title: David Sylvian

text: They christened themselves Japan in 1974, signed a recording contract with Hansa, and became an alternative glam rock outfit in the mould of David Bowie, T. Rex, and the New York Dolls. Over a period of a few years, their music became more sophisticated, drawing initially on the art rock stylings of Roxy Music. Their visual image also evolved and, although they had worn make-up since their creation in the mid-1970s, the band was unintentionally tagged with the New Romantic label in the early 1980s. The band themselves disputed any connection with the New Romantic movement, and Sylvian stated: "I don't like to be associated with them. The attitudes are so very different." Of Japan's fashion sense, Sylvian said: "For them [New Romantics], fancy dress is a costume. But ours is a way of life. We look and dress this way every day." In an October 1981 interview, at the pinnacle of the New Romantic movement in mainstream pop music, Sylvian commented: "There's a period going past at the moment that may make us look as though we're in fashion."


title: David Sylvian

text: Japan released five studio albums between March 1978 and November 1981. In 1980, the band signed with Virgin Records, where Sylvian remained as a recording artist for the next twenty years. The band suffered from personal and creative clashes, particularly between Sylvian and Karn, with tensions springing from Sylvian's relationship with Yuka Fujii, a photographer, artist, and designer, and Karn's former girlfriend. Fujii quickly became an influential figure in Sylvian's life. She was the first person to introduce Sylvian seriously to jazz, which in turn inspired him to follow musical avenues not otherwise open to him. She also encouraged Sylvian to incorporate spiritual discipline into his daily routine. Throughout his solo career, Fujii maintained a large role in the design of artwork for his albums. Japan played their final concerts in December 1982 before dissolving.


title: David Sylvian

text: In 1982, Sylvian released his first solo collaborative effort with Ryuichi Sakamoto, entitled "Bamboo Houses/Bamboo Music". Sakamoto's first contribution to Sylvian's work, though, had been as co-writer of "Taking Islands in Africa" on the Japan album "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" (1980).


title: David Sylvian

text: Sylvian also worked with Sakamoto on the UK Top 20 song "Forbidden Colours" for the 1983 Nagisa Oshima film "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence".


title: David Sylvian

text: Sylvian's debut solo album, "Brilliant Trees", released in June 1984, was a critical and commercial success. The album included contributions from Sakamoto, Kenny Wheeler, Jon Hassell, Holger Czukay, Ronny Drayton, Danny Thompson, and from Sylvian's former bandmembers, brother Steve Jansen and Richard Barbieri. The lead single became the UK Top 20 single "Red Guitar", with a promo video directed by Anton Corbijn.


title: David Sylvian

text: Between 19 June and 30 June 1984 Sylvian's Polaroid exhibition, "Perspectives," was held at Hamiltons Gallery in London. The major exhibition of Sylvian’s work coincided with the release of his book ""Perspectives – Polaroids 82-84"", documenting these pictures. There were also exhibitions in Tokyo and Turin.


title: David Sylvian

text: In 1985, Sylvian released an instrumental EP "Words with the Shaman", in collaboration with Jansen, Hassell, and Czukay. A recording that, when re-released the same year as a compilation album, "", included the addition of "Steel Cathedrals", a piece recorded with Sakamoto, Czukay, Jansen, Wheeler, Robert Fripp and Masami Tsuchiya. "Steel Cathedrals" was the soundtrack to a 20 minute video. The short film was shot in two days of November 1984 in and around the outskirts of Tokyo, Japan. A large part of the music was completed during that same month and recorded over a period of three days. Sylvian later updated the material in London in an attempt to elaborate on the theme started earlier in Japan, and to further improve the quality of the soundtrack. He would identify "Steel Cathedrals" as his first experience with improvisations.


title: David Sylvian

text: Sylvian's demo "Sylvian's Machine" became Propaganda's single "", released in 1985. Singer Claudia Brücken stated that Sylvian helped them with his writing and musical skills on 'p-Machinery', pretty much influencing the final structure and atmosphere of the piece.


title: David Sylvian

text: The next release was the two-record set "Gone to Earth", which featured one record of atmospheric vocal tracks and a second record consisting of ambient instrumentals. The album contained significant contributions from noted guitarists Bill Nelson (formerly of Be-Bop Deluxe) and Robert Fripp (of King Crimson), and a rhythm section comprising Steve Jansen on drums and Ian Maidman of Penguin Cafe Orchestra on bass. Released on 13 September 1986, the album made a worthy 24 on the UK Album chart.


title: David Sylvian

text: Writing new material in early 1987, was followed by recording sessions at Chateau Miraval in South of France, and by May 1987 "Secrets of the Beehive" was completed, finally being released in October 1987.


title: David Sylvian

text: "Secrets of the Beehive" made greater use of acoustic instruments and was musically oriented towards sombre, emotive ballads laced with string arrangements by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Brian Gascoigne. It reached number 37 in the UK charts and remained for only two weeks.


title: David Sylvian

text: The album was followed by his first live outing as a solo artist, in a 80-day world tour called "In Praise of Shamans", March to June 1988. Alongside Sylvian were Jansen, Barbieri, guitars and keyboards from Robbie Aceto, brass and sax from Mark Isham, bass from Ian Maidman and lead guitar from David Torn. There were no songs from Sylvians former band Japan in the setlist.


title: David Sylvian

text: "Beehive was the summation of all the solo material that went before it", Sylvian said. "I knew when I had finished I wouldn't be returning to quite the same waters again. The period following on from..."Beehive" was the hardest of my life. A descent into hell."


title: David Sylvian

text: Following "Secrets of the Beehive", it would be 1999 before he released his next solo offering, as he descended into a prolonged period of clinical depression. The crisis began to gather momentum prior to undertaking a 1988 tour. That took its toll and Sylvian found himself in a frighteningly unstable state, which he would experience in varying degrees of intensity over the next 3 or 4 years. Sylvian was unable to work in isolation, but at the same time felt the need to throw himself into collaborative project after collaborative project in a hope of recognising via his response something of what he was dealing with. At these times, manifestations of the crisis were less apparent.


title: David Sylvian

text: Ultimately he left behind his Christian roots and via explorations of widely varied philosophies ranging from the writings of Gurdjieff to Gnosticism to Zen Buddhism, all of which left its traces in his lyrics and music, he settled on Buddhism as his primary spiritual path.


title: David Sylvian

text: Never one to conform to commercial expectations, Sylvian then collaborated with Holger Czukay. Sylvian was at Can's studio in Cologne 1986 to do a vocal for Czukay's record. But instead they started improvise, and recorded the first piece in three nights. "Plight and Premonition" was finally released in March 1988 while Sylvian was still on tour. "Flux and Mutability" was released the following year, and it also included contributions from Can members Jaki Liebezeit and Michael Karoli. "Flux and Mutability" was less spontaneous in its conception than "Plight and Premonition". For "Flux", Sylvian travelled to Cologne for a two-week creative Christmas break at the end of 1988, so this was planned unlike the unexpected genesis of "Plight".


title: David Sylvian

text: Virgin decided to close out the 1980s with the release of "Weatherbox", an elaborate boxed-set compilation consisting of Sylvian's four previous solo albums and designed by Russell Mills. Concurrent with "Weatherbox," Sylvian released the non-album single "Pop Song."


title: David Sylvian

text: In 1990, Sylvian collaborated with artists Russell Mills and Ian Walton on the elaborate multi-media installation using sculpture, sound, and light titled "". The exhibition was staged in September and October 1990 at the temporary museum 'Space FGO-Soko' on Tokyo Bay, Shinagawa, Tokyo.


title: David Sylvian

text: The members of Japan came together once more, as Rain Tree Crow, after a nine-year hiatus. The majority of the material was written as a result of group improvisations, with no rehearsals. This approach to writing was an integral element to the whole project, and in many ways it was the reason for the collaboration. The Rain Tree Crow project had initially been conceived as a long term album deal, with Sylvian's insistence that the name Japan would not be used in conjunction with its promotion. But the recording went over budget and Virgin refused to put in any more money unless the name Japan could be used. The resulting deadlock was resolved by Sylvian's decision to personally finance the mixing of the album. However, the group was no longer interested in re-forming, and the album was released as a one-off.


title: David Sylvian

text: Sylvian first thought of collaborating with guitarist Robert Fripp in 1986, but, characteristically, it took them a while to manage it. They only began to improvise and write as a duo at the end of 1991.


title: David Sylvian

text: Fripp had encouraged Sylvian to return to the live-stage, a place he admitted he did not find comfortable ('Sylvian didn't like being the centre of attention'). The pair's concerts were, like Sylvian's work in the studio, largely improvised. On the few dates they undertook in Japan and Italy in 1992, they had no idea when they walked out into the lights what might happen, even what time they would finish their night's labour. One evening Sylvian found himself confronted with his past. He felt moved to play an acoustic version of "Ghosts", Japan's biggest hit. It was the first time he'd touched it since 1983. 'It was quite nice because it somehow satisfied the expectation of the audience that I should play something from my songbook'. Sylvian stated. It was the trio work that they did first, only in Europe, Trey Gunn, Robert Fripp and Sylvian, that was the eyeopener. They had some material which was kind of knocked up one week before they went on the road, and so it was very unstable, and just sitting there on stage and just trying to keep a hold of it was fascinating. There were periods in the evening when Sylvian was doing nothing, and he was just absorbed in what Robert Fripp was doing. And Sylvian began to realize that it was a comfortable place to be. He enjoyed the environment. Up until that point it was all about reproducing the songs and presenting them in such-and-such way. But that was different, and it began to interest him, and it opened up his eyes to the pleasures of performing.


title: David Sylvian

text: Fripp and Sylvian then recorded the album "The First Day" between December 1992 and March 1993 at studios in New York and New Orleans and released the album in July 1993. Something of a departure for Sylvian, the album


title: David Sylvian

text: melded Sylvian's philosophical lyrics to funk workouts and aggressive rock stylings very much in the mould of Fripp's King Crimson.


title: David Sylvian

text: To capitalise on the album's success, they went back out on the road on their "The Road to Graceland Tour" which began in Tokyo 14 October 1993. The additional musicians on stage with Sylvian, Fripp and Gunn were Michael Brook and Pat Mastelotto. A live recording, called "," released in 1994, was culled from the final shows of the tour.


