1 August 2006:

#1 in France

Congratulations go out to Coup de Boule* for ... er ... well speed, if not taste. This project, put together in 30 minutes as a joke, has given the small French studio La Plage Records the number one record in France for their song in celebration of ... Zinedine Zidane's head-butt on Italian player Marco Materazzi, just prior to their penalty defeat in the final of the 2006 football World Cup. (The BBC has the full story.)

All of which gives us an idea...

The Sonic Show 24-hour Cash-In Challenge

Something bad (or fun or tacky or stupid) in the news? Short of murder, perferably. If you can get your cash-in song recorded and ready for download within 24 hours, we'll give it our full backing, including having it prominently featured on our front page. The rules are:

It must clearly reference a widely-reported and probably unexpected event.
No libel please, just mindless fun.
You must get in within 24 hours.
A version must be made available at the Sonic Show.
It works best if it's simple, tasteless, and has a good beat.

Remember, the Sonic Show works alongside any other marketing and distribution efforts you may be undertaking, so we're looking to get our first Number One in a major territory out of this by Christmas!

*Coup de Boule is French for "head butt".