And well, I don't know, I said and as if it was halfway through
a sentence. Well, you know, it's it's
excellent. No, no, don't, don't press the
button. Let's carry on.
Let's carry on with this ridiculousness.
Welcome to breaking it. The Universal Studios UK
podcast. My name is Mike as of Universal
Studios Great Britain updates the best, the original and all
that good stuff Podcast. It's not a podcast.
It's YouTube channel on YouTube. And joining me is smooth.
As ever, it's Lawrence from Universally.
I am Andy from Project Universal UK.
The number one, the number one, the number one YouTube channel
for all Little awful in about. Honestly, the eye contact in
here is spectacular. Every time he wants to show off,
he looks right at me, unblinking.
Because you take the bait every. Time.
Very, very. Upsetting, but just a bit of
housekeeping stuff. We've got a very exciting
episode ahead of us, but we're going to get through the boring
stuff before we can get. It's not boring, it's essential.
It is. It's the beating heart.
It's the blood in our veins. Yes, we have 5 stars in our
veins and we need you to give us more five stars, please.
So please, wherever you listen to your podcast or, or if you
watch it, yes, somewhere on, on the little waveform thing on, on
the YouTube smash that like button or give us a five star
review. It'd be very much appreciated.
Climb up those ranks to superstardom in the theme park
podcast World Spectacular. Yeah.
I love it. If you want to sponsor the pod,
oh, do that, Do that. Yeah, do that.
We will. We will talk about your stuff if
you give us monetary reward. And do you know what?
Actually, I've, I've, I've had a few thoughts about this, right?
I think that look, we've, we've got people that are listening
into the pod from around the world, but there are a lot of
people that listen to the pod global international, right?
But there are a lot of people that listen to this pod that are
from the Bedford area, right? Yes.
Now we are three people that are gathering in a top secret
location and we are gathering near Bedford.
Now if you want to sponsor the pod by sending us some food.
No, no, let me think. No, no, no, wait, wait, wait,
wait. You send us some food and we
will eat it during the podcast and we will hopefully be going,
that is some good, good food pie, right?
Sophie, feed him before he comes out in future please.
But you know what this is? This is an unbelievable
opportunity. Yeah, an incredible opportunity.
Yeah, but I tell you what, it's an even better opportunity.
Send us voice notes on 07440561162.
Mike, what are we doing today? Well, we have a very, very
exciting episode ahead of us. We have our.
Second ever bricking it guest who's joining us?
Oh, do we have a woo sound effect?
Do we have a woo sound effect I. Think we've got applause.
Can we do applause? Yeah.
All right. Just get in, there's a jam going
on. Can you meet that?
It's getting away. No, that's the it's another game
show. That's the game show you start
again, right? So if you've ever been to a
theme park in the last 10 years, maybe longer, chances are you
have heard some of this man's music.
He's the man who brought us the music for the Swarm of Thorpe
Park. Tomb.
Blaster at Chessington, World of Adventures, Mutiny Bay at Alton
Towers and absolutely shed. Loads more, pun intended,
because we're in. We're in shed.
Aren't we? Are we are in shed right now?
Shed. She's probably falling asleep
now. Yeah, I will get to.
But as well as this, he has worked on a plethora of musicals
as well as being the brains behind Theme Park fan the
Musical. It's none other than Nick
Hudson. Welcome to bringing it, Nick.
Hey. Thank, thank you.
Thank you. What's in the shed, as I say?
Yes. In the if you remember that
advertising campaign, was it Kings Island?
Doesn't mean that did that. Oh, with that GCI Woody?
Yeah, was it? GCI in the shed.
Yeah, everyone was thinking, oh, they've built the shed as like
part of, I think the brake run of this ride, and they were
thinking it's going to be a drop track in there, It's going to be
a washing machine element. Yeah, yeah, just a brake run.
This wasn't. Exciting.
No, no. Spectacular.
I love that. Love that.
How you doing anyway, Nick? I'm very well, thank you for
having me on. It's I've love listening to your
show. So it's a it's a joy to be part
of it. Thank you.
Thank you man. Well, in theory, shouldn't we be
enemies with you? Because you obviously have your
own podcast, don't you need? Yes, but we do different things.
It's like us for you. We should be enemies.
We are enemies. We are enemies, yeah.
We all love the same thing, don't we?
I mean, it's nice to have a British podcast because that's
what I've always been pushing with the my bit on the season
pass and also my musical theatre podcast.
But it's nice to have kind of, I don't know if you guys are aware
of Coaster radio. That's always been my kind of
the gold standard of theme park podcasting, but you 3 remind me
of the kind of British version of that.
Just kind of. So we're a platinum level
podcast, you could say. You are, yes.
Oh my God, you are too kind, Nick.
Nick said that on project you can come back anytime.
Thank you. Right.
So right before we, I guess dive into some questions, Nick, tell
us a little bit about you and about your experience in the the
the musical world. I, I grew up, as I, as I always
say when I'm asked this question, in the kind of the
long gone era of when the UK theme parks were brilliant.
And it was at a time when Chessington was just kind of at
the cusp of becoming, you know, with just when it went from
being a zoo to a theme park. Yeah, the John Wardley
transformation. Era, yeah, the Wardley era with
I remember going on the 5th dimension, remember going on
Bubble Works, I remember going on Terror Tomb.
So I I really kind of grew up with that side of things and
also went to Florida when I was for my 9th birthday.
And that was when it really hit me like, this is this is
amazing. I remember holding my sister's
hand in the lobby of the Haunted Mansion, looking up at the
cobwebbed chandelier. And it's still there.
And yeah, just kind of love theme parks, love music.
And then I remember at university many, many decades
ago, I gave a presentation on because I studied music writing
at university and I gave a presentation on kind of people
write music for theme parks. I never thought it was something
I would do, but I remember using the call to entry as my kind of
example, which is on the Islands of Adventure soundtrack and just
say this is not from a film, this is from a theme park and
this is stuff people do and now I I get to do it sometimes which
is great fun. Excellent.
So did you actually start in musical theatre or did you sort
of go straight into the theme park world producing music?
My first gigs were actually fun enough writing for burlesque and
cabaret. So I had a couple of friends in
the burlesque and cabaret world and I did lots of arrangements
for them to the original kind of pieces of music for aerial acts
and hoop acts and fire breathing and all that kind of stuff.
So, but my my main kind of thing I love doing, whether it's
musicals or cabaret or theatre or theme park, is just telling
stories through music and setting moods.
I think that's what I what my skin is.
OK, so it it, it's sort of it, it got you writing sort of
burlesque music and things like that.
Got you into that mindset of to to how you could sort of tell a
story through a piece of music and add to it this world that is
being created. Yeah, but I, I also studied
commercial composition and musical theatre writing.
So everything for me, I've been a fan of musicals my whole life,
comes down to, you know, telling stories from music, which is
what musical theatre it does sometimes if it's successful.
Yeah, when done right. So when did you realize it was
something that you could actually form your career
around? Was it at that point when you
realized there was this, this sort of module if you like, or
was it sort of later down the line when, oh, I'm getting paid
money to do this amazing thing? It was when kind of I'm a School
stepped onto the scene. I thought, oh, there is kind of
a a way of doing this. And I'm a School, if you don't
know, they were very, very successful and highly skilled
German kind of factory that have done a lot of music for parts
around the country, including Epic Universe, which is
wonderful. And so I'd like to have a go at
that. So through various people and
podcasts and links and I could do a diagram, but we're not
connected to a camera at the moment.
I met a good friend of mine called Dom Dominic Mcchesney who
worked for a company at a time called Southern Impacts
Entertainment and they were out in Malaysia and they do kind of
big immersive live show attractions, sky mazes kind of
things. And he was on my musical theatre
podcast called Musical Talk and, and I said, do you, we had loads
of friends in common in the theme park world.
I said, do you need music for anything?
He said, yes, we're doing this Egyptian attraction called
Cleopatra Coming at You, and it wasn't called that, it was just
called. And then then I was able to do
that. And then through various
podcasty ways I knew John Wardley.
So he heard my stuff and put it on to Pete Cliff who worked at
Alton Towers, who then got me to do Halloween in 2015.
So then Subspecies and the Haunting of Molly Crow was born.
And once you do one thing for murder and you do loads of
stuff. So it just kind of grew from
there. That's amazing 11 years later.