title: David Sylvian

text: Sylvian and Fripp's final collaboration was the installation "Redemption – Approaching Silence". The exhibition was held at the P3 Art and Environment centre in Shinjuku, Tokyo, and ran from 30 August to 18 September 1994. The accompanying music was composed by Sylvian, with text written and recited by Fripp.


title: David Sylvian

text: At the end of August 1995, Sylvian undertook a one-man solo tour which he called 'Slow Fire – A Personal Retrospective', with dates in Italy, Germany, Japan, Belgium, The Netherlands, England, Canada and North America. The last show on the tour was played in New York City at The Town Hall 11 November 1995. The show featured songs drawn from throughout Sylvian's career, singing and playing piano and guitar.


title: David Sylvian

text: In 1999, Sylvian released "Dead Bees on a Cake", his first solo album proper since "Secrets of the Beehive" 12 years earlier. Once the album was mixed at Dave Kents Napa Studio, the project was finished, from the beginning to end a process that extended from 1993 to the late summer of 1998, "Dead Bees on a Cake" eventually being released in March 1999.


title: David Sylvian

text: The album gathered together the most eclectic influences of all his recordings, ranging from soul music to jazz fusion to blues to Eastern-inflected spiritual chants, and most of the songs' lyrics reflected the now 41-year-old Sylvian's inner peace resulting from his marriage, family, and beliefs. Guest musicians included long-time friend Ryuichi Sakamoto, classically trained tabla player Talvin Singh, avant-garde guitarist Marc Ribot, jazz trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, and contemporary jazz guitarist Bill Frisell. In 2010, Sylvian said, "Since the early '80s I've been interested in deconstructing the familiar forms of popular song, in retaining the structure but removing the pillars of support. My work continually returns to this question: how much of the framework can you remove while still being able to identify what is, after all, a familiar form?"


title: David Sylvian

text: Following "Dead Bees", Sylvian released two compilation albums on Virgin Records: a two-disc retrospective, "Everything and Nothing" (2000), and an instrumental collection, "Camphor" (2002). Both albums contained previously released material, remixes and several new or previously unreleased tracks which Sylvian finished especially for the projects. Combined, the retrospective releases effectively marked a full stop on Sylvian's association with Virgin, the split coming at the beginning of 2001.


title: David Sylvian

text: Also in 2001 the track ""Linoleum"" was released on Tweaker's album "The Attraction to All Things Uncertain." Sylvian co-wrote and sang on the collaboration.


title: David Sylvian

text: Sakamoto wanted some English lyrics for his project "Zero Landmine", and asked Sylvian to write a simple, tender lyric that could be sung by children. Included on the release were various versions of the song, one being a Sylvian vocal with just the backing of Sakamoto's piano.


title: David Sylvian

text: In September 2001 Sylvian embarked on the 'Everything and Nothing Tour', which kicked off in Osaka on 17 September, and wound its way through Europe until 27 October that year. The tour continued into 2002, revisiting Japan and taking concerts to the US and Canada. Sylvian was accompanied on stage by Jansen, keyboard player Matt Cooper, guitarist Timothy Young and bassist Keith Lowe.


title: David Sylvian

text: After Sylvian left Virgin Records he launched his own independent label, Samadhi Sound. He released the album "Blemish", which included contributions from Christian Fennesz and Derek Bailey. Sylvian used a different approach with this album, starting each day in the studio with a very simple improvisation on guitar. Once recorded, he would listen back and use cues from the improv—the dynamic and so on—to dictate the structure of the piece. He wrote lyrics and melody on the spot, and would follow that up with the vocal recording.


title: David Sylvian

text: Sylvian recorded the EP "World" "Citizen" with Sakamoto, which was released in Japan in October 2003, and in Europe in April 2004. Sylvian also collaborated with Chris Vrenna's Tweaker again, on the track "Pure Genius", which was released on the album "2 a.m. Wakeup Call".


title: David Sylvian

text: In the period 23 September 2003 to 27 April 2004 Sylvian toured in Europe and in Japan, on the "Fire in the Forest Tour" featuring Steve Jansen, with visuals and video images by Masakatsu Takagi.


title: David Sylvian

text: In 2004, Sylvian was commissioned by Madhouse to compose the ending theme for the anime adaptation of Naoki Urasawa's "Monster", titled "For The Love Of Life", alongside Japanese composer Kuniaki Haishima. Sylvian said that he was "attracted to the "Monster material" by the moral dilemma faced by its central character."


title: David Sylvian

text: Simultaneously Sylvian had started a project with Jansen and Berndt Friedman called Nine Horses. They released the album "Snow Borne Sorrow" in October 2005, and mini-album "Money for All" in January 2007.


title: David Sylvian

text: Sylvian took to the road again on 17 September to 30 October 2007 for 'The World Is Everything' tour, which included concerts in Europe, Hong Kong and Japan, featuring Steve Jansen, Keith Lowe, and Takuma Watanabe. A fusion of styles, including jazz and electronica, the tour enabled Sylvian to perform music from the Nine Horses project, as well as various selections from his back catalogue. Jansen also released his solo album "Slope" in 2007, with two tracks co-written by Sylvian: "Ballad of a Dead Man" (a duet with singer Joan Wasser), and "Playground Martyrs".


title: David Sylvian

text: A solo album entitled "Manafon" was released on 14 September 2009 in two editions – a regular CD/digipak edition and a twin boxset deluxe edition with two books that include the CD and a DVD featuring the film 'Amplified Gesture'. "Manafon" featured contributions from leading figures in electroacoustic improvisation, such as saxophonist Evan Parker, multi-instrumentalist Otomo Yoshihide, laptop and guitarist Christian Fennesz, Polwechsel's double bassist Werner Dafeldecker and cellist Michael Moser, sinewaves specialist Sachiko M and AMM alumni guitarist Keith Rowe, percussionist Eddie Prévost and pianist John Tilbury. In 2010, talking about "Manafon", Sylvian said:"What happened with "Manafon" was that the work abandoned me. As I was writing and developing the material, the spirit holding all these disparate elements together just left me. I sat stunned for a moment and then realised: It's over; this is as far as it goes…In a sense, I'd been steadily working my way toward Manafon since I was a young man listening to Stockhausen and dabbling in deconstructing the pop song. Having said that, I don't think we only develop as artists practising in our chosen fields. For me, that meant an exploration of intuitive states via meditation and other related disciplines which, the more I witnessed free-improv players at work, appeared to be crucially important to enable a being there in the moment, a sustained alertness and receptivity."


title: David Sylvian

text: In 2010, Sylvian released "Sleepwalkers", a compilation album of his collaborative works with musicians over the previous 10 years, including songs with Ryuichi Sakamoto, Tweaker, Nine Horses, Steve Jansen, Christian Fennesz and Arve Henriksen. Also included were a few new songs, such as "Sleepwalkers" which was co-written with drummer Martin Brandlmayr of Radian and Polwechsel.


title: David Sylvian

text: In 2011, the double album "Died in the Wool" was released as variations on the 2009 release "Manafon" with the addition of six new pieces, including collaborations with composer Dai Fujikura, producers Jan Bang and Erik Honoré, and a roster of contemporary musicians and improvisers. For the first time, a stereo mix of the audio installation "When We Return You Won't Recognise Us" was available on CD, pairing a group of improvisers – John Butcher, Arve Henriksen, Günter Müller, Toshimaru Nakamura, and Eddie Prévost – with a string sextet directed by Fujikura.


title: David Sylvian

text: Also in 2011, Sylvian acted as the artist in residence at the Punkt Festival in Norway. In addition to curating the events of the festival, Sylvian performed both compositions from the Holger Czukay-collaborated album "Plight & Premonition", backed by John Tilbury, Jan Bang, Phillip Jeck, Eivind Aarset, Erik Honoré, and Arve Henriksen. The positive reception led to the decision to tour throughout Europe in 2012. "The Implausible Beauty" tour was due to feature a line-up of musicians including Jan Bang, guitarist Eivind Aarset, pianist Sebastian Lexer, cellist Hildur Gudnadottir and trumpeter Gunnar Halle, but was cancelled in late January 2012 due to a back injury Sylvian had sustained.


title: David Sylvian

text: In 2013, Sylvian released the single "Do You Know Me Now?", a one-time vinyl pressing released with a re-mastered version of "Where's Your Gravity?" on the B-side.


title: David Sylvian

text: In 2014, Sylvian released "There's a Light That Enters Houses with No Other House in Sight", a long-form composition with contributions from Christian Fennesz and John Tilbury and featuring spoken word by American Pulitzer Prize winning poet Franz Wright of excerpts from Wright's own "Kindertotenwald".


title: David Sylvian

text: In 2015, Sylvian released "Playing The Schoolhouse" with Confront Recordings in two limited editions. The release, a 15-minute long composition, was composed based on improvisations by Sylvian and Jan Bang – with contributions by Otomo Yoshihide and Toshimaru Nakamura – and was recorded in a schoolhouse in Norway. Sylvian collaborated again with Confront Recordings in 2017, with Mark Wastell (who runs Confront Recordings) and Rhodri Davies for the first release of the Confront Core Series, "There Is No Love". The long-form composition was created with previously recorded materials, and features text from Bernard-Marie Koltès's "In the Solitude of Cotton Fields".


title: David Sylvian

text: In July 2021 Grönland Records announced 'ERR', a photographic essay by Sylvian, with text by Shinya Fujiwara and an untitled original poem by Daisy Lafarge.


