UPDATE: Looks like the show was drastically scaled down in P’ang. According to the Associated Press:
Efforts shifted to trying to stage a rock concert in Pyongyang, and Cooper said possible artists included Eric Clapton or Roger Waters. But he said no corporate sponsor was found willing to pay the high production cost to bring such acts to the North.
It would have been the highest-profile performance in Pyongyang since the New York Philharmonic’s historic concert in February.
In the end, the rally ended up making the short stop in Pyongyang without the cars to watch the North Koreans’ “mass games” propaganda spectacle featuring 100,000 people performing synchronized gymnastics and acrobatics.
After the performance, the group had a banquet at the Koryo Hotel that a guide boasted was “one of the most luxurious hotels in our country.” Toasts were raised to the health of Kim Jong Il, and to Cooper.
Tattooed rally entrants wearing designer T-shirts and jeans mixed alongside North Korea’s vice culture minister clad in a dark suit.
And according to Simon (in the comments):
I was at Arirang the same night as these guys and went to the Koryo Hotel afterwards to see if they were having a party or anything like that – no party, no Hoff and the biggest star I saw was Carlton from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Don’t know who Travis Barker is so he may have been there. All in all I don’t know if they would consider the visit a success as they just flew in, went to the Games (spectacular as ever, a few changes as well this time so better than last years) and then flew out again – no concert, no party (unless it was hidden away or very small scale) but at least Carlton was there, and a guy carrying a skateboard who could conceivably have been a skater.
ORIGINAL POST: I had no idea what the Gumball 3000 was until I read the article below. The story seems so surreal it has to be true.
From the article:
This Saturday, August 9, superstars and super cars converge in San Francisco for the official kick-off of the 10th Anniversary Gumball 3000 Rally. More than 100 of the most amazing cars, driven by film stars, musicians, athletes and billionaires, will take an incredible eight-day journey from San Francisco to Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, North Korea and China. The “Gumballers,” driving by day and reveling at VIP parties by night, will witness the Mass Games celebration in North Korea as part of a “global friendship initiative” as well as attend the Olympic finals in Beijing.
“This year’s rally is our most historic and spectacular to date,” said Maximillion Cooper, Gumball Founder. “Fuelled by adrenaline, amusement and amity, the 2008 route from the West to the East, including the city of Pyongyang, North Korea, will be a real once in a lifetime adventure.”
The Gumball 3000 entrants include David Hasslehoff driving K.I.T.T., the Trans AM “Official Knight Rider,” Travis Barker and more in the world’s hottest cars from Ferrari Enzos to Bugatti Veyrons, low riders and electric cars.
Learn more about the Gumball 3000 here.
Read stories below:
Gumball 3000 10th Anniversary Rally Kicks Off Saturday, August 9 in San Francisco
Market Watch
08/08/08
Partytown Pyongyang? Global tour comes to NKorea
Associated Press
Burt Herman
8/15/2008
It looks as if the rally should be in Pyongyang today. A news article on the official website from May, about planning for Pyongyang and China segments, mentions that the rally would be in Pyongyang for 24 hours and they were trying to find a pop star ‘to perform directly after the Arirang (Mass) Games in the gigantic gold plated 250,000 seater May Day Stadium on Wednesday 13th August’. Eric Clapton was ‘incredibly supportive’ but was committed to a European tour around the same time. Back in February, there was a story that the DPRK government had invited Clapton to perform in Pyongyang.
I was at Arirang the same night as these guys and went to the Koryo Hotel afterwards to see if they were having a party or anything like that – no party, no Hoff and the biggest star I saw was Carlton from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Don’t know who Travis Barker is so he may have been there. All in all I don’t know if they would consider the visit a success as they just flew in, went to the Games (spectacular as ever, a few changes as well this time so better than last years) and then flew out again – no concert, no party (unless it was hidden away or very small scale) but at least Carlton was there, and a guy carrying a skateboard who could conceivably have been a skater.
Alfonso Ribeiro! might have been worthwile to see him sing “Its Not Unusual” by Tom Jones. Thanks for the update!
The Gumball people have put up two videos about their visit to Pyongyang. There are quite a few shots of the Mass Games, but they’re impressionistic in style with ambient music dubbed over and lots of fast-forwarding. You can hear the original music in only one tiny clip of what looks like the finale, with a few seconds of the Song of General Kim Il Sung.
We also get to see the welcoming ceremony at the Koryo hotel, where the Vice-Minister of Culture gives a speech declaring that “the Arirang performance has given renewed energy and enthusiasm to you for running three thousand mile distance with the desire to contribute to the building of a free and peaceful world”. The Gumballers then make their way to the Koryo’s karaoke bar – I suppose that Simon must have missed them. 🙂