Yeah, so when when you're brought onto a project, they
say, oh, we've got this horror themed walkthrough or this ride.
How much do you know and how much direction do they give you?
And with regards to like basically what does the process
look like from you being given a brief to the the end product?
It depends what the time frame is, It depends what they want.
It depends if they know what they want.
It depends who's in charge. If there's no kind of right or
wrong answer. I obviously because I understand
rides and how they work and scare mazes and batching and pre
shows and holding States and all that kind of technical nerdy
stuff. I kind of, I'm able to suggest
ideas, but it's really hard with music because it's so personal.
Like I think they'll be something that doesn't work.
Or they might hear it and say, yes, that's exactly what we
want. Or I might think this is perfect
and they think, no, we don't think it works that way.
So it is finding the the fine line between doing what I think
is right and what they think is right because you're writing for
someone else's vision. That's the important thing.
And that's the hard thing sometimes.
I always get the blame if it doesn't work and from the
public, because people kind of think I'm just sitting there
making all the choices when I'm not.
I'm just doing what I'm told sometimes.
But it's, it's it's a hard question to answer because there
is no right or wrong. When I thought part fright
nights in 2015 or 2018 or something, can't remember 2018
it was they just said we want this go away, have fun, do it,
we trust you. And that was excellent.
And sometimes we get crop drop. It was very, very back and forth
between various peoples in various departments.
You're dealing with the technical departments, you're
dealing with the creatives, you're dealing with marketing,
you're dealing with brand management.
So it depends on the scale of the project and, and who's in
charge really. But I, I love both versions.
It's kind of thrilling to know what I'm doing is right and
thrilling to be told what to do, really.
Do you think being a theme park nerd has has given you the edge
a little bit? Like, you know what you'd like
to listen to, So do you think you have a good idea as to when
you've got a brief where you're going to take something?
I think I know if I were in that queue on that ride, what I would
like and it's I'd like to say yes.
I do think that knowing the insurance and outs of a ride
really helps to deliver the final product because I can talk
about zones and I can talk about again the different kind of
holding states of loops and stuff like that.
I come from it from an insider perspective.
Sometimes it's kind of, I know at the beginning when kind of
park started to work with enthusiasts, they got, they were
kind of had cold feet about it because they didn't want them
going in the way. But I think it's it's something
that's pretty standard right now.
I mean, you know, Bradley Wayne is a good friend of mine.
He's a massive theme park fan and look where he is now.
Well. Yeah, exactly.
He's down the road. Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, I was going to say what? What?
Because before, before you came on, Mike said to me some of the
work you'd done, and you mentioned the swarm.
So what I wanted to ask you is what was you going for?
Because I, I had an experience on the swarm in the queue when I
got to the station, what, what was it that you wanted to kind
of deliver to the person standing in that queue the whole
time? So by the time they got to the
station ready to get in the car or, you know, on the train,
what, what kind of mood would you have them set in?
Does that make sense? This I I I done the station
music for the swarm so the queue area is like a radio drama.
I did a version of that couple years ago that's been replaced
with another one. Don't know why but these things
happen and it's absolutely fine. But the station music is a rock
organ track with a dystopian beat to the old Gregorian chant
called the DSE array blended with the Thorpe part tune
written by I'm score, if that makes sense.
Wow, so it's like a real kind of a witch's brew.
Yeah. Yeah, a kind of mash up of the
the tune that Thorpe liked to have playing in all in their
audio and the kind of DSE array because it isn't a church.
So I I laid down a big organ track and yeah, it's a kind of a
big fun. Because by the time I got the
car, I was incredibly anxious to change.
Sorry, I was incredibly anxious and I just wanted to get him
done with. And then of course it got to the
top of the the lift and I was not expecting such a sharp
little turn. So that so yeah, my blood
pressure was always already through the roof, but it was a
great. Experience.
I don't know if you guys can hear this, but this is the main
track. Oh, I don't know if anything has
anything playing. Can't hear anything.
No, I'll, I'll, I'll send it to you to put in.
But yeah, it's nicely. This road cast thing is working,
isn't? It.
The wonders of modern technology now.
Exactly. Anyway, it's organ rock guitar
beats all blending the kind of the wrath of God.
But it's it's, it's like it's got because it kind of blends
that the kind of the the atmosphere, right?
It's it's very atmospheric, but at the same time it has this
driving force behind it as well, which I come.
I'd forgotten I'd done it most times I go in, so every time I
hear it, I'm like, Oh yeah, I did that.
Yeah, I recognise this. That must be quite good.
Yeah, you did this. So how does that feel, Nick?
Like when you, when you, when you just stumble upon your work?
It, it's, it's weird. And I remember when I did
Halloween Alton Towers in 2015, I did a Tower St. track and my
friend Pete, who I worked with, worked with it.
He looked at me and said, you've never looked so happy in your
entire life just walking down Tower St. with your music play.
And it's as a composer and a theme park fan, it's the most
gratifying thing there is. And my I think at Christmas at
Alton Towers, my Christmas track still plays on Tower St. every
year which is really nice to hear.
I love that. I love that.
Just do you know what it's, it's, it's interesting because I
think, you know, everyone has an appreciation for music, but I
think music can mean different things for different people.
You know, I think, you know, there are some, I think everyone
can have music that makes them feel good or makes them feel
like they're going to, you know, have some sort of medical
emergency in the case of Andy or, or, or, or whatever it is.
But then there is, there is something that can be done just
with a, a, a harmony or a choice of melody or the way that the,
the piece moves along that actually makes you feel
something. And I, I think so that's the
kind of the subconscious effect that a soundtrack can provide.
And I think, you know, if, if you are, you know, a musical
person, then perhaps you're more conscious of it.
But I mean, what? I know you're going to be
biased, Nick, but how important is a soundtrack?
I play. I did a piece of music years ago
for the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth with a kind of an
attraction they had called the Drop, which was where you were
essentially jumping off the building, obviously tied tied
through a rope. I've jumped on the glass.
Yeah, Spinnaker Tower, but that's about.
It I, I, I played it to my friend and there's a one
specific chord progression I chose and she said I feel like
I'm going to be sick. And that's a really interesting
reaction because that's kind of what I was going for.
But of course, I mean, music is like smell.
So hearing a piece of music that you haven't heard from years ago
can bring you back to that place.
And I think that's why people love theme park music so much,
because a lot of it reminds them of their youth and their
childhood. And it's incredibly powerful for
that. And obviously the stuff I'm
writing now isn't, you know, connected to anyone's childhood.
Was there, you know, all adults or children hearing it now, but
hopefully in a couple years time, it might be.
But it. Yeah, it can do lots of things,
but it's you're always supporting the story that's
presented to you. And, and that's the important
thing that I, I, I will say one of my proudest moments was
doing. Two firework shows for the the
much missed Oakwood theme park in Wales and, and seeing those
shows, not having any idea what they would do to the music
because that came first and then they built the built the shows
around that. That was really lovely for me
because I it's purely about the music and the show.
And that was kind of, you know, that was fun that.
Sounds. Really answer your question.
But it, it, it does, it's, it's kind of, you know, it's about
that feeling, isn't it? It's not that.
I think yeah, because there's there's the casual theme park
visitor. I assume I'm making assumptions
here. Go on that make us say I will.
I will assume good. But if you like, you will think
like it's a small world. Really annoying, repetitious.
Music. Right, right, right.
Closer to home, although not particularly modern Toyland
Tours, it's got that yeah, endless loop.
And it gets to the point I think of being really annoying to a
lot of people. Like people come off small
worlds thinking, Oh God, there's a real ear worm there.
I'm going to be bloody whistling the thing all day.
Like, is there a way, Nick, that you can create a memorable tune
without it? Like because it off it has to
loop, doesn't it has to play many, many times an hour.
So is there a way that you you can create something that has to
loop but isn't bloody annoying? Well, I, I, I, I disagree with
people saying it's a small world is annoying because a piece of
music is only catchy if it's repeated.
And obviously you're hearing that because all it's a small
world is is there's a lot more going on in the background than
you think with that. And I think it's fascinating as
a composer, like hearing all the different instruments, doing all
the counter melodies. And then you've got the verse
and the chorus that come together contrapuntally and
it's, it's, it's very, very clever.