title: David Sylvian

text: In 1992, while working on the Sakamoto single "Heartbeat", Sylvian met Ingrid Chavez, a singer and actress who had been a member of Prince's inner circle. The same year the couple married and moved to Minneapolis. The couple have two daughters, Ameera-Daya (born 1993) and Isobel (born 1997). The family moved from Minneapolis, to a house outside of Sonoma, California, in 1997. They moved again, setting up a new home and studio in a property in Temple, New Hampshire, but Sylvian and Chavez were divorced in 2003.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: Nonito Gonzales Donaire Jr. (; ; born November 16, 1982) is a Filipino American professional boxer. He has held multiple world championships in four weight classes from flyweight to featherweight, and is the oldest boxer in history to win a bantamweight world title, as well as being the first three-time champion in that weight class. Donaire has also held world championships in three consecutive decades: the 2000s, 2010s and 2020s, being the sixth boxer to do so after Evander Holyfield, Manny Pacquiao, Bernard Hopkins, Érik Morales, and Floyd Mayweather Jr.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: In total, Donaire has held nine world titles by the main four boxing sanctioning bodies. He has also held the IBO flyweight title, the WBA interim super flyweight title, and the "Ring" magazine and lineal super bantamweight titles. As of June 2021, Donaire is ranked as the world's second best active bantamweight by "The Ring", the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, BoxRec, and ESPN.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: Donaire is popularly known as "The Filipino Flash" due to his fast hand speed and punching power, and is a two-time winner of "The Ring"s Knockout of the Year award, in 2007 and 2011. He reached a peak pound for pound ranking of third by "The Ring" in 2011, and was named Fighter of the Year in 2012 by the Boxing Writers Association of America. Donaire is one of a select few Asian boxers to win world titles in at least four weight classes, along with fellow Filipinos Manny Pacquiao and Donnie Nietes.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: Donaire was born in Talibon, Bohol, Philippines, the third of four children to Nonito C. Donaire, Sr. (born 1959, South Cotabato) and Imelda M. Gonzales (born 1950, Talibon). His older brother is former boxer Glenn Donaire, and his cousin is former boxer Richard Donaire.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: Until he was six years of age, Donaire lived in General Santos City, South Cotabato and attended the same school as future eight-division world champion, Manny Pacquiao. Donaire was a child of small stature and was bullied.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: Donaire's father was an amateur boxer who competed in the U.S. in the early 1990s. His paternal grandfather was born in Hawaii, and this gave Donaire American citizenship under the principle of "jus Sanguinis".<ref name="http://ringtv.craveonline.com"> "Q&A: Nonito Donaire." RingTV November 5, 2013. Accessed July 19, 2015.</ref> In 1993, at the age of eleven, Donaire joined his father in Van Nuys, California. They later lived in San Leandro, California. and San Mateo County, California.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: Donaire said that during his childhood he wished for more attention from his parents and, after his brother started boxing, the attention was given to him. This was his reason for entering the sport of boxing at the age of eleven even though he did not enjoy it. His father supported his choice as he felt it would keep Donaire off the streets. During their younger years, Donaire and Glenn would spar. Donaire also watched videos of his hero, Alexis Argüello, and from them he learned to throw a powerful left hook.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: While enrolled at the San Lorenzo High School in San Lorenzo, California, both Nonito and Glenn won several regional and district amateur boxing championships.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: In his first amateur bout, Nonito beat his opponent with straight punches, all the while thinking that "I'm going to kill him before he kills me." However, Donaire had little confidence until he had five professional knockout victories.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: As a young amateur, Donaire won three U.S. national championships: the National Silver Gloves (1998), National Junior Olympics (1999) and the National USA Tournament (2000). He also won the 1999 International Junior Olympics gold medal. Donaire's amateur record was 68 – 8 with 5 technical knockouts (TKOs).


title: Nonito Donaire

text: In 2001, Donaire and his brother became professional boxers. They signed contracts with a promoter, Jackie Kallen. Donaire was paid a monthly salary of $1,500. In 2001, after a controversial decision, Donaire lost his second fight against Rosendo Sanchez. This impassioned him to win his fights which he did until April 2013. After four professional bouts, Donaire and his brother left their contracts with Kallen and returned to Manila and then to San Leandro, where there were fewer distractions.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: On September 9, 2002, in Guam, Donaire won his first regional title, the vacant WBO Asia Pacific flyweight title. He knocked out Kaichon Sor Vorapin in the second round. On January 20, 2006, Donaire won his second regional title, the NABF super flyweight title, by defeating Kahren Harutyunyan via split decision (SD) on . Two judges scored the bout 97–92 for Donaire while the third scored it 95–94 for Harutyunan. On October 7, 2006, Donaire defeated Oscar Andrade, a veteran boxer, by unanimous decision (UD) with the scorecards reading 118–109, 116–112, and 116–112.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: On July 7, 2007, Donaire won the IBF and IBO flyweight titles with a one-punch, fifth-round knockout (KO) of the then undefeated Vic Darchinyan. This victory was awarded "Ring Magazine's" "Knockout of the Year" and "Upset of the Year".


title: Nonito Donaire

text: On July 31, 2007, Donaire met Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Donaire said the experience was, "an overwhelming feeling. It was indescribable. The moment I walked up the stairs and she was up there and when I looked it was a moment when I couldn't even look at her face. It was a great honor." Then, on December 1, 2007, Donaire made the first defense of his IBF and IBO titles against Luis Maldonado of Mexico, winning via technical knockout (TKO) in the eighth round. Donaire said, "I guess my validation was today but I didn't feel my best; I felt sluggish. I didn't have my legs. I don't know what the problem was. I couldn't move well so I tried to rely on my upper body movement."


title: Nonito Donaire

text: In late June 2008, Donaire severed his association with his promoter, Gary Shaw. Donaire had not been offered the number of fights his contract demanded. Shaw also failed to disclose revenue from fights as demanded by the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act. Days after leaving Gary Shaw Productions, Donaire signed a contract with Top Rank Boxing.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: On November 2, 2008, Donaire made the second defense of his titles with a sixth-round (1:31) TKO of Moruti Mthalane. Although Donaire's asthma condition was well managed in general, after his illness in the Mthalane fight, Donaire became estranged from his father who did not acknowledge the medical problem.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: On April 19, 2009, Donaire faced Raul Martinez, for a third defense of his titles at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Philippines. Donaire scored a TKO in the fourth round (2:42). For this match, Donaire was trained by the Peñalosa brothers: Gerry, Dodie Boy and Jonathan. After the match, Donaire was recorded in the Ring Magazine pound for pound rankings in seventh position.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: The International Boxing Federation ordered a rematch between Donaire and the previous challenger, Moruti Mthalane to take place by August 1, 2009. However, Donaire, now wished to move up to the super flyweight division.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: Donaire was to fight Hugo Fidel Cazares on August 15, 2009, but negotiations failed. Rafael Concepción replaced Cazares as Donaire's opponent for the WBA interim super flyweight title Donaire hired a conditioning coach, Mike Bazzel, to assist Dodie Boy and Jonathan Peñalosa in his training at the Undisputed Boxing Gym, San Carlos. Donaire dedicated his fight against Concepcion to the memory of Corazon "Cory" Aquino and requested Everlast, a boxing equipment company, provide a yellow robe with the inscription "I. M. O. (in memory of) former Pres. Cory Aquino." Concepcion failed to weigh in within the super flyweight limit of , meaning the title would only be on the line for Donaire. He captured the title via twelve-round UD. After his win, Donaire was honored in a motorcade in Manila organised by Alfredo Lim, the mayor.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: On February 13, 2010, Donaire fought Manuel Vargas in the first defense of his WBA interim title. The fight took place at the Las Vegas Hilton in Las Vegas, Nevada. Vargas, a late replacement for Gerson Guerrero, had to move up three weight divisions in order to participate. The bout headlined the card titled "Pinoy Power 3." Donaire won the fight with a third-round (1:33) KO.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: After the fight, Donaire planned to move up to the bantamweight division and expressed his wish to fight Vic Darchinyan and Fernando Montiel, but neither bout took place.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: Donaire fought his last bout in the super flyweight division against Hernán Márquez. The fight was on the undercard of the Juan Manuel López and Bernabe Concepcion bout on July 10, 2010, at the Coliseo Jose Miguel Agrelot in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Donaire had challenged Eric Morel who declined. Donaire won the match with a TKO in the eighth round.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: Following his win against Márquez, Donaire stated his intention to compete in the bantamweight division () by challenging unified WBC and WBO champion, Fernando Montiel.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: On December 4, 2010, Donaire challenged the former WBA bantamweight champion, Volodymyr Sydorenko for the vacant WBC Continental Americas bantamweight title. Donaire knocked down Sydorenko three times and became the first man to defeat the boxer. The win against Sydorenko gave Donaire the chance to face Montiel.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: On February 19, 2011, Donaire defeated Montiel in the second round to capture the WBC and WBO bantamweight titles. Donaire took a right to the head from Montiel, then immediately countered with a left to the head that knocked his opponent down. Montiel rose to continue before Donaire rushed over to land a left and a right. The referee, Russell Mora, stopped the fight at 2:25 of the second round. He was given a third place in Ring Magazine's "pound for pound" rankings. Juan Manuel Marquez and Sergio Martínez were ahead of him.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: On February 28, 2011, resolutions moved by Pia Cayetano and Manuel Lapid were passed by the senate of the Philippines that Donaire be congratulated and commended for being an outstanding Filipino boxer and for bringing honor and pride to the country.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: On October 22, 2011, Donaire made his New York debut, beating the previously undefeated two-division world champion, Omar Narváez, via UD at Madison Square Garden in New York.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: In 2012, Donaire fought Wilfredo Vázquez Jr. After twelve rounds, Donaire had scores of 117–110 and 117-110. Surprisingly, the third judge scored 115–112 in favour of Vázquez Jr. Donaire landed sixty percent of his power shots and out-landed Vázquez Jr in rounds one to five and seven to twelve and was awarded the WBO super bantamweight title. In the ninth round, Vázquez Jr. was knocked down for the first time in his professional career. Donaire became the second Filipino (after Manny Pacquiao) to win championships in four weight divisions.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: On July 7, 2012, Donaire fought in a unification bout against IBF super bantamweight champion Jeffrey Mathebula. Donaire's progress of 28–1 with 18 knockouts was matched with Mathebula's of 26–3 with two draws and 14 knockouts. It was possible the two boxers' super bantamweight world titles would be unified. The bout was televised live on "HBO Boxing After Dark" from the Home Depot centre in Carson, California. Donaire defeated Mathebula by UD, knocking him down in round four and breaking his jaw in two places.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: On October 13, 2012, in Carson, California, Donaire fought Toshiaki Nishioka who had been ranked first in his division by "Ring" magazine. Donaire officially relinquished the IBF super bantamweight title hours before the fight by declining to participate in the IBF's mandated weight check. When, by the ninth round, Nishioka had been knocked down twice, his cornerman asked the referee to end the fight, handing Donaire a TKO victory to retain his WBO title and capture the vacant "Ring" magazine super bantamweight title. The purse from this bout and his contract with HBO earned Donaire 800,000 dollars.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: On December 15, 2012, in Houston, Texas, Donaire retained his titles against Jorge Arce with a third-round (2:59) KO. Donaire had already knocked down Arce in the second and third rounds.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: On April 13, 2013, Donaire fought WBA (Super) champion Guillermo Rigondeaux at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Donaire knocked Rigondeaux down once in the tenth round en route to a UD defeat, losing his WBO and "Ring" titles and ending his twelve year winning streak.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: In November 2013, Donaire fought Vic Darchinyan in non-title fight that was a rematch of their 2007 fight. The bout was on the undercard of a Mikey Garcia vs. Román Martínez. Donaire started strong, but Darchinyan mounted a comeback in the middle rounds to take the lead on two of the official scorecards. However, in the ninth round, Donaire was able to drop Darchinyan with a left hook. Although he was able to beat the count, Darchinyan wasn't able to intelligently defend himself, prompting the referee to stop the fight (2:06).


