Larne entertainers conjure up cartoon craic alternative to live gigs

Two Larne performers have come up with an entertaining way of overcoming the lockdown impact on live shows.
Cartoon Bill and Ellen set off in their car.Cartoon Bill and Ellen set off in their car.
Cartoon Bill and Ellen set off in their car.

Bill ‘The Thrill’ Buchanan and singer Ellen McClure have recreated the B-52s hit, ‘Love Shack’, and an animated video to go along with their vocals.

With bars and performance venues closed due to the ongoing pandemic, performers have found themselves with little income and even less to do. While many have turned to live streaming events to remain in the public eye, Bill saw an opportunity to take another route to entertain.

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He explained: “Ellen and I have always joked about the idea of recording a version of the track after performing it together on a few occasions. So, I thought why not seize the down time and do it.”

Singer songwriter Ellen McClure.Singer songwriter Ellen McClure.
Singer songwriter Ellen McClure.

However, restrictions meant the performers could not meet up and record. Instead opting to utilise home equipment to record their vocals separately and collaborate online to bring their project to life.

But where did that leave the music video?

“I’d started toying with animation software at the start of lockdown to keep myself busy, this soon morphed into the short-animated series D.A.D. (Daily & Dire) Jokes. So, when the idea of a music video came up, I thought if we can’t go outside in reality why not create an animated world where we could.”

Despite being forced to stay apart, Ellen joked they are okay with a bit of distance between them.

Entertainer Bill ‘The Thrill’ Buchanan.Entertainer Bill ‘The Thrill’ Buchanan.
Entertainer Bill ‘The Thrill’ Buchanan.
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“He’s intense at the best of times, so being able to record my parts without him cracking jokes and bouncing around was actually quite nice.

“Our running joke throughout recording was I seemed to be doing all the hard work in terms of singing, while he just got to talk his way through it. I think he made up for it on the animation side though, so I’ll let it go this time.”

With vocals recorded, and their animated counterparts at the ready, Bill set about piecing together the final product. The video went live on their Facebook, and social media accounts on Monday night for the entertainment of everyone at home, see:

Bill ‘The Thrill’ Buchanan Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BillTTBuchanan

A big finale in front of their digital audience.A big finale in front of their digital audience.
A big finale in front of their digital audience.
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Ellen McClure Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ellenmccmusic

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