What the Sherman Brothers and the team at Disney, I think you
have to create something that's identifiable for an attraction.
So Haunted Mansion is very good for that because it's got a kind
of da, da da da da da da. That's kind of it.
And it's how you use it throughout the attraction that
makes it not sound the same. So you could take that and you
could play it faster. For example, in the in the
ballroom scene, it's played as a waltz on the organ.
So it's the same melody, it's the same harmony, but it's done
in a different time. And I think it, the reason it's
a Small World stands out is because it's all in the same
time signature for the whole attraction.
So it's just the same thing going round and round and round.
That makes sense. So it, it, it, it it's all down
to how you use the the kind of the light motif that you have.
To work with, but that I suppose, like with it's a small
world. Like, I mean, look, this is this
is the beginning of a tangent. I can feel it but but no, I mean
like that's. Like the end of a tangent.
No, because it's what I don't it's AI mean spiritually.
The the, the song, the tune is all about how the people, the
children of the world are all reading from the same hymn
sheet, right? That is, it's kind of we've all
got these things in common, right?
Interesting fact, I believe. I believe that it is.
It holds some sort of record for.
The It's the most translated song in the world, which makes
sense as it's about sort of 20 languages in the attraction.
And I and I think it's it's being played non-stop since like
like 24 hours a day, seven days a week since Tokyo opened It it
like it it holds the record for the the longest.
Oh, so it's always playing somewhere in the world.
OK, yeah, that makes sense. Whole set thing.
So you know, there you. Go.
That's that. I will say, being a theme park
composer, whoever it's, it's the same for musical, for successful
musical theatre writers. You kind of lie asleep knowing
my music is playing somewhere right now and it's being
appreciated or hated by someone and it's it's, it's very nice.
Imagine if you got paid per loop.
Oh yes? Well, sadly, the world.
Yeah, if only. If only.
Obviously we've we've touched on how much of AA theme park fan
you are as well. So theme park fan, the the
musical was your well I don't know what what you would refer
to that as. It was AI.
Don't know either. Yeah, it was a fever dream that
came out during what COVID did you produce that?
Tell us a little bit about the process of Theme Park Fan the
Musical. See, it's Grecia that was.
No, it was. It was great fun.
It it I in 2018, I wrote a comedy song called I'm a theme
park fan and I can't become so long ago.
I can't remember. So I was doing, I was toying
with an idea of a musical and I thought, well, let's make it
about theme park fans and bring everyone together at a time when
we couldn't be together and set it in the location we would all
be at a time when we couldn't be there.
So we kind of timed it so it started at 7:30 and it's set in
Blackpool at a time in February when all the theme Park
Community would be in Blackpool. And it had it was a fun story
about the kind of RMC being announced, a Blackpool Pleasure
Beach and this guy called Jamie wants to be a famous vlog star.
So he tells a lie that gets out of hand.
And it all got rather metal and and silly, but it was, I'm very,
very proud of it. We had Neil Patrick Harris
involved, we had John Wardley was in it, we had I Disney
composed. A friend of mine, Alan Menken,
donated some money for the charity for it.
So we raised over about 2700 lbs in the end, I think we had
Smells, but Smells made for it and merch and the album's on
Spotify and and YouTube and all that kind of stuff.
So it's a kind of, it's a memory of a very strange time.
It was a lovely community effort.
Well, that that sounds like a much more productive kind of
memory of that time than I have, which was buying.
Built a shed. Well, no, I didn't buy a shed.
No, that Andy was Andy was Andy was constructive.
I, I, I would just go to Tesco and buy 20 crates of Budweiser
for 10 lbs and, and, and lots and lots of food.
I, I, you know, that would, that was my, that was my COVID
contribution. We work cope in our own ways it.
Worked all through COVID. Did you?
Yeah, I didn't stop it. At all?
Well, Nick did something actually constructive so for
that. I got to work.
If you guys only listen to one, I'm going to sound fanboy moment
here from 1:00, but if you guys only listen to one song in theme
park, fan the musical, you listen to the Wetherspoon song,
I can't remember. Is it welcome to the bar or
something like that? Nick, everyone's.
Everyone's welcome at the. Bar that is so that that's your
earworm. That is such a good song I it
regularly comes on my playlist. That that got a full page
article in the Wetherspoons magazine.
I wish. They played it in Wetherspoons.
Yeah, well, no, they don't play music in Wetherspoons.
That's why we like it. That even mentions it in the
song. But yeah, it's yeah, I'm very,
very proud of that song. It's a kind of take away moment,
but it it's just ridiculous. So all the club nights are wrong
now rewriting. Oh God, yeah.
Well, theme park found the musical the sequel Make it
Happen. It's been, it's been toyed with.
You said you had Neil Patrick Harris with you.
Is that the fella from Malcolm in the Middle?
No, it's it looks like him. It's actually the fella from How
I Met Your Mother and big, big theme park fan and big, big
musical theatre fan and star. So people think he plays the
oldest, the old oldest son in Malcolm in the Middle.
He does. Look like him.
Yeah, I've got Googling it now. Yeah, he was Count Olaf in the
Netflix. He was Series of Unfortunate
Events. Yeah, and he, he, he goes back
to coast radio because he he's a voice over and outs and frequent
guest on the show. And I've been, I've interviewed
him a couple of times as well. And just the nicest, nicest
person. When I said to my friend Neil
Patrick Harris is going to be in my musical about theme parks,
she went well, of course he is, because it's a kind of crazy
crap that he would do and we're all stuck at home doing nothing.
That was what was nice about it is people had time.
Excellent. Amazing.
So is, is there a piece of music, you think, whether it's
theme parks or not, that that represents your voice as a
composer? Oh.
Go on. My voice?
Well, there's Tomb Blaster, which has my voice in it, but I
don't think that's what you're referring to.
Literally, Yeah. Wait.
Is it in? In what form does it have your
voice? I.
Probably. Have you done the ride?
No. Do you know what?
I haven't? Because, you know, I've.
I I haven't done Tomb Blaster since it became blaster.
What? Yeah, I.
Know when did you last go to Chessington?
A long time ago. Me too, I haven't been for many.
Years so sorry. Great trip.
Yeah. Live podcast.
Yeah. I so there's a the couple of
voices in the ride and I am the voice of the kind of the
villain. This, this very deep voice like
that and Oh my. God, that's incredible.
I that's one I worked on with Bradley Wynne and I was
recording the demos. Yeah.
And I said we have to have to find a real actor to do this.
He said Nope, you're doing it. It's great.
We're using it. It's like, oh, OK, so 2 Blossom
is a huge amount to me. That ride was so it's 5th I
mentioned in Terror 2. It was such a big part of my
childhood. So now that I'm part of it is
just it's just ridiculous and. Honestly, that's amazing my.
Friends and I piss ourselves with laughter every time on it.
Finally, after 5000 years, it's all that.
Kind honestly. Anyway, we need a button to do
that. You've got, you've got that
built into you. You're not your Terminator.
We only had the digital version. Why were you the whole podcast
in that voice? I know.
Honestly, I think I would die. I remember recording the vocals
for the big snake at the end and I was as you could hear him.
When the snake gets killed, he's like coughing his gut.
His knee. Actually coughing my guts up.
I don't know. I think there's the first
Oakwood's fireworks I did was. So this will go back to
something we will talk talk about later.
I believe it was kind of very Disney influenced, very not
classical, but kind of epic. And I had such fun doing that.
It was one of the most proud moments I ever had.
Watching that show for the first time, I shed many tears.
Well, I I don't know, because everything I've I've not too
Simone or horn here, but everything I've done is so
different. It's hard to pin down because
I'm not writing from my own voice.
I'm writing for the voice of the attraction.
That's. Yeah, good point.
So it's it's really hard to answer that question.
Well, we don't do things by halves here, but I think we
would be remiss if we didn't speak about Universal a little
bit. Of course we.
Actually, you, you and I spoke about this already at length
when I appeared on your own podcast, Nick.
So, but let's talk about Epic Universe a little bit.
And with the, with the likes of Universal Studios, there's a,
there's a pretty much a ready made soundtrack with film scores
and the like. But for Epic Universe, there was
a lot of new music produced. So you've been to, to Epic How,
how do you think they've done when it comes to the score and,
and the, the music at the different areas?