title: Nonito Donaire

text: On May 31, 2014, Donaire fought Simpiwe Vetyeka for the WBA (Super) featherweight title at The Venetian Macao Hotel & Resort's CotaiArena in Macau. Donaire knocked down Vetyeka in the fourth round after landing his signature left hook. The fight was stopped seconds after the bell for the fifth round due to a cut on Donaire's left eye from an accidental head butt. Donaire won the bout via unanimous technical decision (TD).


title: Nonito Donaire

text: On October 18, 2014, Donaire made the first defense of his WBA (Super) title against undefeated WBA (Regular) champion Nicholas Walters. The fight took place in Carson, California, on the undercard of the Gennady Golovkin vs. Marco Antonio Rubio bout. Donaire rocked Walters heavily early on, but other than that had little success and was dropped twice before the referee stopped the fight. It was the first knockout loss of Donaire's career.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: On March 28, 2015, Donaire returned to the super bantamweight division and defeated William Prado in two rounds to secure the vacant NABF super bantamweight title at the Araneta Coliseum in the Philippines. A flurried attack had Prado dazed at the end of the first round. Donaire continued his attack at the beginning of the second round and the fight was stopped. On July 18, 2015, Donaire also defeated Anthony Settoul in two rounds via stoppage at The Venetian Macao in Macau.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: On December 11, 2015, Donaire reclaimed the vacant WBO super bantamweight title, defeating Cesar Juarez by UD. The fight was controlled by Donaire early on, dropping the Mexican brawler twice, but Juarez showed good punch resistance to keep going. Donaire began to slow down due to fatigue and an ankle injury, as Juarez picked up the pressure. The latter rounds were much closer as the fight turned into a slugfest and a 'fight of the year' candidate, it ended with both fighters exhausted and swinging wildly at the final bell. Donaire defended the WBO title successfully against Zsolt Bedak via third-round TKO in Cebu City, Philippines on April 23, 2016.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: Donaire lost to Jessie Magdaleno as the co-main event on Manny Pacquiao vs. Jessie Vargas PPV bout on November 5, 2016. This marked the first time Donaire and Pacquiao, the two biggest boxing stars to come out of the Philippines, have ever shared the same card.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: On March 8, 2017, Top Rank and Donaire agreed to end their partnership after an eight-year run with only about a month remaining in the contract. On July 25, 2017, Donaire signed with Richard Schaefer's Ringstar Sports.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: On September 23, 2017, Donaire returned to featherweight and defeated Ruben Garcia Hernandez via UD to win the vacant WBC Silver featherweight title at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: In December 2017, Donaire came up as a potential opponent for Carl Frampton after the announcement from promoter Frank Warren. Negotiations began on December 19, 2017, between Donaire's promoter, Ringstar Sports, and Warren. On December 21, 2017, the fight was officially announced for April 21, 2018, at the SSE Arena, Belfast, Northern Ireland by Warren via the BoxNation Facebook page.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: Frampton put on a defensive performance and beat Donaire via UD, becoming the WBO interim featherweight champion. All three judges scored the fight 117–111 for Frampton. Frampton fought well to get a strong lead and after round six started to fight on the backfoot. In the later rounds, Donaire had more success, hurting Frampton on a number of occasions, landing a hard left hook in round eleven. Donaire was cut over his right after an accidental clash of heads in round seven, with the referee failing to call a time-out. After the fight, Frampton said on live television, "I didn't have to get involved in a fight there, as you saw in the last round Nonito Donaire is a dangerous motherfucker. I survived the round and stuck to my game plan. The only thing on my mind is Windsor Park and I can't wait to get there." According to CompuBox Stats, Frampton landed 164 of 557 punches thrown (29.4%) and Donaire landed 104 of his 447 thrown (23.3%).


title: Nonito Donaire

text: On May 9, 2018, at a news conference in London, the World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) announced that season two would include the bantamweights.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: The draft gala for the WBSS took place in Moscow on July 20, 2018. Donaire was chosen by top-seeded Ryan Burnett as his opponent in the quarter finals. On September 7, 2018, the WBSS announced a doubleheader would take place at The SSE Hydro in Glasgow on November 3, 2018. The card would see Burnett vs. Donaire as well as the quarter final fight from the super-lightweight tournament which would see Josh Taylor go up against Ryan Martin.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: Burnett looked to have taken the first two rounds as Donaire reset on the third and began to box smarter. During the third round, Burnett received a counter left-hook to the body and felt the after effects. During the fourth round, Burnett reached for his lower back after throwing a combination of punches, an exchange which was counted as a knock down for Donaire. Burnett survived the round but failed to answer the bell for round five. Donaire showed respect to Burnett by going straight to Burnett's corner to give him some words of encouragement instead of celebrating. Donaire captured the WBA (Super) bantamweight title and moved on to the semifinals of the WBSS to face WBO champion Zolani Tete.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: On April 27, 2019, Nonito Donaire faced #5-ranked WBA contender Stephon Young, a last-minute replacement for Tete, who had to withdraw from the bout out due to a shoulder injury. The fight was held at the Cajundome in Lafayette, Louisiana, and the winner was set to face either WBA (Regular) bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue or IBF bantamweight champion Emmanuel Rodríguez.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: Donaire made use of his jab to outbox Young in the succeeding rounds and put a final stamp in the sixth round with a counter-left hook that landed flush on Young's jaw, immediately knocking him out.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: On November 8, 2019, Donaire faced Naoya Inoue for the WBSS final in Japan. Donaire lost his title and the bout by UD. During the second round, Donaire opened a cut above Inoue's right eye after landing a left hook. It was the first time Inoue suffered a cut in his career. In the eleventh round, Donaire was knocked down after absorbing a body shot. The bout was scored 117–109, 116–111, and 114-113 in favor of Inoue. After the fight, Donaire and Inoue showed each other mutual respect, with Inoue lauding Donaire as "a true champion." The fight was later voted the Ring magazine Fight of the Year.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: Donaire was scheduled to face Emmanuel Rodríguez for the WBC bantamweight title on December 19, 2020, at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Montville, Connecticut. On December 10 it was reported that Donaire tested positive for COVID-19, forcing him to withdraw from the bout. He was originally scheduled to face Nordine Oubaali, who was replaced by Rodríguez after Oubaali also tested positive for COVID-19. Reymart Gaballo, who was also scheduled to fight on the same day against Jose Velasquez of Chile, substituted for Donaire and will fight Rodríguez for the WBC interim title.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: On May 29, 2021, Donaire faced Nordine Oubaali for the WBC bantamweight title at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. Donaire scored a knockdown twice in the third round before finishing the bout in the fourth round with a hook-straight-uppercut combination. The referee waived off the count awarding Donaire with the win and making him the oldest fighter to win a world championship in the bantamweight division at the age of 38.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: On June 19, 2021, it was announced that Donaire would replace Guillermo Rigondeaux to face WBO bantamweight champion John Riel Casimero on August 14 in a unification bout. However, on June 30, Donaire announced that he would be pulling out of the fight, citing concerns over VADA testing.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: After a successful first title defense in which he knocked out Reymart Gaballo, Donaire lost his WBC bantamweight title by knockout in the second round of a unification bout with WBA and IBF bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue in a rematch on June 7, 2022. The bout was held at the Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and was broadcast on ESPN+. He was knocked out in the second round, after being knocked down twice.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: On August 8, 2008, Donaire married Rachel Marcial, a Filipino-American USA national collegiate and military Taekwondo champion in a private ceremony at Carmel, California followed by a church service in the Philippines on November 11, 2011. They have two sons named Jarel Michael and Jarel Logan.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: Donaire's wife is a member of his team and her father is his chief of security. On July 4, 2013, Donaire's pregnant wife was injured while saving a drowning child. She recovered and her then-unborn second child, Logan, was unharmed.


title: Nonito Donaire

text: Donaire has appeared on television as a guest and has appeared on "" in third-season episodes on GMA. Donaire is also featured in the video games Fight Night Round 4 and Fight Night Champion.


title: Angel of the North

text: The Angel of the North is a contemporary sculpture by Antony Gormley, located in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England. Completed in 1998, it is believed to be the largest sculpture of an angel in the world and is viewed by an estimated 33 million people every year due to its proximity to the A1 and A167 roads and the East Coast Main Line. The design of the Angel, like many of Gormley's works, is based on Gormley's own body. The COR-TEN weathering steel material gives the sculpture its distinctive rusty, oxidised colour. It stands tall with a wingspan of which is larger than a Boeing 757 aircraft. The vertical ribs on the body and wings of the Angel act as an external skeleton which direct oncoming wind to the sculpture's foundations, allowing it to withstand wind speeds of over .


title: Angel of the North

text: The sculpture was commissioned and delivered by Gateshead Council who approached Gormley to be the sculptor. Although initially reluctant, Gormley agreed to undertake the project after visiting and being inspired by the Angel's proposed site – a former colliery overlooking the varied topography of the Tyne and Wear Lowlands National Character Area.


title: Angel of the North

text: Hartlepool Steel Fabrications were responsible for the manufacture and assembly of the 208-tonne sculpture. On 14 February 1998, the Angel was transported overnight to the installation site, and the sculpture was erected the next morning. The "Angel of the North" faced opposition during its design and construction phases, but is now widely recognised as an iconic example of public art and as a symbol of Gateshead and the wider North East region.


