Caprice and the Meteor Ireland Awards

One of the more interesting evenings I have spent recently was last Tuesday in the company of this lady - well, I was in the same room as Caprice, trying hard to pretend I wasn't drooling in her direction..

Yes, attended the Meteor Ireland Music Awards - in other words I spent my St. Patrick's Day in the company of the 'great and the good' from the Irish music scene, plus various luminaries from the television and modelling worlds, and some other assorted celebrities.

Nancy Cartwright (Bart Simpson), Louis Walsh, Bernard Dunne, Padraig Harrington, half of RTE, Michelle Doherty, Westlife/Boyzone, Grainne and Sile Seoige, Lorraine Keane, Duke Special, MTV's Laura Whitmore, Republic of Loose and more milled around beforehand, adding some level of glamour to the occasion.

RTE tried hard to inject the proceedings with a feeling of pomp and ceremony, but watching clips on television last night, it all felt a lot flatter than it did on the night. There was a mixed bag of performers, but the performances themselves were surprisingly good. Even Boyzone sang live, or at Keating and the other fella did anyway, whatever about the other three, who hardly looked like they were even attempting to mime..

Kelly Jones and the Phonics dragged themselves from obscurity to open the show, playing a medley of songs from their recent Best of collection, an exercise that really served only to remind what a decent band they once were, mixing Maybe Tomorrow with More Life in a Tramp's Vest, Local Boy in a Photograph etc.. time to knock it on the head now, methinks.

Amanda Byram hosted, but spent most of the show trying to liven proceedings up with a series of bawdy jokes that fitted ill-at-ease with the largely teen audience that did its best to explode eardrums as James Morrison, Enrique Iglesias (can you believe this guy has sold 60 million albums and is soon-to-be Mr Kournikova) Boyzone and the Blizzards all performed, vying for their attentions and single-buying power.

Elbow were class, scooping Best International Band to the bemusement of most in attendance, and performing a storming version of Grounds for Divorce that reminded how good they were at Electric Picnic (look forward to Oxegen then)

Unsurprisingly The Script won the major awards on offer, the screams alone in the RDS suggesting that they will sell a lot more than the 600,000 records they have already flogged..

There were some poignant moments, a tribute to Ronnie Drew and the humanitarian award for Fr Shay Cullen, doing terrific work with abused children in the Philippines.

Hard luck to the Zoo Crew from Spin South West, Conor Quaid and Michelle McMahon being our only local representatives, who were between by Dublin 98FM, who undoubtedly had half of the nation's capital voting for them.

Wallis Bird won Hope for 2009 - good for her and nice cartwheel onto the stage, but unlucky on Fred, who would have been my personal choice.

Clare woman Sharon Shannon wrapped up proceedings with the exceedingly awful Galway Girl - can you believe the most downloaded song of last year? Says it all really.

(must say I'm delighted with myself for getting a pic of Caprice up on the blog)

It's simply not all bad.. Meteor Award Nominations

I'm going to say something that many might find distasteful, or even outrageous.. The nominees for this year's Meteor Awards are actually (gasp, shock horror).. really not that bad.

In fact, they are the best list of nominations I have seen the corporate event go with in years and years - ever, probably..

Now I hold no sway to the fact that I was actually asked to be a member of the voting panel of judges* - as probably every other media hack in the country was, I'm not blowing any trumpets here, believe me - but if you look at the list, well, let's say the evidence speaks for itself.

Fight like Apes and the Loose are nominated in the best Irish band category (ok, so are the Script, Snow Patrol and The Blizzards - but two out of five ain't bad)

Can you believe it? Jape (Richie Egan), David Holmes, and Mick Flannery are all nominated in best Irish male. (Even the others, Damo Dempsey and Duke Special aren't too bad)

But wait, it get's better.. Lisa Hannigan (a shoo in), Gemma Hayes and chanteuse Camille O'Sullivan are all nominated for best Irish female..

I'll skip best Irish pop act (bet the house on the god awful The Script) and run straight to Irish album of the year. Consider the evidence:

FLA.. and the mystery of the Gold Medallion

Lisa H - Sea Sew

Messiah J and the Expert - From the Word Go

and (The Script and Snow Patrol - again, three out of five ain't bad)

Absolutely three of the best Irish albums of last year (and all due to play in Limerick in the next weeks and months, more on that soon)

(The lovely Lisa H on stage in the Belltable last year, gigs to come in the city soon, but I'm not allowed tell yet)

Not as bad as you would expect from a brash, industry driven event like the Meteor's. I'm hoping to go along for the craic (once I convince the LL that it is in their interest to let me go) so stay tuned for a report..

Wait, there's more!! Bon Iver in best International male, and Elbow for Best Band!

*The fact that I voted for the final two (and Lisa H, Jape and FLA) convinces me that my vote actually was hugely important, more so than any other media hack. So there.