Ever since Britpop shook the annual gong-fest out its mumsy, Annie Lennox-and-M People torpor, most of the big winners at the Brit Awards have been guitar bands: Frank Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs, Arctic Monkeys etc. Frankly, it was getting so credible we half expected this year’s bash to feature a Best Grindie Act category and a live set from Does It Offend You Yeah?
It was a shock, therefore, to find that this year’s nominations featured barely a mention for the guitar-toting hordes. Instead, organizers have returned to their old ways and honoured the kind of artists you see stocked in motorway service stations - Take That, Mika, Leona Lewis, glossy pop acts one and all.
It’s probably for the best. After all, the Brits were always much more entertaining when they were a bit naff, a bit tinselly- a gaudy celebration of the nation’s brash, Smash Hits-and-Woolies pop life. Lest we forget, the whole shebang was at one time organised by that avatar of knobbly-kneed British rubbishness, Jonathan King. “Cool” was never part of the mix.
In that spirit of qualified nostalgia, then, here are some of our favourite “great pop moments” – some brilliant, some jaw-droppingly naff - from Brit Awards history.
Peter Gabriel gets the horn, 1993
The sight of the ex-Genesis man clad in purple velour slacks and a giant muscle suit, grinding his hips and singing suggestively about his need for “steam” surely fueled a thousand disturbing sexual nightmares. It’s certainly a striking look, though, and one we’d love to see revived at this year’s show by, say, Tom Smith from Editors.
Sam Fox and Mick Fleetwood balls it up, 1989
Sam Fox: “And here they… The Four Tops!”
Boy George (smiling awkwardly as he walks onstage): “I’m afraid I’m just the one top.”
Just one of many excruciating moments in a fiasco that has since become a by-word for the potential pitfalls of live TV, though it still generated fewer complaints than Russell Brand’s quip about the Queen’s “privates” in 2007.
Michael Jackson plays god, 1996
It’s hard to know what was most upsetting about Jacko’s performance of Earth Song - the terrible miming; the weird, gothic shell-suit flapping around his ankles; the damp-eyed children wheeled out to look destitute and mouth the words, “What about us?”… No wonder Jarvis Cocker jumped onstage to protest (5.20). How ironic that a man waving his bum around was the one thing about the whole affair that didn’t stink.
Prince talks in maths, 1995
Accepting his award for Best International Male with the word “slave” written on his cheek, the then-nameless squiggle announced: "Prince best. Gold experience better. Get wild. In concert free. On record slave. Peace." To which the great and good of the UK music business replied: “Eh?” Later in the evening Blur’s Dave Rowntree took to the stage with “Dave” scrawled on his cheek, a gag that’s much better-remembered these days than Prince’s cryptic waffling.
Scissor Sisters’ monsters ball, 2005
It’s hard to imagine this year’s event featuring a stage full of dancing muppets – not until Take That turn up, anyway- but that’s precisely what happened when Jake Shears and co brought their psychedelic pop circus to the Brits in 2005, complete with giant, gyrating eggs and singing watermelons. The usual exercise in sober restraint, then.
1:19 PM | 17/01/2008
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You forget to mention 1991 (I think it was then) when the KLF played a "curious" death metal rendition of their hit "· AM Eternal" with Extreme Noise Terror.
Posted by Jordi at 2:48 PM | 17/01/2008 | Report Abuse
There's a bit more pop in the nominations this year but it merely reflects the charts. Guitar bands have had a very poor year critically and commercially.
Posted by Jan Bootle at 3:12 PM | 17/01/2008 | Report Abuse
I'm not sure they have, though. The biggest live event of the year was Muse at Wembley. Even second-string indie acts like Bloc Party and Editors became arena acts in 2007. Turn on the radio and guitar bands still predominate, whether it's The Fratellis or The Enemy...
Posted by Luke Lewis at 12:29 PM | 18/01/2008 | Report Abuse
Annie lennox mumsy ...what crap , at least the woman can sing. This is the type of comment that i would expect from q which is why i dont purchase it any more.
Posted by Matt King at 10:34 PM | 18/01/2008 | Report Abuse
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