title: Angel of the North

text: Prior to the construction of the "Angel of the North", the most significant landmarks which signalled travellers' arrival into Tyneside, when travelling from the south, were the bridges that crossed the River Tyne. In 1990, Gateshead Council first conceived of a sculpture to act as a new landmark for the southern approach into Gateshead and Tyneside, standing near the A1 and A167 road interchange. Mike White, the Assistant Director Arts at Gateshead Council from 1989 to 2000, stated that the intention was for the "Angel of the North" to act as a "millennial image that would be a marker and guardian for our town". The process to commission and deliver a sculpture was led by Gateshead Council's Art in Public Places panel, the Libraries & Arts and Planning & Engineering Departments, and Northern Arts – a regional subdivision of the Arts Council of Great Britain which existed from 1990 to 2002. The Council applied for £45,000 of funding from Northern Arts for the selection of an artist and the delivery of an initial design. Although this was the largest public art project the Council had planned to date, Gateshead had already undergone multiple regeneration projects. In the 1980s the construction of Gateshead International Stadium and the MetroCentre signalled a step forward in urban regeneration, and in 1990 the Gateshead National Garden Festival and Riverside Sculpture Park marked the borough's emerging arts policy. The 1990s also saw the conception of other regional transformation projects including the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and Gateshead Millennium Bridge.


title: Angel of the North

text: The Council's Art in Public Places Panel met three times to decide upon a shortlist of artists to build the new sculpture. They were inspired by Antony Gormley's series of structures called "The Case for an Angel" which he began creating in 1989. After two years of looking for a suitable candidate, Gormley was ultimately selected. After originally claiming that he did not "do roundabout art", Gormley was inspired after visiting the proposed site of the sculpture, comparing it to a "megalithic burial chamber".


title: Angel of the North

text: Planning permission for the sculpture was secured in 1995 and Gateshead Council acquired funding of £800,000. £584,000 came from the Arts Council England, £150,000 from the European Regional Development Fund, £45,000 from Northern Arts, plus private sponsorship. Momentum for the sculpture continued into 1996, when a 1:20 maquette of the Angel went on display in Shipley Gallery, and Northern Arts won the Festival for UK Visual Arts Year. A two-year series of educational events were conducted with 30 schools and 1,400 children in the area who built their own small-scale versions of the Angel which later went on display in venues around Gateshead and in Sunderland.


title: Angel of the North

text: The Angel, like much of Gormley's other work, is based on a cast of his own body. The steel sculpture is 208 tonnes, tall, with wings measuring across. Its sheer size and dominance over the surrounding landscape allows for an artistic impact on a large audience. Its wingspan is often compared to that of a Boeing 757 jet, which is actually smaller. The wings are high at the point where they join the body. It is defined by a rusty, oxidised colour which comes from the COR-TEN weathering steel material which, despite being distinctive, does not contrast harshly with the nearby environment. Inspired by this colour, Gormley had originally intended to call the sculpture "The Iron Angel of the North". The wings are angled 3.5 degrees forward to create, according to Gormley, "a sense of embrace". They are regular and symmetrical in shape, which contrast with the asymmetrical body.


title: Angel of the North

text: The Angel, which weighs 208tonnes, stands on top of a base, which itself rests on a concrete slab thick covering .


title: Angel of the North

text: Due to its exposed location, Gateshead Council's engineering director sought advice from Ove Arup & Partners on how the sculpture could be built to withstand winds of over . Although sculptures are often made out of bronze, Arup determined that the material would not be strong enough for a structure the size of the Angel, and weathering steel was used instead. The sculpture, in contrast to other sculptures including the Statue of Liberty, has no internal skeleton to aid with wind resistance or overall stability. Instead, vertical parallel "ribs" run from the head to the feet of the sculpture which function as an external skeleton, breaking up the strength of oncoming wind and focussing it down to the foundations.


title: Angel of the North

text: Although the "Angel of the North" is a static sculpture, it is intended to be viewed from many angles and by travellers who pass by at speed – an average of by road. The "Angel of the North" was designed to have a life of more than 100 years. It has been claimed that it is Britain's largest sculpture, but other sculptures – including Anish Kapoor's ArcelorMittal "Orbit" – also claim the title.


title: Angel of the North

text: The sculpture stands on a hill at Low Eighton in Lamesley Parish, overlooking the A1 and A167 roads and the East Coast Main Line rail route. It lies within the Tyne and Wear Lowlands National Character Area which contains both urban areas and large stretches of fields. The area is also characterised by variations in topography. The Angel sits on top of one of the more elevated positions of the landscape located near Team Valley, allowing the sculpture to be seen from miles around. In the design brief for the Angel, the designated location was described as "commanding views... from distances of up to 4 kilometres arcing through 100 degrees" with landmarks including Durham Cathedral visible. The Angel was built on land which previously contained the pit head baths of the former Team Colliery, which was in use from the 1720s until the 1960s. The remains of the colliery were removed and earth was piled up into a knoll which the Angel now stands on. Gormley commented on this historic connection, saying "When you think of the mining that was done underneath the site, there is a poetic resonance. Men worked beneath the surface in the dark. Now, in the light, there is a celebration of this industry." The sculpture faces south, facing the traffic travelling north into Gateshead and towards Tyneside. Historically, the nearby valley allowed for a convenient passage into Tyne and Wear from the south. Over time, this evolved into more established modern travel routes. Due to its proximity to the main road and rail line, it is estimated that 33 million people see the Angel every year, including those in the roughly 90,000 vehicles which pass each day. The statue can also been seen from nearby housing estates and commercial areas.


title: Angel of the North

text: The statue can be accessed by road via the A167 and a nearby car and coach park allows people to stop and view the sculpture up close. It also be reached on foot by a number of footpaths. Accessibility, including sitting on and touching the sculpture, is encouraged. It is flanked on the east and west sides by woodland, which has become more prevalent during the life of the Angel. Since 1998, the appearance of the sculpture has become less open and more secluded due to the growth of trees. The trees were planted intentionally along section of the A1 as part of the former Great North Forest initiative and the original brief for the Angel stated that the sculpture would eventually be characterised by a woodland context. When travelling north by road, the first views of the Angel are partially hidden by trees. Train passengers on the East Coast Main Line, located around to the west, are able to see the statue as they travel past.


title: Angel of the North

text: Work began on the project in 1994. Following a competitive tendering process, Hartlepool Steel Fabrications Ltd was chosen to fabricate the Angel. The construction took place in a shed bearing the name 'Hartlepool Erections Group', which Gormley visited most weeks during production. The sculpture was constructed in three parts: the body weighing and two wings each weighing . Foundations containing of concrete form the base of the statue, anchoring it to the rock below. Additionally, the old mine workings under the statue had 100tonnes of grout pumped into them to stabilise the site.


title: Angel of the North

text: Gormley made a number of smaller models of the Angel to refine its design. The last smaller model needed to be perfectly scaled-up to inform the shape of the final full-size sculpture. Newcastle University was commissioned to use a 3D modelling technique called stereophotography, whereby the model was scanned and a computer-generated replica created. The details of the replica were then fed into a cutting machine to create the plates for Hartlepool Steel Fabrications.


title: Angel of the North

text: On 14 February 1998, the components were transported in convoy, the body on a 48-wheel trailer, from their construction site in Hartlepool to the installation site away. The journey, undertaken at night, took five hours and attracted large crowds. The next morning, 15 February, the Angel was lowered into position. The first wing was attached to the body at around 11am and the second at 4pm. The spectacle of the installation attracted crowds of thousands and over 20 television crews. A plaque beside the angel contains a quotation from Gormley: "The hill top site is important and has the feeling of being a megalithic mound. When you think of the mining that was done underneath the site, there is a poetic resonance. Men worked beneath the surface in the dark... It is important to me that the Angel is rooted in the ground—the complete antithesis of what an angel is, floating about in the ether. It has an air of mystery. You make things because they cannot be said."


title: Angel of the North

text: The North of England Civic Trust's study on the significance of the "Angel of the North" claims that the sculpture may be "the most prominent piece of post-World War II public art in the UK", and "arguably the best known and most easily recognisable public artwork in the UK". It has also been described as the first significant example of gigantism in British sculpture. The "Angel of the North" differs from some other post-War art in that, being figurative, it clearly represents the human body rather than abstract forms. This human-like representation, combined with the fact that the Angel does not commemorate any one person or people, has meant that viewers have more easily and freely attached their own meaning to the sculpture. Such symbolisms have included optimism associated with the millennium, a historical connection with the miners who worked under the land on which the Angel stands, and personal or religious experiences.


title: Angel of the North

text: Like many of Antony Gormley's sculptures, the Angel provokes questions about the relationship between art, politics, the environment, and society. Gormley has commented on the choice of depicting an angel for the sculpture, suggesting that the image was multi-functional; as a reminder of the industrial history of the site, beneath which was a disused quarry where miners had worked for centuries; as a reference to the future, symbolising the transition from the industrial to the information age; and as a focus for human hopes and fears. The Angel as conceived of by Gormley is therefore a symbol of hope rather than one of religion. Gormley also stated "People are always asking, why an angel? The only response I can give is that no-one has ever seen one and we need to keep imagining them." In comparing the modernity of the sculpture to historic concepts of angels, Gail-Nina Anderson remarked that the "Angel of the North" "is also an angel for the 1990s, a high-tech tribute to modern engineering in a period busy with amusing itself with fairies and angels, spirit-guides and reincarnations."


title: Angel of the North

text: Plans for the sculpture encountered significant opposition. Gormley has subsequently acknowledged being "snooty" towards the project; when originally approached by Gateshead Council, he scorned the opportunity, saying that he "did not make motorway art". Local newspapers ran campaigns against the proposed sculpture, in which local politicians joined. Some critics compared the Angel to fascist or communist monumentalism, including The "Gateshead Post" who went as far as to draw comparisons between the Angel and a 1930s Nazi statue. Concerns were raised about the potential for traffic accidents resulting from the statue's proximity to the A1 dual carriageway and that it would interfere with television and radio reception.


title: Angel of the North

text: Since its construction, the sculpture has continued to generate comment, and has been the focus of a number of publicity stunts. In 2011 Gateshead Council refused Tourism Ireland permission to illuminate the Angel for Saint Patrick's Day. In 2014, supermarket chain Morrisons was compelled to apologise after projecting an advertisement onto the Angel, which Gormley himself called "shocking and stupid". In 2021, concerns that the sculpture's setting would be detrimentally affected by a road-widening project, led The Twentieth Century Society to seek listed building status for the structure. The Society's application was turned down by Historic England, the body with responsibility for the National Heritage List for England, which stated that threats to a structure's setting did not form part of its criteria for listing.


