seeing her. Which is good, because we wouldn’t have to burn our copy of Posh & Becks: Talking now, would we? Fourteen-year-old Emma Byers – the first person to survive two consecutive bone marrow transplants at Sydney Children’s Hospital – was due to welcome Beckham to Star City yesterday morning but was left in tears when the star’s minders insisted he was brought into the hotel via a back entrance and whisked to his room. But last night at Sydney FC’s game with Queensland last night, Beckham took time to meet Emma in private and left the young girl beaming with delight. After he was told what happened, a contrite Beckham had used a press conference to apologise to the girl and other fans who had been with her, and had promised to make amends. “I didn’t even see any children when I arrived at the hotel this morning – I went in the back way,” he said. “But that (snubbing them) is one thing I would never have done – never have done and never will do. That’s not what I do or what I’m about and I apologise to them.” Aw, Becks! Even with that ridiculously squeaky voice, we’d still tap that ass hardcore he’s still a gentleman. Any other sick/disadvantaged children are, however, now advised to hang around back alleys with the pimps and junkies in the hope that David “Backdoor Man” Beckham will miraculously appear. More »