What The Adicts Would Say About My Next Dinner Party.
British Punk Legends The Adicts head back to Anaheim’s House of Blues at the end of this month in advance of their 11th studio album release, “And It Was So!”. Their live set is raucous carnival, with 40 years of honed showmanship on full display. Music is fast and upbeat. Costumes are Clockwork Orange-inspired. Start-to-finish theatricality features wild makeup, confetti and streamers, absurd props and sing-a-longs.
Every event targets a particular crowd. The special occasion you’re planning may be higher on dignity and lower on elaborate capes. Yet any 4-decade act that spurs ticket buyers worldwide does so because of live-event smarts and professionalism. We should all have such devoted fans.
Every Event’s a Show.
So, from that perspective, how does my next formal dinner look next to The Adicts’ act? Predictably, a bit dull. I brainstormed elements of showmanship. The resulting list seems natural for wedding. For a dinner party – well, it looks like I slip up on show business basics that can make hospitality memorable.
I re-mapped my event as they might concoct theirs, and here’s where punk influence meets fine dining:
- Pre-Event Anticipation: Get people’s mouths watering in advance.
- Planned Mix of Nostalgic and New: Comfort food in between innovative recipes.
- Story Arc: Flashy opening, paced followup, planned “intermission”, build to grand finale.
- Color and Costume: Better too much than too little.
- Sing-Along: Beyond solo speeches, something that ropes in the whole group.
- Props: Get festive and enjoy the mess – it’s a sign of a great time.
- Souvenirs: Use favors intentionally to create a lasting fan base.
- Post-Event Publicity: Use it to stir up the next pre-event anticipation.
Surely there’s a pun here – something like, Getting “Adicted” to Event Planning. In any case, it looks like I need to step up my creativity game. Wishing all of us good food, good music, good fortune!