title: Angel of the North

text: Over twenty years after its completion, the Angel is now considered to be a landmark for the North East. It was an important part of the area's regeneration around the time of the millennium. The Angel has been listed as an "Icon of England", and has been described as "one of the most talked about and recognisable pieces of public art ever produced." A display board next to the Angel claims that it has inspired the community, brought pride and belief to the people of Gateshead, and brings daily national and international attention to the region. A study conducted by Maeve Blackman of Durham University suggested that the Angel had improved the wellbeing and pride of Gateshead residents. Martin Roberts, in his 2021 revised edition of "County Durham" for the Buildings of England series, writes; “Of all Gateshead Council’s great projects, the Angel perhaps posed the greatest risk, yet delivered the greatest reward. Its erection captured the public imagination, its design won critical praise, and it gave both the town and the region a new symbol.”


title: Angel of the North

text: Several maquettes were produced during the development stage of the project which are now considered valuable items. A scale model from which the sculpture was created was sold at auction for £2.28 million in July 2008. An additional bronze maquette used in fundraising in the 1990s, owned by Gateshead Council, was valued at £1 million on the BBC show "Antiques Roadshow" broadcast on 16 November 2008 — the most valuable item ever appraised on the programme.


title: Angel of the North

text: In 2011, a maquette was sold at Christie's in London for £3.4 million to an anonymous bidder. Another maquette was donated to the National Gallery of Australia in 2009, and stands in its Sculpture Garden.


title: President of the Republic of China

text: The president of the Republic of China, now often referred to as the president of Taiwan, is the head of state of the Republic of China (ROC), as well as the commander-in-chief of the Republic of China Armed Forces. The position once had authority of ruling over Mainland China, but its remaining jurisdictions has been limited to Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other smaller islands since the conclusion of Second Chinese Civil War.


title: President of the Republic of China

text: Originally elected by the National Assembly, the presidency was intended to be a ceremonial office with no real executive power as the ROC was originally envisioned as a parliamentary republic. Since the 1996 presidential election, the president is directly elected by plurality voting to a four-year term, with incumbents limited to serving two terms. The incumbent, Tsai Ing-wen, succeeded Ma Ying-jeou on May 20, 2016, to become the first female president in the history of Taiwan.


title: President of the Republic of China

text: The president is currently elected by a plurality voting direct election of the areas administered by the Republic of China for a term of four years. Before 1991, the president was selected by the National Assembly of the Republic of China for a term of six years.


title: President of the Republic of China

text: The Constitution of the Republic of China names the president as head of state and commander-in-chief of the Republic of China Armed Forces (formerly known as the National Revolutionary Army). The president is responsible for conducting foreign relations, such as concluding treaties, declaring war, and making peace. The president must promulgate all laws and has no right to veto, but can approve or not the veto proposed by the Executive Yuan (Cabinet). Other powers of the president include granting amnesty, pardon or clemency, declaring martial law, and conferring honors and decorations.


title: President of the Republic of China

text: The president may, by resolution of the Executive Yuan Council, issue emergency decrees and take all necessary measures to avert imminent danger affecting the security of the state or of the people or to cope with any serious financial or economic crisis. However, such decrees shall, within ten days of issuance, be presented to the Legislative Yuan for ratification. Should the Legislative Yuan withhold ratification, the said emergency decrees shall forthwith cease to be valid.


title: President of the Republic of China

text: The president may, within ten days following passage by the Legislative Yuan of a no-confidence vote against the premier, declare the dissolution of the Legislative Yuan after consulting with its president. However, the president shall not dissolve the Legislative Yuan while martial law or an emergency decree is in effect. Following the dissolution of the Legislative Yuan, an election for legislators shall be held within 60 days.


title: President of the Republic of China

text: The president can appoint senior advisors (), national policy advisors () and strategy advisors (), but they do not form a council.


title: President of the Republic of China

text: The Constitution does not clearly define whether the president is more powerful than the premier, as it names the Executive Yuan (headed by the premier) as the "highest administrative authority" with oversight over domestic matters while giving the president powers as commander-in-chief of the military and authority over foreign affairs. Prior to his election as president in 1948, Chiang Kai-shek had insisted that he be premier under the new Constitution, while allowing the president (to which Chiang nominated Hu Shih) be a mere figurehead. However, the National Assembly overwhelmingly supported Chiang as president and once in this position, Chiang continued to exercise vast prerogatives as leader and the premiership served to execute policy, not make it. Thus, until the 1980s power in the Republic of China was personalized rather than institutionalized which meant that the power of the president depended largely on who occupied the office. For example, during the tenure of Yen Chia-kan, the office was largely ceremonial with real power in the hands of Premier Chiang Ching-Kuo, and power switched back to the presidency when Chiang became president. After President Lee Teng-hui succeeded Chiang as president in 1988, the power struggle within the KMT extended to the constitutional debate over the relationship between the president and the premier. The first three premiers under Lee, Yu Kuo-hwa, Lee Huan, and Hau Pei-tsun were mainlanders who had initially opposed Lee's ascension to power. The appointment of Lee and Hau were compromises by President Lee to placate conservatives in the KMT. The subsequent appointment of the first native Taiwanese premier Lien Chan was taken as a sign of Lee's consolidation of power. Moreover, during this time, the power of the premier to approve the president's appointments and the power of the Legislative Yuan to confirm the president's choice of premier was removed establishing the president as the more powerful position of the two.


title: President of the Republic of China

text: After the 2000 election of Chen Shui-bian as president, the presidency and the Legislative Yuan were controlled by different parties which brought forth a number of latent constitutional issues such as the role of the legislature in appointing and dismissing a premier, the right of the president to call a special session of the legislature, and who has the power to call a referendum. Most of these issues have been resolved through inter-party negotiations.


title: President of the Republic of China

text: The Constitution of the Republic of China gives a short list of persons who will succeed to the presidency if the office were to fall vacant. According to the Additional Articles of the Constitution, Article 2:


title: President of the Republic of China

text: As no president of the Executive Yuan (also known as the premier) has ever succeeded to the presidency under these provisions (or their predecessors, under Article 49), it is untested whether, should the office of the premier be vacant as well, whether, pursuant to the Additional Articles, Article 3, the vice president of the Executive Yuan (vice premier), who would be acting premier, would act as president. There is currently no constitutional provision for a succession list beyond the possibility that the vice president of the Executive Yuan might succeed to the presidency.


title: President of the Republic of China

text: Assuming that the vice president of the Executive Yuan would be third in line for the presidency, the current line of succession is:


title: President of the Republic of China

text: The diplomatic protocol regarding the President of the ROC is rather complex because of the political status of Taiwan. In the nations that have diplomatic relations with the ROC, she is accorded the standard treatment that is given to a head of state. In other nations, she is formally a private citizen, although even in these cases, travel usually meets with strong objections from the People's Republic of China.


title: President of the Republic of China

text: The president of ROC has traveled several times to the United States, formally in transit to and from Central America, where a number of countries do recognize the ROC. This system allows the president to visit the United States without the US State Department having to issue a visa. During these trips, the president is not formally treated as a head of state, does not meet US government officials in their official capacities and does not visit Washington, D.C. However, in these visits, the ROC president invariably meets with staff members from the US government, although these visits are with lower-ranking officials in non-governmental surroundings.


title: President of the Republic of China

text: In the area of Southeast Asia, the ROC president was able to arrange visits in the early 1990s which were formally private tourist visits, however these have become increasingly infrequent as a result of PRC pressure.


title: President of the Republic of China

text: At the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' summit, the ROC president is forbidden from attending personally and must send a special envoy to represent him or her at the event.


title: President of the Republic of China

text: However, on 2 December 2016, US President-elect Donald Trump accepted a congratulatory telephone call from the ROC president, a clear break from prior protocol.


title: President of the Republic of China

text: The Government of the People's Republic of China uses the terms Leader of the Taiwan Area, Leader of the Taiwan Region () and Leader of the Taiwanese Authorities () to describe the head of state of the Republic of China (ROC) in Taiwan. These terms are used by PRC media to reflect the PRC's official stance of not recognizing the legitimacy of the ROC.


title: President of the Republic of China

text: The PRC media does not use the terms ""President of Taiwan"" nor ""President of the Republic of China"", which could be inferred as implying recognition of Taiwan as a country, or of Two Chinas. Hence, the term ""Leader of the Taiwan Area"" is used- with "Area" to show that Taiwan is not a country; while "Leader" does not equal "President". According to criteria set by the authorities in Beijing, media in mainland China generally are not allowed to use terms related to the Republic of China to describe the Taiwan authorities. But if the official title cannot be avoided in a news article, quotation marks would be used around terms for all official ROC positions and organizations, e.g. "President of the Republic of China"; "Presidential Office Building" to imply non-recognition. For other countries without official diplomatic ties, terms such as Taiwan's president have been used.


title: President of the Republic of China

text: The secretary-general to the president is the highest-ranking official in the Office of the President and supervises the staff of the office. The current secretary-general is David Lee.


title: President of the Republic of China

text: Taiwan was previously led by the Emperor of Japan during colonial rule by Japan from 1895 to 1945, represented by the Governor-General of Taiwan.


title: President of the Republic of China

text: After the outbreak of the Wuchang Uprising against Qing rule in 1911, the revolutionaries elected Sun Yat-sen as the "provisional president" () of the transitional government, with the Republic of China officially established on 1 January 1912. But Sun soon resigned from the provisional presidency in favor of Yuan Shikai, who assumed the title "Great President" () in March 1912. Yuan induced the Last Emperor to abdicate, ending thousands of years of imperial rule in China. The 1913 Constitution called for a strong presidential system with notable checks on the president by the National Assembly. However, Yuan soon began to assert dictatorial power, ignoring the National Assembly and later abolishing it altogether. In 1915, Yuan proclaimed himself Emperor of China in a largely unpopular move and was forced to retract his declaration shortly before his death in 1916.


