Overall for a site that launched just over six months ago, we’ve done pretty well in the press up till now. We’ve been on Channel 4, Radio 4 and The World Service. Plus we’ve also featured in The Sunday Times and popular comedy site, Chortle. Well now we can add The Telegraph to the list, after we got the following piece online - looking at us as part of a wider trend piece looking at band reunions - including The Smiths whose peerless Derek Jarman directed How Soon is Now video sits above this piece.

Thanks to Bernadette McNulty for the publicity.

Another first of 2008. Bibendum arrives in Japan

At this time of year one thing that overtakes the world of entertainment is list mania. It seems you can’t click on a link anywhere without falling over someone’s best of the year, in everything from the top ten oddball news stories of 2008 to the top 60 popular Japanese words/phrases of 2008 (the inspiration for the above pic - no. 21). In fact if you’re list mad then this page that aggregates all the lists online maybe of use.

With all this list compiling we’re pleased to see that Owngig.com hasn’t been overlooked and has made it into Music Ally’s 200 digital music startups from 2008, alongside such luminaries as Pitchfork.tv and Spotify. It’ll be interesting to see where the next year takes Owngig - we’re already having a lot of interesting conversations, which should make 2009 a very good year for the site. Till then, Owngig.com would like to wish you all Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and if you’ve never heard it, do yourself a favour and buy this. Best. Christmas. Album. Ever.

There was an interesting piece on the Radio 4 Today Programme on Monday about the credit crunch causing bands to scale back tours - as they couldn’t predict or guarantee that fans would turn up in the same numbers. This seems like something that Owngig is well suited to provide. We gather information on who’s interested in seeing a band, and where they are - which solves the problems of demand for the gig owner.

It would certainly have got Lily Allen out of a pickle, after it was revealed recently that the star had bought tickets for her own concert after fearing that it wouldn’t sell out.

One thing we’ve seen on the web recently was that one of our favourite comedians, Chris Morris is using the crowdsourcing to fund his new project, Four Lions. After Channel 4 and BBC1 ran scared of the new comedy project, Four Lions which darkly satirists the world of Islamist miltancy, Chris turned to the internet and in association with Warp Films, asked punters to pay £25 each to fund the project. In return they got the chance to appear in the show. So, similar to Owngig.com, the public get the chance to get a personalised experience for funding the project.

In other site news…

We’re pleased to see that bids for Tom Waits is edging close to 100. Not least ‘cos we quite like Tom Waits. We’d love to get him over here, so keep bidding. Also if you have any ideas for suitably Tom Waits-esque places he could perform a gig, drop us a line…

…and you can hear us on the Today programme here.

Our new Owngig.com YouTube and Flickr channels will hold images and videos from all of our gigs and this first gig was no exception - here’s The Blow Monkeys performing It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way.

Hope to see some of you at our next gig. Till then, keep bidding!

We’re excited to announce the launch of the Owngig.com comedy channel, allowing you to bid for your favourite comedians and create your own bespoke experiences just as you can currently with the world of music. Perhaps you’d like to see Josie Long, Russell Howard or Frankie Boyle?

Anyway, start thinking about who you’d like to see and start placing bids. It’s no laughing matter

The second in Owngig’s series of posts on those who are close to getting gig go-ahead looks at German band Cinema Bizarre who met in 2005 at an anime convention. This goes some way to explaining their look which is based on the Japanese trend known as visual kei.

Anyway, clearly at Owngig we’re fans of the innovative and think that the Owngig model would be a perfect way for the fans of Cinema Bizarre to fund a special concert and we wish them well.

My Secret Playlist

Surprised no one’s thought of this idea before. Simply get a load of musicians from the mainstream (Katy Perry, Supergrass, Donna Summer) to the more underground (Rubies, Pivot, Midlake) to publish their favourite songs of the moment. Plus, with so much music on the web these days, we actually get to hear at least some of their choices. Nice work, Secret Playlist - who hail from Australia, also the home of the mighty Resident Advisor.

Your iPhone = Your new studio?

Software like Garage Band has bought the recording studio to the masses but new software called Four Track from Sonoma Wire Works and profiled in Wired allows your iPhone (or iPod Touch) to become a 4 track recording studio.

Given the announcement as well about the iPhone being able to be used as a 3G modem, your phone has the potential to be used as a portable live streaming mixing desk… which is nice.

…and finally

Owngig would never recommend mixing speakers and fire.

But you have to admit this is kind of cool. Have a good weekend!

This is the first in an irregular series of posts looking at who’s popular on Owngig - those that are getting closer to having their gig greenlighted.

Tom Waits‘ fans have been busy recently - perhaps looking to get some additional dates added after his tour earlier this year.

Given how he explained his choice of venues for the US tour (see video below) we think that Tom is obviously open to interesting new ways of deciding where to play - making him perfect for Owngig.

Fancy seeing him? Bid here.