Epic Universe. One of the take home things
about Epic for me was the audio everywhere and I'm audio in
Aries is fine and very impressive but it was how I
think every ride had on board audio which is very, very rare
to find and even things like Curse the Werewolf and the
hiccups wind gliders had it and it just elevates the experience
so much. I was really, really impressed
with the audio of the whole park and that's all I have to say
about it. It was just extremely well
executed but as it should be. I think they've learnt so much
over 25 years since IOA opened and of course I've done the
other parks in other areas of the world, but it's kind of, it
was one of the things that really stood out to me was how
strong the music in the park is, whether it's the original stuff
or cool things. Like when the church bells toll
in Dark Universe, you know that's when the Burning Blade is
about to. Yeah, yeah.
Erupt. So gone to your head, if you had
to choose, what would you say is the the best area for for from a
score point of view at Epic University?
So, sorry, can I just get clarification on that question?
Sorry, am I? So we're talking like, OK, so
Nick is he's in Epic, he's got he's he's kind of like zoned
out, eyes closed. Where is Where's the best spot?
Yeah, where's the best spot to just sit and listen, eyes
closed, Just. Absorbing it with your ears.
It's difficult because I'm a fan of two kind of Sonic worlds.
Not Sonic the Hedgehog, but kind of audio fan of it.
It would either be the Parisian streets of the visiting world of
Harry Potter. Because I love old, I love 20s
jazz. Working in a lot of 20s jazz for
a project at the moment or as a horror fan, it has to be Dark
Universe. It's just it's the amount of
music and how every single nook and cranny has something unique
for it. And what I was really impressed
with was I would actually sit in one of the transitioning areas.
So I remember specifically being impressed by I was hearing a
piece of music in Celestial Park and then I walked into Isle of
Burke and it was the same piece of music but it was done in with
the Isle of Burke sound. Wow.
And it's things like that that, that I get it, It's a simple
task to do, but it's the fact they do it.
It's not just a jarring yeah. Yeah.
And it was kind of perfectly synchronized.
So as you went through the portal, it you kind of just be
blended from the Celestial Park instrumental composition to the
Isle of Berk one which which I'm guessing would be kind of a
little bit more folksy. Folky Yeah.
And I remember being impressed by that.
It's been a while since I've been Oh no, I'm going to have to
go back at some point and think about this question.
Right. Oh, it's poor you.
It's, I just remember being impressed everywhere by the
audio. But they're, they're masters at
it. They've been doing it for, you
know, so long now. So music aside, then what is
your? I know we've spoken about this
on your your pod as well, Nick, but what's your overall
impression of Epic Universe as a theme park?
It's a very, very good beginning.
I think they're aware of the fact there's a lot more to do
and the capacity is obviously still not, not at 100%, but what
is there is excellent. It's beautifully themed.
I mean, the whole, I actually got very emotional walking into
the park. And I remember my my girlfriend
Hannah said, are you OK? And I went, yeah, I'm just
overwhelmed, not by this park, but the fact that we're going to
get something better than Epic Universe, I hope.
And that was what really hit me because I've been following the
UK construction for a long time. I the the not the last time I
was at the time before I, I bumped into Mark Woodbury and
had a chat with him and I was like, see you in the UK.
He went, Yep, I hope bye. And now that it's happening, I,
I still can't believe it. I'm sure we'll talk about that
in a bit. But yeah, I loved epic.
I I think the dark universe is a triumph.
The Frankenstein experiment is just a stunning, stunning ride.
Stardust racers is amazing. I've never, I'm not a huge fan
of Hazard Train or Dragon so I'm not hugely knowledgeable of that
land, but what I could see was wonderful.
Very weird moment seeing the stage show though.
Toothless wasn't in it really. So they just they just ran the
whole show without Toothless. Oh, that's kind of hard, right?
Because that is the the, the finale, the.
That's the well it kind of comes.
To the beginning. It's like the thing that blows
your mind. Right yeah it's supposed to come
about halfway through the show. OK, he was there when I I saw
the show, and that's I'm I'm not a an emotional person when it
comes to like show like visibly emotional, outwardly emotional,
but that's the closest I've ever come during toothless flying
over this the audience to sort of like welling up.
Really. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, no, but it's. Because it's very, sometimes
it's, it's a thing like that. You, you and you know it's
coming, right? You know The thing is going to
happen, but there's nothing you can do.
About it? Oh no, just just let it happen.
Well, they they shouldn't. They shouldn't have run the
show. No, I think you're right.
I think you're right. The the the one bit I did blow
in mind because I'd saw no spoilers and the the rides were
amazing and all the Tekken hat, but it was 1 moment in the
Cirque Arcanoe show. I've I've seen a lot of theatre
in my life and this is one of the greatest scene changes I've
ever seen in my life. Yeah.
Without even saying, I'll know what your reference is.
I I will leave it at that, OK, Because that was pure
theatrical. Matter.
I'm looking forward to it. I'm going to be there in a in a
few months time. So I'll yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You won't receive it, don't worry.
I honestly, everyone's just kind of got me so excited about
ethics. We'll have to.
Get you in on the pod live when you're there.
That would be cool. Yeah, let's do it.
We could do that. Call in on the.
Yeah, it may be like 4. 44 I'll be in Japan at that time.
Well, you do it too. Imagine a multi.
Crossover we'd always want. Honestly, it'll be like kind of
like a it's a small world sort of situation really, wouldn't
it? 3 continents.
But without the song. Without we could make it happen.
But if if you had to choose. Nick, are you a coaster fan or a
dark ride fan? A.
Dark ride fan, I get more excited doing a dark ride than a
coaster. If they are blended, that's even
more exciting. So for me, things like I, I, I
stand firmly on the fact that I think Hagrid's magical motorbike
experience, Adventure, whatever it's called, is one of the
greatest family attractions in the world.
Yeah. Absolutely.
And Gringotts is incredible and the Revenge of the Mummy is
still amazing. I think something like Spider
Man for me is a lot more thrilling than the Incredible
Hulk. As in the rides, Not the brands.
But I, yeah, as I'm getting older, it's certainly not a
spinning ride fan. Can't do those anymore.
Though I did enjoy Constellation Carousel because that was very
simple. And.
But yeah, definitely a dark ride fan because it comes to my love
of theatre and that's, you know, you are moving through a theatre
show in a dark ride. And roller coasters are fun, but
I'd rather queue two hours for a dark ride than two hours for a
standard out and back. I think I'm with you.
Yeah, I'm with you there. I'm with you there.
It's amazing how you can tell a story in what, 3 minutes on a
dark ride? You've got a whole, it's a three
act structure that they are telling you in such a short
amount of time. I think that when I chat, I
think my swarm experience certainly made me move away from
Roller. Coasters.
Yeah, Swarm is one of the smoother ones as well.
I know. Yeah.
No, honestly, get you on the Grand National at Blackpool.
Oh. Good God, that's another
routing. It's going to be another route.
My tailbone. Still has not recovered from the
wheel seats of the Grand National.
It's not pleasant. I think the only ride I've been
on where it feels like the train is coming off the tracks as
you're going over those Bunny hills.
Yeah, unpleasant. RMC it RMC the bloody.
Things. Yeah, we've gone full circle.
So we've obviously got, yeah, I mean, just the point of the
podcast, we've got a, a brand spanking new Universal Park
opening right down the road from where the three of us are SAT.
I mean, it's quite a bit further for you, isn't it, Nick?
But I imagine the fact that it's coming to the UK, it's, it's,
it's, it's pushing your buttons. I, I don't know how you guys
feel, but there's when I'm kind of just on the bus or on the
tube or, or doing whatever, I just say what no, we, we don't
get things like this in England. We, we, we don't have parks that
open past 5:00 in the afternoon and we don't have like what we
haven't, we don't deserve it, it feels like.
I I think. It feels almost like buyer's
guilt or something. I.
Feel as though I had that at first.
I've, I've moved away from that now because I see it every time
I drive past it almost every single day.
And I see stuff, the Digatron and I see the fascinator
Flumpers and all this sort. Of stuff.
These are all technical terms by the way, Nick.
I know I'm well aware of them. 3,000,000 Whatever.
It is. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah. So, so yeah, I mean, at first I
was very much like, this is not happening, this is not
happening. And then the SD come and then as
time's gone on, I, I every time I go at, you know, wherever it
may be past it, I, it's like, oh, this is getting boring now
come on, do something it. Was a long time, but nothing.