title: President of the Republic of China

text: With Yuan Shikai's death the Warlord Era began. Vice President Li Yuanhong succeeded Yuan as president and attempted to reassert the constitutional government, but was soon forced to resign by military strongmen. The presidency, though leading an internationally recognized government, was thereafter to be headed by a series of prominent warlords. This presidency ended in 1928 when the Northern Expedition, led by the Kuomintang (KMT), succeeded in conquering North China.


title: President of the Republic of China

text: Sun Yat-sen established a rival (military, not constitutional) government in Guangzhou in 1917 and took the title of "Generalissimo of the Military Government" (). He was ousted in 1918 but returned again to Guangzhou in 1921. Claiming to restore the Provisional Constitution of the Republic of China, he summoned the members of the original parliament to elect him as president, but since there lacked a quorum, he took the title of "Extraordinary President" (). Sun, again expelled from Guangzhou in 1922, returned in 1923 to take the title of "Generalissimo of the Military Government." Sun died in 1925 with no clear successor and leadership of the government, now named the National Government, rested in a series of Leninist-style dual party and state committees, the most powerful of which was the policy-making Central Executive Committee of the Kuomintang. The government was organized into five branches, with the Executive Yuan, headed by the premier, holding primary administrative authority. The "Chairman of the National Government," though not given specific presidential powers, took on the functions of a "de facto" head of state and its official English translation was "President of the National Government of the Republic of China". This form of government under the KMT lasted through the Northern Expedition, which moved the capital to Nanjing and gave the National Government domestic control and foreign recognition, and the Second Sino-Japanese War, during which the Japanese established a puppet "Reorganized" National Government with almost the identical organizational structure, until the promulgation of a new Constitution in 1947.


title: President of the Republic of China

text: Following the Chinese victory in the Second Sino-Japanese War, the National Government under Chiang Kai-shek was restored in Nanjing and the KMT set out to enact a liberal democratic constitution in line with the last stage of Sun Yat-sen's three stages of national development. The new Constitution of the Republic of China, promulgated on 25 December 1947, established a five-branch government with the office of president () as head of state. On 20 May 1948, Chiang Kai-shek was formally elected by the National Assembly to be the first term president.


title: President of the Republic of China

text: After the KMT lost Mainland China in the Chinese Civil War, the government was evacuated to Taiwan, where the term limits for the president specified in the 1947 constitution were suspended after 1960. In 1954, as the term of the first National Assembly were about to expire, the Judicial Yuan ruled that the expired seats of the National Assembly would continue in power until the respective delegate region elections could be held. This largely froze the membership of the National Assembly mainland delegates and prevented local Taiwanese from widespread legislative and assembly participation in the expired mainland seats until the early 1970s. The members of the National Assembly continued in their office until 1991, and continued to elect Chiang Kai-shek as president until his death in 1975.


title: President of the Republic of China

text: Presidents were elected by the National Assembly until the first direct presidential election in 1996, while the term length was shortened from six to four years.


title: Ponte Vecchio

text: The Ponte Vecchio ("Old Bridge", ) is a medieval stone closed-spandrel segmental arch bridge over the Arno River, in Florence, Italy. The only bridge in Florence spared from destruction during the Second World War, it is noted for the shops built along it; building shops on such bridges was once a common practice. Butchers, tanners, and farmers initially occupied the shops; the present tenants are jewelers, art dealers, and souvenir sellers. The Ponte Vecchio's two neighboring bridges are the Ponte Santa Trinita and the Ponte alle Grazie.


title: Ponte Vecchio

text: The bridge connects via Por Santa Maria (Lungarno degli Acciaiuoli and Lungarno degli Archibusieri) to via de 'Guicciardini (Borgo San Jacopo and via de' Bardi).


title: Ponte Vecchio

text: The name was given to what was the oldest Florentine bridge when the bridge to the Carraia was built, then called "Ponte Nuovo" in contrast to the pons Vetus. Beyond the historical value, the bridge over time has played a central role in the city road system, starting from when it connected the Roman Florentia with the Via Cassia Nuova commissioned by the emperor Hadrian in 123 AD.


title: Ponte Vecchio

text: In contemporary times, despite being closed to vehicular traffic, the bridge is crossed by a considerable pedestrian flow generated both by the notoriety of the place itself and by the fact that it connects places of high tourist interest on the two banks of the river: piazza del Duomo, piazza della Signoria on one side with the area of Palazzo Pitti and Santo Spirito in the Oltrarno.


title: Ponte Vecchio

text: The bridge appears in the list drawn up in 1901 by the General Directorate of Antiquities and Fine Arts, as a monumental building to be considered national artistic heritage.


title: Ponte Vecchio

text: The bridge spans the Arno at its narrowest point where it is believed that a bridge was first built in Roman times, when the via Cassia crossed the river at this point. The Roman piers were of stone, the superstructure of wood. The bridge first appears in a document of 996 and was destroyed by a flood in 1117 and reconstructed in stone. In 1218 the Ponte alla Carraia, a wooden structure, was established nearby which led to it being referred to as "Ponte Nuovo" relative to the older (Vecchio) structure. It was swept away again in 1333 except for two of its central piers, as noted by Giovanni Villani in his "Nuova Cronica". It was rebuilt in 1345.


title: Ponte Vecchio

text: Giorgio Vasari recorded the traditional view of his day that attributed its design to Taddeo Gaddi— besides Giotto one of the few artistic names of the trecento still recalled two hundred years later. Modern historians present Neri di Fioravanti as a possible candidate as builder.


title: Ponte Vecchio

text: Sheltered in a little loggia at the central opening of the bridge is a weathered dedication stone, which once read "Nel trentatrè dopo il mille-trecento, il ponte cadde, per diluvio dell' acque: poi dieci anni, come al Comun piacque, rifatto fu con questo adornamento". The Torre dei Mannelli was built at the southeast corner of the bridge to defend it.


title: Ponte Vecchio

text: The bridge consists of three segmental arches: the main arch has a span of the two side arches each span . The rise of the arches is between 3.5 and 4.4 meters (11½ to 14½ feet), and the span-to-rise ratio 5:1. The shallow segmental arches, which require fewer piers than the semicircular arch traditionally used by Romans, enabled ease of access and navigation for animal-drawn carts. Another notable design element is the large piazza at the center of the bridge that Leon Battista Alberti described as a prominent ornament in the city.


title: Ponte Vecchio

text: A stone with an inscription from Dante ("Paradiso" xvi. 140-7) records the spot at the entrance to the bridge where Buondelmonte de' Buondelmonti was murdered by the Amidei clan in 1215, which began the urban fighting of the Guelfs and Ghibellines.


title: Ponte Vecchio

text: The bridge has always hosted shops and merchants who displayed their goods on tables before their premises, after authorization by the Bargello (a sort of a lord mayor, a magistrate and a police authority).


title: Ponte Vecchio

text: In order to connect the Palazzo Vecchio (Florence's town hall) with the Palazzo Pitti, in 1565 Cosimo I de' Medici had Giorgio Vasari build the Vasari Corridor, part of which runs above the Ponte Vecchio.


title: Ponte Vecchio

text: To enhance the prestige and clean up the bridge, a decree was made in 1595 that excluded butchers from this bridge (only goldsmiths and jewelers are allowed) that is in effect to this day. The association of butchers had monopolized the shops on the bridge since 1442.


title: Ponte Vecchio

text: The back shops ("retrobotteghe") that may be seen from upriver were added in the seventeenth century.


title: Ponte Vecchio

text: In 1900, to honor and mark the fourth century of the birth of the great Florentine sculptor and master goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini, the leading goldsmiths of the bridge commissioned the Florentine sculptor, Raffaello Romanelli, to create a bronze bust of Cellini to stand atop a fountain in the middle of the Eastern side of the bridge, where it stands to this day.


title: Ponte Vecchio

text: During World War II, the Ponte Vecchio was not destroyed by the German army during their retreat at the advance of the British 8th Army on 4 August 1944, unlike all the other bridges in Florence. This was, according to many locals and tour guides, because of an express order by Hitler. Access to the Ponte Vecchio was, however, obstructed by the destruction of the buildings at both ends of the bridge, which have since been rebuilt using a combination of original and modern designs.


title: Ponte Vecchio

text: Between 2005 and 2006, 5,500 padlocks, known as love locks, which were attached to the railings around the bust of Cellini, were removed by the city council. According to the council, the padlocks were aesthetically displeasing and damaged the bust and its railings. There is now a fine for attaching love locks to the bridge.


title: Demi Moore filmography

text: American actress Demi Moore made her film debut in 1981 then appeared on the soap opera "General Hospital" (1982–1984) and subsequently gained recognition as a member of the Brat Pack with roles in "Blame It on Rio" (1984), "St. Elmo's Fire" (1985), and "About Last Night..." (1986). She had her breakthrough for her starring role in "Ghost" (1990), the highest-grossing film of that year. Her performance was praised and earned her a Golden Globe nomination. She had further box-office success in the early 1990s, with the films "A Few Good Men" (1992), "Indecent Proposal" (1993), and "Disclosure" (1994).


title: Demi Moore filmography

text: In 1996, Moore became the highest-paid actress in film history when she received an unprecedented $12.5 million to star in "Striptease". She had starring roles in the films "The Scarlet Letter" (1995), "The Juror" (1996) and "G.I. Jane" (1997), all of which were commercially unsuccessful and contributed to a downturn in her career. Her career has since had a resurgence with supporting roles in such films as "" (2003), "Bobby" (2006), "Mr. Brooks" (2007), "Margin Call" (2011), and "Rough Night" (2017).


title: Herman Li

text: Herman Li (; born 3 October 1976) is a Hong Kong-born British musician who is one of two lead guitarists for the power metal band DragonForce. Li has played with the band based in England since it was formed in 1999 by Li along with Sam Totman. Before DragonForce he was in the black metal band Demoniac.


title: Herman Li

text: Herman Li was born on 3 October 1976 in Hong Kong and moved to France, then to England during his teenage years. He speaks English, French and Cantonese fluently.


title: Herman Li

text: Li draws influences from rock, all subgenres of metal as well as video game music and often mimics sounds from popular retro games from the late 1980s, early 1990s arcade, and PC games. His playing style consists of fast descending and ascending legato and staccato licks, exotic scale runs, making extensive use of the harmonic minor and Phrygian dominant scale, extreme use of his whammy bar, quick full ascending and descending sweep picking arpeggios, alternate picking and two-handed tapping on the higher frets as well as incorporating many other shred guitar style techniques. Recently, he has started to use a device called the Hot Hand that sits on his right hand like a ring, which causes extreme vibrato when shaken, giving him a greater capacity to emulate certain video game sounds. Li has stated Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Tony MacAlpine guitar playing heavily inspired his own style. Li is left-handed, but plays guitar right-handed.


