HOUSE OF THE RISING MEDIA BARON: DESMOND PLOTS THE ANIMALS GIG
THE CAPITALIST had an entertaining conversation with Richard Desmond this week, in which the media baron revealed the next rock frontman he would like to enlist to perform with his charity band The Crusaders is… Eric Burdon of The Animals.
Desmond was speaking at a preview of his CNBC interview with Channel Five presenter Tania Bryer, which airs tonight at 10pm, where he gave his most emphatic affirmation yet that he has no plans to sell his newspaper and magazine interests.
“No, no and no,” came the reply straight from the horse’s mouth, when asked if there was any substance behind the speculation that he is looking to sell Express Newspapers and Northern & Shell, indicating that the appointment of Goldman Sachs and BarCap is simply a fishing expedition to put a price on his press assets.
“I am a buyer, not a seller,” added the tycoon mysteriously, hinting that the City should look out for what he acquires next, not what he disposes of.
Desmond’s comments made The Capitalist think back to last June, when the media maverick made headlines by announcing he would do a better job of running Britain’s biggest red-top than The Sun’s current owner Rupert Murdoch.
Could a renewed approach for the tabloid be on the cards now Desmond has an up-to-date assessment of exactly how much his publishing businesses are worth?
At least it would put a whole new spin on The Animals’ hit House of the Rising Sun if and when Desmond does take to the stage with Burdon…
FINAL HAWK-SONG
BUT IF Burdon is busy, perhaps Desmond could give Andrew Sentance a call, now the rock music fan has more time to devote to his band Revelation after marking his exit from the Monetary Policy Committee with a leaving party on Monday night.
It would be a meeting of minds, as Sentance chose The Animals tune Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood, first recorded by Nina Simone, as one of his eight Desert Island Discs to remember his MPC career in his speech at the Bank of England drinks. Also on the playlist were Good Times, Bad Times by Led Zeppelin and the Joe Cocker version of The Beatles’ With A Little Help From My Friends.
Bank of England governor Mervyn King continued the musical theme at the send-off, revealing how Sentance presented the rewritten lyrics to Help by The Beatles in his final MPC rates meeting in May. “Won’t you please, please help the MPC,” wrote the interest rates uber-hawk, in a twist on the Beatles’ lyrics that raised a smile from his colleagues past and present including Paul Tucker, Sir John Gieve and David Miles.
WIDE AWAKE CLUB
A TOP-LEVEL diary clash has caused consternation in the City, with Bank of America Merrill Lynch forced to move its roundtable discussion next Wednesday forward by half an hour to 8.30am. “This is because we are aware of another event taking place this morning at 10am, conflicting many of you,” the bank wrote to its guests. “This other event is only round the corner so you will be able to spend a full hour at BofAML.”
So what is this mysterious “other event”? None other than JP Morgan’s mid-year discussion on trends in banking and capital markets – led by JPM executives Hernan Cristerna, Larry Slaughter, Viswas Raghavan and Laurence Hollingworth – which sent out its save the date invitation well in advance on 23 May.
RUNNERS AND RIDERS
IF YOU can’t make it to Ascot this week, the next best place to be seen is the Runner Bar at Green’s Restaurant and Oyster Bar on Cornhill, whose shareholders include Lord Vestey (below), the former chairman of Cheltenham, and Aintree chairman Lord Daresbury.
Amateur jockey Thomas Greenall is running the show this week, where he will be on hand to dispense Royal Ascot cocktails and racing tips… in that order.
BLOOD BROTHERS
CHARLIE Metcalfe, president of Nikko Asset Management, has secured the support of both ends of the political spectrum for the fundraising cycle ride he organised after he lost his wife Lily to leukaemia six years ago.
On the right: Boris Johnson, who will cycle alongside Metcalfe’s son Louis and his three friends on a Boris Bike at the start of the London to Lisbon ride on 5 July, enlisted because he is the godfather of rider Archie Gilmour.
On the left: former Blair spin-doctor Alastair Campbell, who will find himself pedalling in the midst of the four teenage Etonians thanks to his role as chairman of fundraising for the ride’s designated charity Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research.
See www.beatbloodcancers.
org/get-involved/london-lisbon to get involved.