Wasn't. It oh, there was too long for
nothing. The the question I have for the
historians among you, didn't this happen before in like the
90s or something in Ken? How far, How yeah or how far did
that get? And are we beyond that stage
now? Oh, so that what are we talking?
The London resort down, No. No, we're talking wait.
Oh yeah. Oh, Universal, Universal.
You're right. Marshlands or something like
that. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah. Yeah.
No, you're right. Yeah.
Did they do anything? Because I think, yeah, there was
a thing that because that was pre port Aventura, wasn't it?
It was, yeah. It was this was the early 90s
did. They do anything?
Or was it all just on paper? It was.
Did they own the land? I seem to remember footage of
universal people walking around that piece of land.
Now, I mean, I, I, I just think that the British pessimist in me
is just going through, this can happen, this can happen, but
what can stop it happen? There's kind of, I don't want to
doubt be a Debbie Downer, but it's like, are we, are they
legally contractually obliged now to build this part?
The SDL is illegally binding. Because it's not.
It's just, it's just, it's just planning permission well.
Isn't it? It isn't.
It isn't right. I think there'll be a point of
no return. I don't think they've got to
that yet. I think for this, for the theme
park now not to be built, they will have to change the law
because law, it's the law that the theme park's going to be
built. No and no.
The special development order's not like.
That no, it's just saying no, no, it absolutely no it is man
are. You sure?
Yeah. 100% that's why everything that's in that SDO, everything
that's in it is happening. Yeah, I get that right.
I thought they were simply a, a, much like a blanket coverage
planning permission simply that's all.
I thought that's all. It was just simply saying the
government have been through it. They said, yeah, you can do all
this. You know, if tomorrow something,
if this shit hit the fan tomorrow, there's nothing really
to stop them going, you know, we're not going to do this
anymore. I think it's incredibly
unlikely. I mean, I, I don't think they're
obliged to build it. I I don't think they're obliged
to no, I think you're right. I mean, but then it's it's one
of those things of OK, what would need to happen for it not
to be built now you. Find a dinosaur or something we.
But then even, yeah, we spoke. We spoke about a lot it had.
To be a live dinosaur, I think for them to stop.
No, I don't find it. What was it?
The last episode that we recorded?
It was a new king. Right, it was a found a new
king. They found a king there, but
even that you know that's that's not going to change anything.
The genuinely, I think the only thing that's going to stop this
from happening, and I don't think if there is any risk of it
happening, is somehow universal run out of money.
And we just had their quarterly earnings, didn't we?
And they're they're printing money.
They're not running out of money, so I think we're OK.
It's about a company that with they are it's always makes you
laugh for universal for the wizarding world originally you
can go up to an altar, a bank teller, hand them real money and
they give you fake money back. It's.
A good note. That you can then spend in the
park, but you're not going to spend it because that is Harry
Potter money. You spent $10 on a bit of paper.
They know what they're doing. But the thing with companies
like Universal is if you don't build theme parks, you start
paying taxes. Yeah, it's as simple as that.
Yeah, You know, that's why. That's why companies like
Starbucks pay very little tax, because they're continuously
spending their profit on new branches.
So they're not making profit. You only get taxed on your
profit. Which is why you.
Spend your profit on new buildings.
You don't pay tax. Well, there is that whole part,
isn't there? That was that whole part of the
universal pitch is that I can't remember what the percent was.
It was something like 50 percent, 50% of the revenue or
50% of the profit reinvested would would be immediately
reinvested back into the park. Which is have a 100 year plan.
Without 100, you're absolutely right.
I mean, we, I can't wait to see what this 100 year plan is.
Well, we won't be alive to see it.
I don't. Know man, I'll be a little
floating head in a jar. One of Musk's microchips in our
heads. Let's do it.
So what are you looking forward to, Nick?
About the UK park? What?
What do you when you you're on the bus and you're thinking, oh
crap, we're actually getting this?
What? Where does your mind take you?
The summer's evening, it's sort of 6:00 and we could go to a
theme park that's open. I know.
It's stroll over the road. Well, it might be a bit more
than that, but it's kind of it, it's, I don't know.
I mean, it's, I'm looking forward to world class dark
rides and world class dining and the buzz that you get at City
Walk and a a party you can go to on New Year's Eve and have a big
party and. Then.
Yeah, that'd be great, kind of. But then little questions go in
my head, and this is someone no one has mentioned to my
knowledge. Are we going to get a Loews
Hotel? Oh, who operates the one in
Beijing? Because, I mean, that's the most
recent one that's opened right outside of the US.
Was it going to be Holiday Inn? Premier, what's that really
cheap one called? What?
Travelodge. No, it's even cheaper than that.
I put the one I park my car in there when I go on the cruise in
Southampton. Is there someone that you
referenced in a previous episode?
Some cheap hotel. OK.
Really cheap, sounds lovely. You're selling it.
I'm, I'm looking forward to something shiny and new.
And because it's so rare in this country, we get, we get new
things, but they're always a bit naff.
And naff for the Americans means a bit kind of how would you
describe it? Rough round the edges
effectively. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And I'm looking forward to seeing little things like all
the landscaping they've mentioned and the pathways and
the river ways and the kind of the, the logistics behind
running it. And I don't think, like Mike and
I have spoke about this before, are the, I don't want to say
untravelled Brits, but are the people who haven't been to a
major theme park resort, whether it's Europa Park or Disneyland
Paris or Universal or or Disney in the States, are they prepared
for that way of doing things where it is so well thought out
and so slick and organized and impressive?
Like a theme park day for a lot of British people is we rock up
at 10, we go home at 4:00, we bring a packed lunch because the
food is a bit rubbish and we stand in long, long, long queues
and a bit disappointed at the end of the day.
That is not the experience Universal ever offer.
So that's what I'm looking forward to seeing is kind of the
other way of doing things in this country.
Yeah. Yeah, we're going to get that
little Florida flavour right. Here at home, Sunny Bedford,
Yeah, sunny Bedford. Ibis was the Hotel Ibis.
Oh, yes, Ibis cheap. Yeah, they, they, they there's
one Ibis on the Luton airport, right?
Yeah, yeah. Yeah.
Is it an Ibis or an Ibis budget? Oh, I think it's an Ibis budget.
Actually, I think it's lower than that level.
Oh. My God, how many?
How many sleep in a room with it on a budget?
It's just a hostel, 6 bunk beds. Just a floor.
Yeah. Just yeah, hay bales on the
floor please. Sponsor us Ibis.
Oh God, Can you imagine? I I know we all love the concept
art but I don't think it's something we should be taking
100% not seriously. And not at this stage, but it's
a good idea of to what we might what what is the what's theme
from the the concept art? What what excites you the most
out of what we've potentially seen?
We're going to get. Whatever that mysterious thing
is on the right hand side, and I pray to God it's not.
Shrek, me too. That's what I'm curious to know.
But for me, it's whatever that massive dark ride is at the top,
whether it's Jurassic World or Jurassic Park or whatever new
franchise they're going to pull out.
But it's very difficult for parks to kind of know what's
going to be popular in six years time.
Very. Yeah.
But that said, Universal know what movies they're making in
two or three years time, don't they?
But they don't know which ones are going to, no, they don't
know which ones are going to kind of hit the cultural
zeitgeist like it was frozen. No one was prepared for that
especially. Definitely not like we're not
going to get a a Christopher Nolan's Odyssey land, are we?
Or something like that. But who knows, maybe we will.
But no, I, I, I think it's a great point because, you know,
if you look at look at the two big universal coasters opening
this year and next over in the States, OK, they're, they're
Fast and the Furious, right? Which is, to be honest, that's a
franchise I thought had died, but it it's it's no, but I'm
sure there's actually there's actually a there's probably a
there's probably a quote from the movie that that that would
fit perfectly to that. But family.
Yeah, that family. That's right.
Yeah. But the, it's, it's almost like
it needs to kind of like cut its teeth out there in the world,
real world. The IP has to be out there for
about what like I think Fast and Furious first one came out like
what, 2001 or something like that or something like that.
So that's been out there for 25 years now.
And they're like, right, we'll throw some money at it.
And that like, that's how long it's taken.
It it's an interesting kind of cycle.
