Mercury Music Prize '07-Klaxons Win

gucci

Not sure if anyone really care but the Klaxons won the mercury music prize tonight..beating our own Fionn Regan, Dizee Rascal, The Young Knives, Amy Winehouse, Artic Monkeys and few other bands. not sure how important this prize is to the artist but it gains a fair bit of publicity especially for lesser known artists and a cheque of £20K.
but the klaxons....seriously "nu-rave" is suppose to be theyre genre....absolute puke music, a few covers and a few catchy dancey jambos.....surely not worthy of any prizes?!? Fully expect something from X factor to win next year.
(in saying that much of the others nominees arent up to much either imo)

Haven't a Clue

Yeah, really surprised this won. Thought, although there's a couple of decent songs, it's only really an average enough album.

Basq

Been listening to the Fionn Regan album for the last week non-stop.. it really is something special but he was never going to win!

Shame!

cheerio

I'm really shocked they won. Winehouse was robbed.

Oriel

Duke Special should have been in there.

John

Mostly rubbish list this year, I haven't heard Fionn Regan so can't comment but the rest was a load of bollocks.

Ruskie4Rent

It was a good list this year imo, but the best album didn't win. Was expecting Bat for Lashes to win.
I'm not too fond of the klaxons either, they are a terrible live act and i don't like the whole "nu-rave" scenester thing.
The album is alright though, and I can see why it was chosen. Its easy to dislike a band for whatever scene they've been associated to, or for some of their songs that have been overplayed on the radio.

Ruskie4Rent

John wrote:

Mostly rubbish list this year, I haven't heard Fionn Regan so can't comment but the rest was a load of bollocks.

Are you basing that judgement on actually hearing all 12 of the albums? There were far more potentially credible winners this year than any other year. Arctic Monkeys and Dizzy Rascal's albums were both better than the ones that got them their previous awards. Jamie T's 'Panic Prevention' was alright and could've won. Then there's Bat For Lashes and Amy Winehouse....

CherieAmour

A few things about last night's show left me a bit puzzled/irritated....

1. The award is "nationwide" and relates to "home grown talent" in their own words, yet they include an Irish person. Not to say he shouldn't be there, but this is another case of them counting Irish acts as British and it does my head in!!
2. Jools Holland said that the judges' decision was based on the albums only and was in no way dependent on the performances on the night - so why do they wait until everyone has performed to make their decision?? Surely if it was based on the album only, they'd have it decided beforehand. Personally I don't believe that they wait til the last minute, they MUST know in advance who is going to get it.
3. Who was that "comedian" that was up with Jo Whiley and where in god's name did they get him? I was cringing every time he opened his mouth! When they brought the betting bloke on with the latest odds, he just wouldn't shut up! You could see Jo Whiley grimacing and trying to talk to anyone else that was there.
4. The Klaxon's made complete idiots of themselves and I also found myself cringing at this. They weren't deserving winners in my eyes. I couldn't decide myself on who I would have given it to, as the standard was high, but they certainly weren't up there

GoalsGoneWild

CherieAmour wrote:

A few things about last night's show left me a bit puzzled/irritated....

1. The award is "nationwide" and relates to "home grown talent" in their own words, yet they include an Irish person. Not to say he shouldn't be there, but this is another case of them counting Irish acts as British and it does my head in!!
   I think Nationwide are just the sponsors. They're a Building Society in the UK if memory serves.
   
2. Jools Holland said that the judges' decision was based on the albums only and was in no way dependent on the performances on the night - so why do they wait until everyone has performed to make their decision?? Surely if it was based on the album only, they'd have it decided beforehand. Personally I don't believe that they wait til the last minute, they MUST know in advance who is going to get it.
   They definitely do. Can't picture them all doing some 12 Angry Men type thing in a room out back tbh.
   
3. Who was that "comedian" that was up with Jo Whiley and where in god's name did they get him? I was cringing every time he opened his mouth! When they brought the betting bloke on with the latest odds, he just wouldn't shut up! You could see Jo Whiley grimacing and trying to talk to anyone else that was there.
   Think it was the guy from the Young Ones - but I was only flicking through at that stage. He was an embarrassment though.
   
4. The Klaxon's made complete idiots of themselves and I also found myself cringing at this. They weren't deserving winners in my eyes. I couldn't decide myself on who I would have given it to, as the standard was high, but they certainly weren't up there
   Agreed re: the ridiculous celebrations. Used up a lot of good will with the prancing about the place.

Still can't believe they won it - although the Mercury judges seem to have fun picking something every year that no-one saw coming. Not an event I'd ever be having a wager on tbh...

grumpytrousers

CherieAmour wrote:

A few things about last night's show left me a bit puzzled/irritated....