title: Herman Li

text: Li uses Ibanez E-Gen guitars, his signature Ibanez models based on his old Ibanez S Series, which was retired from stage at the end of the Inhuman Rampage tour. The EGEN18 has a "Transparent Violet Flat" finish (transparent purple on a flamed-maple top), and the EGEN8 has a "Platinum Blonde" finish (natural wood finish with a flamed-maple top). Both have a rosewood fingerboard and gold hardware. The E-Gen model has many unique features and improvements over a standard S, including its versatile tone selection with coil tap switching for both the bridge and neck pickups, Edge Zero bridge (the EGEN8 has Edge III), custom DiMarzio HLM pickups (the EGEN8 has Ibanez pickups) and an extended scoop on the lower horn of the body, as well as a "Kung-Fu grip" on the upper horn shaped by Li's hand. It is currently Ibanez's flagship model for S body style guitars.


title: Herman Li

text: On 9 May 2010 Li announced via Facebook that he had received a custom-made Ibanez 7-string guitar. No details are known yet about this guitar, other than it has seven strings, and it is unknown whether it will be mass-produced for his E-Gen signature line.


title: Herman Li

text: Before the E-Gen, he had been known to play Ibanez S Prestige guitars. An Ibanez S470SOL (Japanese build 1995), a seven string Ibanez 540S7 (Japanese build 1991) (used in Revolution Deathsquad, Storming the Burning Fields, before the second verse and in the outro of Heartbreak Armageddon and the bridge section of Operation Ground and Pound), and an Ibanez S540FMTTS (Japanese build 1995). He has also been seen playing an Ibanez S2170FB and an Ibanez S2170FW. He also owns an Ibanez Jem7BSB, which has been used on every DragonForce album for recording rhythm guitar parts, an Ibanez J Custom RG, an Ibanez RG2228 (8-string model), and a PRS Modern Eagle, which he received as a gift from Paul Reed Smith and can be seen in the studio.


title: Herman Li

text: Li and fellow band member Sam Totman are featured as performing twin guitar solos of the power metal song "Through the Fire and Flames" which has appeared in several video games. In the "Guitar Hero" rhythm game series, the song first featured in "" as an unlockable bonus song, and later appeared in "Guitar Hero Smash Hits" and "Guitar Hero Live", as well as Rock Band 3 as DLC. The song also featured in "Rocksmith 2014".


title: Big Brother 24 (American season)

text: Big Brother 24 is the twenty-fourth season of the American reality television program "Big Brother". The season premiered on July 6, 2022, on CBS in the United States and Global in Canada. Hosted by Julie Chen Moonves, the show follows a group of contestants (known as HouseGuests), who live in a house together while being constantly filmed and having no communication with the outside world as they compete to win a grand prize of .


title: Big Brother 24 (American season)

text: The season ran for 82 days, with the season ending on September 25, 2022, when Taylor Hale was crowned the winner, defeating Monte Taylor. Hale became the first black female HouseGuest to win, as well as the second black HouseGuest to win in the main edition of the show. She was also voted America's Favorite HouseGuest, becoming the first winner to also claim this prize. On September 25, 2022, CBS renewed the series for a twenty-fifth season.


title: Big Brother 24 (American season)

text: "Big Brother" follows a group of contestants, known as HouseGuests, who live inside a custom-built house outfitted with cameras and microphones recording their every move 24 hours a day. The HouseGuests are sequestered with no contact with the outside world. During their stay, the HouseGuests share their thoughts on their day-to-day lives inside the house in a private room known as the Diary Room. Each week, the HouseGuests compete in competitions in order to win power and safety inside the house. At the start of each week, the HouseGuests compete in a Head of Household (abbreviated as "HOH") competition. The winner of the HoH competition is immune from eviction and selects two HouseGuests to be nominated for eviction. Six HouseGuests are then selected to compete in the Power of Veto (abbreviated as "PoV") competition: the reigning HoH, the nominees, and three other HouseGuests chosen by random draw. The winner of the PoV competition has the right to either revoke the nomination of one of the nominated HouseGuests or leave them as is. If the veto winner uses this power, the HoH must immediately nominate another HouseGuest for eviction. The PoV winner is also immune from being named as the replacement nominee. On eviction night, all HouseGuests vote to evict one of the nominees, though the Head of Household and the nominees are not allowed to vote. This vote is conducted in the privacy of the Diary Room. In the event of a tie, the Head of Household casts the tie-breaking vote. The nominee with the most votes is evicted from the house. The last nine evicted HouseGuests comprise the Jury and are sequestered in a separate location following their eviction and ultimately decide the winner of the season. The Jury is only allowed to see the competitions and ceremonies that include all of the remaining HouseGuests; they are not shown any interviews or other footage that might include strategy or details regarding nominations. The viewing public is able to award an additional prize by choosing "America's Favorite HouseGuest." All evicted HouseGuests are eligible to win this award except for those who either voluntarily leave or are forcibly removed for rule violations.


title: Big Brother 24 (American season)

text: The HouseGuests for the twenty-fourth season were revealed on July 5, 2022. "US Weekly" published a series of cast interviews on the same day. Prior to the reveal, CBS aired a teaser featuring various voice clips from the HouseGuests. The cast includes Miss Michigan USA 2021 and Miss USA 2021 competitor Taylor Hale. Marvin Achi, a 28-year-old from Houston, Texas, was among the sixteen HouseGuests initially slated to be on the season, but was removed from the cast and replaced by Joseph Abdin.


title: Big Brother 24 (American season)

text: On Night 1, one HouseGuest randomly selected the Backstage Boss Pass. This player would be granted immunity for the week, but could not be nominated, lost eligibility to participate in the week's competitions, and could not vote on eviction night. This player also had to choose three other HouseGuests to join them Backstage. These HouseGuests would also be safe from nomination, lost eligibility to participate in the week's competitions, and could not vote on eviction night. However, the three Backstage HouseGuests were not granted immunity and would still be eligible for eviction. On eviction night, the HouseGuest evicted by the house would have gone in a head-to-head battle against one of the Backstage HouseGuests. An online public vote was held for America to grant one of the three Backstage HouseGuests immunity from eviction for the week. The loser of the competition between the house evictee and the selected Backstage HouseGuest would immediately become evicted.


title: Big Brother 24 (American season)

text: Pooch ended up claiming the Backstage Boss Pass and as a result was required to select three HouseGuests to join him Backstage. Pooch selected Alyssa, Brittany, and Paloma to join him. Brittany won the majority of the public vote and would have been granted immunity for the week had the twist not been cancelled. Since Paloma chose to leave the game, the twist was cancelled.


title: Big Brother 24 (American season)

text: Starting in Week 3, the HouseGuests competed in sets, similarly to the Duos Twist in season 13. The HouseGuest who was named Head of Household earned immunity for their Besties, and was obligated to nominate another set of Besties for eviction. Three sets of Besties would compete for the Power of Veto: the HOH's set, the nominated set, and another set selected by random draw. Only one person from the winning set needed to decide to use the Power of Veto in order to save the nominated set of Besties. Should that happen, the entire set of Besties would be saved, forcing the HoH to nominate another set as replacements. After each eviction, the surviving Bestie chose a new set of Besties to join. The sets are listed below.


title: Big Brother 24 (American season)

text: Following Week 6's eviction, the house was split into two groups of five that had no interaction for the entire week. The winner of the HOH competition became the HOH for Big BroChella, occurring in the house, while the second place finisher became HOH of Dyre Fest, occurring outside. The remaining houseguests were split via a school yard pick by the respective HOHs. A full week of events played out for each group, with their own competitions, nominations, and evictions. Ultimately, two HouseGuests were evicted at the end of Week 7. The groups are listed below:


title: Big Brother 24 (American season)

text: "Big Brother 24" is co-produced by production companies Endemol Shine North America and Fly On The Wall Entertainment. The season was first confirmed following the conclusion of the previous season in a joint announcement that also confirmed that "Celebrity Big Brother" would be revived for a third season. Host Julie Chen Moonves returned for the season along with Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan who serve as executive producers. Casting for the season started in February 2022 and concluded sometime around June 2022. As has been the case since "Big Brother 22", open-call auditions were not held for this season. Jesse Tannenbaum returned to head the casting efforts for "Big Brother 24."


title: Big Brother 24 (American season)

text: On June 1, 2022, CBS announced that the season would premiere on July 6, 2022, with confirmation on June 15, 2022, of a 90-minute live premiere. Prior to the season premiere, it was widely speculated that live audiences would return in a full capacity following two seasons of absence due to previous pandemic restrictions. While the premiere and first five evictions took place behind closed doors, a live audience returned for the remainder of the season, starting with the live eviction on August 18, 2022. Key art for the season was released on June 15, 2022.


title: Big Brother 24 (American season)

text: The winner of the series, determined by the previously evicted HouseGuests, wins while the runner-up receives . The HouseGuest selected as America's Favorite HouseGuest receives .


title: Big Brother 24 (American season)

text: The house is located at the Radford Studio Center in Los Angeles, California. As with previous seasons, the house is outfitted with 94 HD cameras and more than 113 microphones. Photos and a video tour of the house were released by CBS on July 5, 2022. Alternatively known as the "BB Motel", Julie Chen Mooves described the house's theme as a "colorful, desert oasis inspired by Palm Springs, and a blast from the past, mid-century style." A golf-themed bedroom has mini golf cart models lined along the walls, with the beds with headboards composed of AstroTurf. A second bedroom is decorated with details alluding to the car designs of the 1950s, including portraits of the car designs and beds with headboards composing of vintage car dashboards. The Space Age-themed bedroom features hanging models of Venus, Earth and Saturn. The Have-Not room resembles a drained pool, with a slide and inflatables being placed on the room.


title: Big Brother 24 (American season)

text: Following the launch of the show's live feeds, a majority of the HouseGuests received criticism for their behavior towards Taylor Hale. Viewers noted multiple lies made about Hale, along with several comments that displayed racially charged microaggressions, acts of colorism, conscious bias, and unconscious assumptions regarding Hale's appearance and personality.