So I, I, I the Avatar land at Animal Kingdom is a good example
of this. The first film came out and then
the land came out and no one I, I don't know who sees these
Avatar films because I couldn't name any characters from them,
but yet they've made kajillion dollars.
Yeah, yeah. And then the land comes out, so
everyone gets sort of acquainted with the brand.
It keeps the brand alive. And then all these other movies
are coming out. So then they build more lands
and that's what will support more, more films in the future.
The Harry Potter thing is really interesting because I don't know
if it's sensible to do it on the new HBO series that's coming.
Yeah. Yeah.
Because now you're dealing with families that grew up with these
actors, Daniel Radcliffe and Co, completely disappearing, and
they're going to be forced to get to know another load of
actors. And it puts Universal Creative
in a very difficult position if that's what they have to do to
get this new Harry Potter land without without the production
design that's so iconic for these, you know, what is
Hogwarts class going to look like?
It can only look like one thing, but it's going to be different.
Very true. It would.
Wouldn't it be the first time Universal have done a land
dedicated to ATV show rather than a movie?
Since what? I suppose so, yeah, although
there isn't. Walking, they did a they did a
Walking Dead scare maze, didn't they, in Hollywood?
Oh, that's right. Yeah, there's been a few like
Last of Us as well, Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah, good game, a major but but it's it's a it's a book.
I mean, that's the that's the important thing with Harry
Potter, as was all the original things, that islands adventure.
It's all based on literature, wasn't it?
So I don't know. I, I think it's a, it's a tricky
situation they're in with Harry Potter, but it'd be nice if they
could do it. I, I have a wonderful idea for
Harry Potter, which if they did do it would be ridiculous.
I've discussed this with Mike. It's you can get from Bedford.
Sorry. You can get to Bedford from
King's Cross now. I know in in Orlando they have
the train connecting the 2 lands.
Yes, but what if they had a train connecting King's Cross to
Hogwarts? License to print money that.
Get on the Hogwarts Express platform 9 3/4.
The real platform 9 3/4, Yeah. That was sell out quicker than
especially if it takes you to the Hogwarts that's a hotel.
But just depends. Slight Spanish works, yeah.
Yeah. King's cost doesn't come to
Bedford St. Oh, they're a they're a joy.
They're a joy, yeah. Close enough.
You. Could build a tunnel.
Yeah, well, just just swap the signs out.
Swap the signs out. Yeah, no one would.
Know. OK, Yeah.
But what I love is. It, it, it, it's that kind of
audacious thing that they probably could do.
They won't, but they they you know it's too perfect to pass up
a. 100% yeah, 100% I bet there'll be a lot of I wouldn't
be at all surprised if they theme the the Bedford track, get
some pancreas, really. Yeah, pay for some heavy
advertising, but. Well, I mean, look, actually, to
be fair, yeah. I mean, at the moment it's
covered up. Covered all in what?
Luton Airport Express, right? That's what it is.
It's, it's, it's basically branded up to promote Luton
Airport. Well, I think there's going to
be something else. Pull that down and turn it into
a yeah little Harry Potter style, assuming they do that.
Do we think they do? I mean speak away from Harry
Potter and just talk about the transport.
Would you think they'll do a a non-stop service from London to
the park? I think they would always stop
at Luton airport. That's my personal feeling.
I think they'd always stop at the airport just because I think
they're going to, they're going to go right.
We're going to take everyone from London and then everyone
that's just got off the off the plane before they spend their
money anywhere else. Just get them to the bar.
Get them in there and then stick a big Hoover in their wallet.
Are, are the Americans, as in universal, prepared for how
rubbish our railways are? Because I'm, because I'm
wondering if we're at this park until midnight, there's no
trains, you can get home. That's why I'm not with you guys
tonight. You know it.
There's a whole cultural thing that has to be looked at.
If I'm at Halloween Horror Nights, it ends at 2:00 in the
morning. Will that be for hotel guests
only? Because there's no way I can get
home as I drive. But they don't want people to
drive because they're going to charge them £35 to park in the
car park, which will not go down well with the British guests.
It's kind of a weird. That's why I'm curious to see
this American. With the east West round doesn't
even run at night time does it? It finishes 9:00-ish when?
It at the moment, yeah, I mean it.
Doesn't run at the weekend. It's going to have to, it's
going to, they're going to have to do something about that.
And I look at the end of the day, I mean, yeah, I'm talking
about railways like they're a commercial enterprise, which
they should be, but they don't operate like they are.
But where there's a demand, you should expect them to fulfill
that. So if there's a demand for
trains at midnight or trains at 2:00 in the morning on some
occasions, then you know, like you go up to London on New
Year's or whatever on and you know, you get on the cheap
anytime, you know, you're fine, you're covered.
But I don't know, we'll have to, we'll have to see how that one
shakes out. Because I, I, I do have a
feeling that perhaps because I think, I think the general
feeling is that people in America think that because
we're, I'm going to say we're part of Europe because you know,
we're part of that continental, right.
OK, All right, let's not get into any of that.
Politics. But the, you know, in, in France
and Germany and Italy and Spain, they are fantastic public
transport, right? And I think maybe we're kind of
trading off their, their reputation a little bit there.
I. Mean I I find it fascinating
that we're getting a another runway at Lucian and is that
purely because of this? How long have the deep down I I
really want to know if I could ask in in 20 years time, if I
could ask anyone at Universal when did you actually start this
planning? Because I think it's really
interesting that suddenly we have Hyperia, suddenly we have
the cursor Alton Manor, Suddenly we have the Disney Adventure
World opening in 2031. Yeah, complete.
Suddenly we have new trains coming onto Eurostar in 2031.
So all this kind of, is it all a coincidence or was this all
being part of a bigger plan that we've been blistering unaware
of? That's a lot we've known about
this. Yeah.
It's. Possible, isn't it?
I don't think that they that when we all found out, I don't
think that that was the start of it all.
No, no, no, it's been. Going on a long time.
Yeah, I mean, yeah, I think, I think the the whispers, you
know, at least from the council, where the council have been
speaking to Universal for I think 18 months before it even
kind of broke. Through into the Luton.
They've been pushing for a new runway for a long time, haven't
they? Yeah, I think they have.
I guess it just it's just the right time.
Well, now it's like, well, because I think the, the, The
thing is, Luton have said we want another runway, but the,
the pushback's always been, you can have it when there's a
demand. And now all of a sudden you're
going, oh, we're going to open basically the biggest tourist
trap in Europe about 10 miles up the road.
They're like, OK, fair enough. Yeah, build the runway and it's
been really interesting seeing the British the public reacts to
this on like the generic news sites so the BBC, the some
people like news, the mirror, etcetera.
It's like all are they, you know, why don't they build
houses on the ground so well? Because you wouldn't want to
live there effectively. No offence to to Bedford.
I'm sure it's lovely, but it's not.
It's there's, it's a wasteland, this area, isn't it?
And it. Was a marked for a business
park, wasn't it? Oh, was it?
At one point it fell through, yeah.
I mean, I, I, I spoke, I, I spoke to, to Mike about this
when we did our podcast. But for, for, for Lawrence and
Andy, Like, what's it been like living close to this?
What? What in the past?
Pre universal. No, no, since it has been
announced. Like what's the the kind of the
mood being? What's the feedback being?
The people excited, the people annoyed?
Because the reaction is all, you know, how dare they build this
and blah blah blah blah blah. Yeah, very little.
I mean, there's there's been a bunch of people that have just
done no research at all on Yeah on anything and just run their
mouths. But there are a bunch of people
that have genuine concerns, but negatively, the negative people
are probably 4-5 percent and the positive people are 95%.
Yeah, yeah. I'd agree with that.
Yeah, I would, I would. But it's always, it's always the
5% that have got the biggest gobs always.
I mean, it, it was funny, you know, because we, we were, we
were talking, you know, on a previous, previous episode.
And the, the reality is doesn't matter.
I mean, whenever we all do put out a video, put up some
pictures on Facebook or wherever, we're always going to
get comments that go never going to happen.
Oh yeah, never going to happen. And you're like, you're like,
when? When are you going to stop
saying that? Because it's.
It's but that's the British attitude is we are so used to
disappointment in this. Country, absolutely.
I don't mind them at all. It creates engagement.