1. The award is "nationwide" and relates to "home grown talent" in their own words, yet they include an Irish person. Not to say he shouldn't be there, but this is another case of them counting Irish acts as British and it does my head in!!
2. Jools Holland said that the judges' decision was based on the albums only and was in no way dependent on the performances on the night - so why do they wait until everyone has performed to make their decision?? Surely if it was based on the album only, they'd have it decided beforehand. Personally I don't believe that they wait til the last minute, they MUST know in advance who is going to get it.
3. Who was that "comedian" that was up with Jo Whiley and where in god's name did they get him? I was cringing every time he opened his mouth! When they brought the betting bloke on with the latest odds, he just wouldn't shut up! You could see Jo Whiley grimacing and trying to talk to anyone else that was there.
4. The Klaxon's made complete idiots of themselves and I also found myself cringing at this. They weren't deserving winners in my eyes. I couldn't decide myself on who I would have given it to, as the standard was high, but they certainly weren't up there

1) Nationwide is the sponsor, as in the Building Society; it's a commercial rather than geopolitical term, i think!
2) it'd be a very short show if it was just Jools opening an envelope and saying a name; the performances are there to drag it out a bit. Point taken tho'!
3) That was Adrian Edmondson. He's famous for being in Bottom and The Young Ones and for marrying Jennifer Saunders whom, for the record, I so would. YOu're dead right about him making an arse of himself mind; could feel my buttcheeks clenching everytime he opened his cakehole. I think somebody will be feeling a bit silly this morning!
4) whatever you think yerself...switched over as soon as envelope was opened!

LuckyLloyd

1) While I quite like Fionn Regan's latest album - it doesn't seem to be anywhere near a Mercury Music prize winning piece of work (IMO of course);

2) That said, what a Mercury Prize is supposed to reward and what it has been rewarding has become ever more different with each passing year;


I wouldn't be getting too worked up about it these days folks.

Ruskie4Rent

CherieAmour wrote:

A few things about last night's show left me a bit puzzled/irritated....

Jools Holland said that the judges' decision was based on the albums only and was in no way dependent on the performances on the night - so why do they wait until everyone has performed to make their decision?? Surely if it was based on the album only, they'd have it decided beforehand. Personally I don't believe that they wait til the last minute, they MUST know in advance who is going to get it.

It obviously wasn't based on the performance 'cause the klaxons sounded ****e.

Mick Shrimpton

Ruskie4Rent wrote:

It obviously wasn't based on the performance 'cause the klaxons sounded ****e.

I agree. It made a complete mockery of the whole thing when those guy won it after sounding so absolutely god-awful with that performance. Really showed them up, and I was a fan of that record when it first came out. But because its based on the recording, where you get as many takes as you need, and autotune is always at hand, I suppose being able to reproduce your recordings live just isn't really a nesseccity these days.

All in all, I think I'll stop paying attention to the mercuries from now on.

grumpytrousers

http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,2163040,00.html

interesting article in the Grauniad about it...

BaZmO*

grumpytrousers wrote:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,2163040,00.html

interesting article in the Grauniad about it...

I was gonna say that that was some typo until I Googled it.

CherieAmour

grumpytrousers wrote:

1) Nationwide is the sponsor, as in the Building Society; it's a commercial rather than geopolitical term, i think!
2) it'd be a very short show if it was just Jools opening an envelope and saying a name; the performances are there to drag it out a bit. Point taken tho'!
3) That was Adrian Edmondson. He's famous for being in Bottom and The Young Ones and for marrying Jennifer Saunders whom, for the record, I so would. YOu're dead right about him making an arse of himself mind; could feel my buttcheeks clenching everytime he opened his cakehole. I think somebody will be feeling a bit silly this morning!
4) whatever you think yerself...switched over as soon as envelope was opened!

1. LOL. Didn't know that was the sponsor, aside from that though, there is still the whole "home grown" thing being bandied about making them conveniently forget that Fionn Regan is in fact Irish
2. Agreed. The music makes the event out of it, but they should fess up and not pretend that they decide at the last minute. As most of you say, the Klaxons were sh*te thus proving my point that performance had nothing to do with it!!!
3. He was indeed a tit! I had no idea he was that well known/established. Good god!
4. You did the right thing!

BaZmO*

CherieAmour wrote:

The music makes the event out of it, but they should fess up and not pretend that they decide at the last minute. As most of you say, the Klaxons were sh*te thus proving my point that performance had nothing to do with it!!!

Read grumpy's link to clear that one up.

Double C

You could tell they were enjoying themselves by the busy jaws, them lads were off their nyuks.

dead air

CherieAmour wrote:

A few things about last night's show left me a bit puzzled/irritated....

1. The award is "nationwide" and relates to "home grown talent" in their own words, yet they include an Irish person. Not to say he shouldn't be there, but this is another case of them counting Irish acts as British and it does my head in!!

The Mercury Prize is for both British and Irish artists. It's just that the shortlist is usually entirely made up of UK acts. Dave Fanning used to be a judge back in the day I think.

Wertz

Jamie T was robbed

Klaxons aren't so bad but have to agree their set on the night wasn't up to much.

I think people are forgetting what the mercuries are here; they're not just an award for the best (however you ennumerate that quality) album/act, it's more about how all the music on that album encapsulates a certain air of the times and takes a snapshot of the UK and Ireland music scene in that year.....you may disagree with how the shortlist is drawn up and the judges personal tastes in choosing a winner, but this isn't a public poll and it's not the emmy's. I like the formula, it doesn't tend to pander to populist opinion.
Nu-rave is where the UK scene is currently residing, most new bands are coming from the genre and the masses seem happy to revisit 1990's fashions and tastes....only really the Klaxons or Maps could be defined in that genre so it was perhaps always going to be one of those two...

At least the Arctic Monkeys didn't get it again. Wouldn't have minded Dizzee winning it though; Maths & English is a far better release than Boy In Da Corner...