Wednesday, February 18, 2004
The Brits are…. Predictable
It’s that time of year again – Brits time – the time when all over opinionated muso’s go into a blind rage in front of their televisions. And yes, I am one of them.
Last night saw 2 gongs for Dido, three for The Darkness and a splattering of awards for other very safe, very predictable artists. So far so dull, but then what was I expecting. The Brits are an annual slap on the back for The Industry and a way to reward the bands who have made a tidy sum for their paymasters. Dido – best single, best female artist – was the saviour of the record industry last year selling shed loads of singles and albums and used as a proof that file sharing can be stopped.
The Darkness have come a long way since opening Glastonbury last year. How apt that our top comedy band win best album award for their comedy record at the comedy awards. As a boss I once had would say “Its horses for courses.” The Brits are the mainstream. They’re for people who buy two albums a year and like nice safe Music. People who think Busted really are the best breakthrough artist; that The Darkness are “rock”; and Jamie Cullum is Jazz.
For those of us who spend too much time and money on music the Brits are a joke. “Our” bands get nominations but very rarely win. Dizzy Rascal should have won Best Male artist; Out of the short list, Blur’s Think Tank, was won of the most interesting and enjoyable records of last year. But then “our” bands never win. And when they do it’s usually because we’ve fixed it – remember when Belle And Sebastian won Best Newcomer because the band’s people made damn sure that all the fans new about the internet vote and that they voted.
So, the Brits are a good thing. They are a way to tell whether you are still interested in and passionate about music or whether you like Dido.