I mean, it's great, yeah. I mean, I, I, I, I don't, I
don't resent it at all because every time I see that, I know it
will spawn 10 more comments and which will just make my time
more entertaining. But it is fascinating.
I think generally speaking, people around here are pumped.
I think that's definitely, people are really excited about
it because it, it's, you know, I think just generally in, in the
UK, we're pinching ourselves and we're thinking this is too good
to be true. This is something that is too
good for something like this to come to our country.
Like we we're in the town that this is happening.
Yeah. We can.
There's nothing there's nothing special about.
Bedford is not a dying town like every single other.
Town. Every other town.
Yeah, but we have been blessed with this amazing thing that's
going to create huge economic growth in the town.
So I think most people have got their heads screwed on and they
can see this. According to Keir Starmer, we're
guessing a Disney the World as well.
Is is that right? Yeah.
There was a video of him on a train saying all from Disney
World we're to Bedford or something.
Like that did I saw that clip? Yeah.
I can't remember what he said. I think they were going past
when they're going past Bedford. He got all excited, did he?
Yeah. But but that was that was an
amazing morning, that day in April, and we all woke up and
just, well, what? While I was watching the news,
Yeah. And just going what?
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, I learnt about it
the day before, yeah. Yeah, and we.
And I was a newspaper journalist messaged me and he didn't tell
me directly, but he said I shouldn't say he, I should say
they say they, they said. I think I've blown it already.
You've already blown it mate. They said, I'm not going to
tell, I can't tell you anything, but stay up tonight.
Yeah, because it was a midnight embargo.
It was an embargo. Yeah, that's right.
Stay up to. Oh, sorry.
They said stay up to that. So I stayed up.
So I stayed up till midnight and boom, it all came on.
Just. But of course you could see you.
I could see them. It came way back in time now,
aren't we? I could.
I looked at the tomorrow's newspaper front pages on.
I can't remember. It might have been Sky News or
something like that. And you could see it all about
probably about 1/4 to it started to appear.
Yeah, yes, get in. Yes.
It was, it was, it was such a bizarre time because yeah, that
that day before the, yeah, it was just WhatsApp messages.
Yeah. All of that stuff just pinging
around just like, have you heard this?
Have you heard this? Yeah.
And then it was even like popping off on like, you know,
like tower times, like the forums and all of that.
They were going, oh, I've heard a rumour.
I've heard a rumour. And then, you know, here we go.
Yes, God, is it that feels crazy now it feels.
Such a long time for my that was obviously the best.
And then the, Yeah, the birth of your, your child and the birth
of my son. Yeah.
If I'm ever feeling, if I'm ever feeling down, I just go onto
YouTube and watch that. There's a long Sky News piece
about it and it just cheers me right up I would say.
Oh wow. That, that's good.
Actually, I might. Actually, yeah, I might create a
little little playlist. Yeah.
And it's so interesting to go back and watch kind of all the
videos or from Alicia or theme Park worldwide or anything like
that to all, all you guys just kind of documenting this.
And it's this has never happened before, that a park in this
country from the very beginning is being scrutinized by various
drones in the air and public footpaths and podcasts and
YouTube vlogs and that it's so fascinating seeing it.
We're all documenting this. Yeah, Yeah.
That's great. It is.
We we caught us 3 here. We quite often say how we got
our own angle on it and we don't really step on each other's toes
in, in the things that we do. We've we've we're all lucky
enough to live close by and this thing's brought us together, but
in our own styles. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Whatever the the the three-way equivalent of a yin and Yang
situation is. A young.
I love it. Yeah, right.
So what's the latest in the field?
Sorry to take over this interview, but I just wonder
what's happening of. Course no, you go ahead.
Lots of fence in, lots of scraping of earth.
Topsoilists. Yeah, detectorists.
Yeah. Oh, yeah.
Yeah. No, yeah.
That's the kind of the big robotic machine.
Oh, it's like. Dicks Exterminator a chance to
stick it on. No, no, no, no.
It's like a I saw it on the Prodigy Universal Facebook page.
Oh oh. What's that then?
Yeah, facebook.com/projectuniversal.
Yeah, it was that one. No, it was.
It looks like a kind of a looks like a road sweeper.
Oh, you're talking about Sonic? Sonic.
Sonic, the Penetrator? Yeah, the 5000, I can't
remember. I've called it now.
I know it's the penetrator. It's just the Pennetronic
Hudson, the penetrator. But they, the company that own
it, have called it Sonic, if you read there.
And really, yeah, I did. I put some blurb up on the
Facebook agent and it was there and they've called it Sonic.
Now that's a cone penetration tester.
So it pushes down with great forms into the ground.
Yeah. And it can read what's what's
down there based on how easy it can cut through the ground and
the, and how scratchy it is and all sorts of stuff.
Very, very sensitive. Bit of a bit of kit.
Wow, nice. But yeah, that's what that is.
And that's all remote control as well.
So I don't think they drive it. I think they've got a little
hand control. That's great.
I.
Saw it actually on a on a. You know the lat, you know
what's his name with the burger van?
Oh, I know. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
In the lay by. Yeah, I saw it parked up there
in the lay by the other day. Yeah.
What's the? I forgot the bloody burger man's
name. I know he deserves a shout out.
He does, yeah. If he wants to sponsor the pond.
Then he can have fun with burgers.
Yeah, but he, but it was parked up there the other day, so I
think they may have finished with it.
But yeah, it's it's, it's all sorts of gradually ramping up
and yeah. Dave Snacks.
Dave's Snacks. Dave's.
No, not Sir. Just Dave Snacks.
Dave. What's so Snacks is his surname?
Nobody knows. Hello.
I'm Dave. Dave Snacks.
That's the burger van. He's been there for years.
I wonder, do wonder what's going to happen to him?
Because when they rearrange the roads that Layboy is probably
going to get. Swallowed up, he probably will.
Yeah, maybe he'll be the new man.
Download the Universal app and do mobile ordering.
Yeah. Exactly.
Maybe they'll give him a place in the car park or in city walk.
Proper British brand, every local knows everyone.
I'm so I'm so curious for city walk UK style and I I I hope
they have we talked about this Mike, but I hope they have
blooming voodoo doughnuts and cowfish and that we've said the
sky, the Sky Sports bar has to make an appearance because it's
just too good of a commercial corporate crossover not to
happen. That's true.
Yeah, yeah. Now that that do you know what?
I hadn't even considered that, but yeah, that's, that's got to
happen. It's got to happen.
It's got to. We'll be.
I, I, I know that the, that the
Sky head court, because we have to say Sky is owned by Comcast,
which own Universal. So it is kind of, they do have a
presence in this country, whether we like it or not.
And they, their headquarters are down the road from me in
Wisleworth. Oh, you and I know.
You're around there, are you? Yeah, I mean, I'm in West London
myself, so I I know that they are, they are already creative
officers set up there in this project.
Well, there you go. Because they've got offices at
Bedford Borough of Council, they've got the yeah, I think
they've got a whole floor haven't.
They Yeah, but the. County Hall or somebody sent me
a photograph. I got the same picture.
Yeah, yeah, I got. I didn't want to post it because
it you might identify who sent it.
Yeah. Did you get that as well?
No, no, no, no, you didn't get it.
No, no, I don't have to say it. It was a good when it lines.
It was, it was fantastic. You had so many secret plans.
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, but no, we've we've not.
We've sworn to secrecy, of course.
So anyway, moving on. Is it the concept art like UP?
Is it Downing Street or is it the Bedford Town Hall?
I think that was it, Downing. Street it was, yeah, yeah.
The, the, the concept art thing it was, it was the whole kind of
war table moment, wasn't it? Yeah.
Yeah, this is the thing Park. And this is just Arun's.
Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, I've heard that that I think at Bedford Town Hall,
the concert art is up on the wall.
Is it probably is I'm I need to go?
Well, I did ask I I have requested Tom Wootton come on
the podcast. I got zero response.
And then I requested to one of the counselors, what's her name?
Sorry. Speak among yourself.
Talk among. OK.
Well. Who's the Thusi that's a
counselor as well? The Thusi is a counselor I.
Don't know thusi. I don't know.
There's a enthusiast who's a councillor as well that's been
on. I think it was on the field.
Oh, it was on digital dams. Oh really?
Podcast that we do not speak of because it's a rival podcast.
Yeah, it's a rival now we don't speak of.
That but the field is now we're not you know you.
