Chapter 30: A Trip to London
[Chapter 30: A Trip to London]
On December 12, Linton and his crew, including Duke, assistant Bella, bodyguard Danny, and two bodyguards arranged by Universal, boarded a flight to London, accompanied by a UK branch executive, Stephen Shawn.
"When we land today, we'll head directly to the Hilton Hotel. Tomorrow morning, you'll participate in an interview on BBC Two. In the afternoon, we'll head to BBC Radio One, and in the evening, you'll attend a music chart show at London's Fly Fish Radio.
The day after tomorrow, we'll visit some famous landmarks in London in the morning, then you'll have an interview with B Magazine in the afternoon, and in the evening, you'll hold a fan meet-and-greet. On the following day, you'll appear on a talk show in the morning and fly to Paris in the afternoon.
BBC Two will send a reporter to follow you throughout your trip in the UK, and then they will edit it into a promotional documentary," Stephen explained on the plane. "Your song You're Beautiful is very popular with the Brits; it ranked second on the charts last week, while the top song, Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me,' lost momentum, so we think this is a good chance for you to claim the top spot."
"Then I need to seize this opportunity," Linton nodded.
"You're Beautiful, Natural, and That's the Way Love Goes really resonate with the British audience, and your presence here for promotion is quite a draw. But while you're in the UK, be careful not to discuss any Irish issues in public; the Irish-American political influence is significant," Stephen reminded him.
"I know that already," Linton replied.
"Also, be cautious of the language traps set by the British interviewers; they can sometimes be very underhanded, trying to provoke American artists into showing a rude and uncultured side," Stephen continued.
"Oh..." Linton acknowledged, understanding the warning.
"Maintaining your flamboyant personality and genius persona is fine, but don't give them any chances to mock or ridicule you. Their media influence is substantial on a global scale, and Universal's connections here aren't nearly as strong as PolyGram's."
"Thanks for the heads-up," Linton said.
...
After disembarking, Universal's UK branch hosted a small welcome gathering at the airport, with over thirty fans in attendance and even arranged for a little girl to present flowers to Linton.
Having grown accustomed to the enthusiastic fan receptions in North America, Linton felt a significant contrast and thought to himself, it seems like I'm just getting started in the UK; even these thirty or so fans could easily have been part of a paid service.
Not lingering too long at the airport, the crew headed straight to the Hilton Hotel.
...
Once settled in at the Hilton, they heard fans gathering below in the hotel lobby, cheering his name.
"What are they doing?" Linton asked.
"They're welcoming you," Stephen said, opening the balcony door of their hotel room. "Just wave to them, say hi, and blow a few kisses."
Linton walked out to the balcony and spotted the same people he had seen at the airport. Realizing this was likely the UK branch had arranged a full-service welcome, he smiled and waved, blowing kisses to the fans.
...
"Just remember to stay alert during all your interviews," Stephen warned.
The next morning, Linton went to BBC Two to record a talk show, which was pre-taped. The interview went smoothly, and Linton even performed both You're Beautiful and Natural in full.
In the afternoon, the BBC Radio One broadcast was also successful, primarily focusing on his impressions of Britain, musical passions, life experiences, and the story behind You're Beautiful.
...
"Linton, I heard your ex-girlfriend praised your... impressive abilities on television. Is that true?"
By evening, during the music chart show at London's Fly Fish Radio, the interview host suddenly stirred up some trouble during the live broadcast.
"Everyone has their strengths; plus, discussing that kind of topic here doesn't seem appropriate," Linton responded.
The radio host chuckled, "I don't mean to offend; it's just that the audience is really curious about you."
Discussing this kind of topic during a chart show? Was this really a casual comment? Linton thought to himself, looking at the two hosts in their forties and formulating a counter-strategy.
With a smile, he quipped, "What can I say? I'm young. I'm sure you were also quite strong when you were my age!"
Both hosts were taken aback and quickly changed the subject. "Are you familiar with Mr. Barenboim?"
"Of course, a music master."
"What are your thoughts on Mr. Barenboim?"
"He's a music master and quite famous in America, well-respected, including by me."
"Do you know much about his past?"
"I don't have much knowledge of his past."
"For example, in terms of relationships, he..."
"Hey, don't you care about my music? I didn't come here to talk gossip."
...
The interview concluded, and their relationship felt somewhat resolved. Linton stood up, shook the hosts' hands casually, and left without saying a word.
On the way back to the hotel, Linton told Stephen, "Those hosts will do anything for ratings; they have no limits."
"Exactly, which is why I warned you to always stay vigilant," Stephen replied.
...
On the third morning, Linton toured London's landmarks under the guidance of Universal's UK team to facilitate promotional documentary filming.
There was one good thing about being in London, which was that there were not many fans and he did not have to worry about being disturbed or harassed by fans. Media, however, was quite bothersome; the paparazzi here were even more irritating than in America, constantly approaching him with invasive questions.
...
In the afternoon, B Magazine conducted the interview smoothly, all questions had been pre-approved, and both parties chatted relatively happily.
That evening, Universal held a fan meet-and-greet at the London Alexandra Palace.
Because Linton's fame in London was still budding, they only rented a venue for 2,000 people. Thankfully, the venue was completely filled with young fans, over 60% of whom were female.
Just like in New York, besides performing, Linton also invited several fans to join him on stage and prepared 200 signed posters for a raffle.
Overall, the fan meet-and-greet was deemed a success. Aside from the performances, during the autograph session, nearly every fan had a copy of the album to support him. Some fans bought multiple copies, although it couldn't compare to North America.
In the end, they calculated that close to 2,300 albums were sold during this autograph session, but the main purpose of this event was to promote him. The meet-and-greet was broadcast live on BBC Two.
...
After returning to the hotel, Linton asked Bella, "How's the formation of the fan club coming along?"
"We've preliminarily screened a few enthusiastic fans, and I've arranged to meet with them tomorrow for more detailed discussions. I feel hopeful about it."
"Let's push forward using the North American model as much as possible. If you need Universal's support, just let me know.
Also, we're flying to Paris tomorrow afternoon, so why not stay an extra day? I'll have Duke help with your ticket change so we can finish setting up the fan club framework here as quickly as possible.
I'm currently allocating a budget of $10,000 for you. Make the most of it on-site to expedite the process."
With that, he handed Bella a $10,000 check.
...
The next morning, Lintonappeared on a talk show. Thankfully, while the host was quirky, he didn't stir up any trouble. Linton, aiming for promotion, cooperated fully and even performed Natural live.
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