By Hans Ebert
@hanseberthk

Music- ‘live’ music- is a key driver of the HKJC’s Happy Wednesday brand and this continues for the upcoming new racing season with a little help from Robbie Williams. To be more precise, the singer’s classic recording of “Let Me Entertain You” becomes the theme song for the new Happy Wednesday music video which will be launched on Monday, August 28.

The track dovetails neatly into making horse racing entertaining and with the word entertainment attracting existing and new audiences to, especially Happy Valley racecourse, and the track at Sha Tin, both recently awarded a Certificate Of Excellence 2017 by the hugely influential TripAdvisor website which attracts over 500,000 visitors.

The Robbie Williams track will be featured in all Happy Wednesday marketing and advertising and plays a major role in launching the HKJC’s new theme: Let us entertain you.

This theme provides the club with the opportunity to not just market the Happy Wednesday brand, but also HKIR week in December, its venues, special Cup days in Sha Tin and to show everything that makes horse racing in Hong Kong, well, entertaining.

For the HKJC, obtaining the Rights to the song and the original recording couldn’t have been easy. Why? From everything we know, there are three music publishers involved which means obtaining three different approvals, plus the management of Robbie Williams has seldom granted permission for any of the artist’s recordings to be used for commercial use.

Away from Robbie Williams, entertainment at the Beer Garden will be provided by Roar featuring Kat Coetzee and the Latino rhythms and showmanship of Carnivale, both of whom will soon have their own new music released.

On top of this, Kat and Jordie and Chris from Carnivale will be Happy Wednesday hosts along with special guests with updates, interviews and by creating their own content.

At Adrenaline, there’s Jennifer Palor, recognised by many as the best vocalist in town, and backed by a group comprising some of the best musicians in Hong Kong who come together only for this gig.

One of the members, singer-guitarist Kel, pictured below, will have his first two recordings out early next month.

There’s a different kind of Adrenaline rush taking place this upcoming racing season.

Let us entertain you? Yes, please.