Can't just be the side of the field.
It's just the side of the road now, Yeah.
Gutter in the Andrea Spice Councillor Andrea Spice, who's I
asked her and I, she's very chatty to me.
Andrea Spice. I remember her from.
Private, but she's a lovely lady and she's chats.
Spice Girls and. I asked her and I got nothing
back from him. So I don't, I don't think Mayor
Tom Wootton really wants to come on, which is a shame because I'd
really love to chat to him because he's he's like a big
jolly. He's amazing happy man, isn't
he? Yeah, yeah, I met him once
before and he's lovely. You do wonder if they're if
that's more of a universal thing now because the point that's
happened, they're probably being like, they have Ndas and stuff
so they're not allowed to say anything anymore.
Yeah, someone said that to me, actually.
I said, oh, you can't talk about it.
I said, oh, no, sorry, no NDA. Is that what I want?
Yeah, sometimes it's true. Sort of song was not slandering.
Anything. Exactly.
Yeah. Universal kill puppies.
Yeah, you're gonna have to retract that one.
But no, you know, the reality is, you know, you can still talk
to us even if you have signed an NDA, as long as you don't breach
your NDA, your NDA will only cover some things.
We're, we're professionals. Doesn't doesn't stop you from
just opening your mouth and saying hello.
We're not going to like hold you down and say tell us.
Tell us what you know. No.
And we can speak in hypotheticals.
We can, you know, we're very flexible.
It's easy. I've signed the Official Secrets
Act and you can still say hello to me.
Let's try it. Have you?
Hello. Hello, Mike.
There you go. Nothing happened.
So there we go. But I couldn't tell you why I
signed it. No, I'm not going to ask either.
I'm not going to put you in that.
Now what you take Exciting, right?
No, I really signed it. It was just a job I was on when
I was before we before we wrap up this.
Podcast I want to I just want to take things back to music a
little bit yes. So go on Nick, being Mr. Mr.
Theme Park Music. You've been there, you've done
that. I would love to know what your
top five pieces of theme park music are, whether you produce
them or not. So so do let us know.
Well, I, I, I can't speak to my own stuff because I, I, I have
no emotional connection to any of it.
But I've done a list of 5:00-ish, some of which are kind
of combined and I'll start with with hex and all the in in in no
particular order. Hex Alton Towers is.
I'm with you on that one. Beautiful attraction with a
very, very good musical score and it does everything
perfectly. That's all I have to say about
that. If you don't know what Hex is,
look it up I think. Everything about that ride is
just they've just nailed it. It's a great piece of stuff,
apart from the way out back to the park where you walk through
the old rundown. Yeah, they could have.
Well, sometimes they could have done something re.
Route it and it's even worse. No scare fest.
When they when they had like the attic up in there.
But is it great? Am I right to say it's Graham
Smart that did hex? No, no, it was a name I can
never remember. And Chris Crispin.
Chris Paul Yeah, I've made this up.
I want to say Crispin Glover, but it so wasn't him.
If I just do hex composer Alton Towers, it was Crispin Merrill.
That's kind of don't know what else is done really, but it's a
wonderful piece of music, real orchestra, real choir, and
really stands up the I, I want to combine 2 tracks together
because they're both by the same composer, they're both in the
same park, and they both happened at the same time.
And it was a composer called Gavin Greenaway who is a British
composer and conductor. He did the wonderful soundtrack
for a firework show at Epcot called Illuminations,
Reflections of Earth. And it's often regarded as one
of the greatest fireworks spectaculars of all time.
And he also did that music for a parade called Tapestry of
Nations, which is a wonderful kind of hypnotic 25 minute piece
of music that's just got such life behind it.
And I never saw the parade, but it's on my running playlist,
which I find hilarious, A, to the fact that I have a playlist
for when I'm running, which is hilarious in the 1st place.
And B, it's just such a nice piece of music to work out to.
And he often gets messages from people saying I'm in the gym to
this piece of music because it's so I don't want to say
monotonous, but it's kind of, it's got that kind of.
Incessant beats behind it driving.
Force. Yeah, Speaking of driving forces
and incessant beats, the there's a park called Europa Park in
Germany, which is one of the best parks in the world.
And there's a ride there called Euromare, which has a very
famous piece of ride music that might be the most German techno
track ever to exist in the world.
And I'll leave it at that. If you don't know what it is.
I'm going to combine the Haunted Mansion soundtrack and the
Phantom Manor soundtrack into one thing from Disney parks and
specifically Disneyland Paris of Phantom Manor because that's
beautiful as well. And just to bring bring things
home a bit, all of Toon Lagoon at Islands of Adventure, because
it's such a it's so rare to get jazz in a park and it's done so
well. And it had lots of composers
coming together to to do different tracks.
And it's just good fun. And it's, it's a kind of thing.
I'll happily listen to the wacky world of Jay Ward and all the
Pluto stuff. And the yeah, that's that's the
ones that sprung into my mind immediately, but I'm sure there
are others. I'm going to, I'm going to
actually have to, to kind of get some of these up, particularly,
you know, some of those, you know, you mentioned that kind of
25 minute epic. I'm going to have to tune in to
that. I'll see if it motivates me
enough to do some physical exercise.
No guarantees, but at least I'll get some enjoyment.
Yeah, it's, it's lovely and and it's a piece of music I know so
well that I can just kind of turn off and not really listen
to it, but it's still there. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, I love that. Great.
Well, Nick, let us know where we can find you.
Yeah, please. I am at Twitter, Nick Hudson.
Sorry, X. So we have to say now on Twitter
at Nick Hudson Music, Nick Hudson music.com.
My podcasts are musical talk. If you're fan of their musicals,
what they have and Nick's ERT on the Season Pass podcast.
Yeah. That's that's where I live
generally virtually. Excellent.
Honestly, Nick, thank you so, so much for for for jumping on.
I've absolutely loved it because it's, it's a, it's a fundamental
part of our experience when we go to these places.
And it has the capacity to make or break an experience.
It does, of course. Yeah.
And to, to kind of hear from you as, as somebody who is, is kind
of, you know, at the sharp end of it.
It's. Yeah, it's, it's, it's
absolutely fascinating. So thanks so much.
Thank you. It's been an absolute joy to
have you, to have you on to. I'm so used to doing.
On. The other absolute joy to I know
how the tables turn. It's been an absolute joy to be
on your show. And I, I look forward to every
Wednesday when they are released because it's, it's nice, it's
nice to hear. A lot of people have, a lot of
people have said the same. Thing.
Yeah, yeah, really. Look forward to that.
Are you AAM listener or APM listener?
Or AM I'm always whether it's me run or walk into jobs or or
something it's we had a big. Discussion, didn't we, about
what time to put it out. And a lot of people were saying,
put your podcast out in the AM to catch, Yeah, to catch
commuters. Commuters.
So that's what we did. 5:00 AM. Yeah, it's.
Totally unheard of on YouTube. We I would never do that.
A lot for my videos. But apparently podcasts were
completely different. Yeah.
No, it's honestly we, we just, we're just having a good time,
yeah. Thinking a few talking about
theme pops, what's not, what's not to like?
What's not like? And it shows.
It's be fascinating to document or hope I can come on again at
some point. You'll be, you'll be welcoming
anytime, Nick. No, honestly.
And you know, if they ever sort the trains out or maybe you
know, you know, in in the summer.
When we're not filming, we do recording Thursdays sometimes.
Yeah, we. Do we do We'll.
Have to do it earlier in the day so the trains aren't buggered.
Yeah, completely. Or, you know, or you could join
us on a field trip. Yeah.
There we go to the field. And not the swarm.
I can't go back. There.
Oh yeah, yeah. Yeah, well, now we can't do the
field. It's the gutter now.
Yeah, yeah. And it's, it's all, it's all
closed off. We can't get in there.
Yeah, it's all. Fenced off now, damn.
Well, thank you very much for joining.
Thank you very much, Nick. It's been a pleasure.
You're welcome anytime, but I have been Mike Universal Studios
Great Britain updates the 1st and best there we go and I have
been joined by. Oh, it's me.
It's Lawrence from Universally Bedford.
Bedford and I, Andy from Project Universal and don't forget to
send us a voice note on O 7440561162.
Lovely. Would you like to say goodbye?
Goodbye, Goodbye everybody. Take care.