BRIT Awards 2011 - Tinie and Arcade Fire steal the show

NEW: New venue, new trophy - but another special night for the BRITS

TONIGHT’S BRIT awards ceremony in London was a colourful and explosive celebration of music, in many different ways.  Canadian indie band Arcade Fire and British rapper Tinie Tempah were the big winners, as both collected two awards at the 02 Arena.  There were also big wins for Take That, Mumford and Sons and Rihanna.

Tinie Tempah was the favourite to storm the ceremony this evening, as he led last month’s nominations with four.  Sure enough, he claimed two awards; for British Breakthrough Act and Best British Single.  His incredible song ‘Pass Out’ held off stiff competition from the likes of bookies favourite Matt Cardle, Plan B and Scouting for Girls amongst others.  However, he missed out on British Male Solo Artist, which went to the brilliant Plan B.  When Elton John compares you as the male version of Amy Winehouse, it might set some alarm bells ringing, but Plan B has the potential to build massively on his second album ‘The Defamation of Strickland Banks,’ and confirmed to host of the show, James Cordon, that he is planning a hip-hop/reggae mix for his next album.

Arcade Fire had struggled to hit the heights before 2010, but ‘The Suburbs,’ was their massive breakthrough.  It was the band’s third album, but it went straight to number one in Canada, the US and the UK and they won the Best International Album award, along with International Group.  The eight-piece group looked stunned to have achieved so much success in the last twelve months; “Thank you Britain, we are so honoured.’  Unlike Tinie Tempah, whose live performance was electric and extravagant, Arcade Fire’s live show was okay, without ever being spectacular.

SUCCESS: Take That picked up another award tonight

Robbie Williams decision to rejoin Take That in the summer of last year was one of the big music headlines in the previous calendar year and they look stronger than ever.  They kicked the glitzy ceremony off full of colour and fireworks which surrounded their performance of ‘Kidz.’  Later in the night, they scooped the British Group award, which means it is now a staggering 20 BRIT wins between Robbie as a solo artist and Take That as a group.  Despite this, ‘Progress,’ a massive seller lost out in the prestigious award category of the evening.  Instead, the MasterCard British Album of the year went to the unfancied Mumford and Sons.  Their album ‘Sigh No More,’ has sold over one million copies, but up against the likes of Take That, Plan B and Tinie Tempah, their chances can’t have been great.

Just like the X-Factor final before Christmas, Rihanna decided not to wear much clothing for her live performance.  Sometimes you wonder if she has heard of the word!  Her miming was ridiculous, the dancers looked horrific and quite frankly, it was one of the worst performances I’ve ever seen in BRITS history.  How some people can see her as a hottie is beyond me!  Nevertheless, Rihanna is a general hit with the British public and she denied Katy Perry a deserved success to claim the International Female Solo Artist. 

Other winners on the night were Jessie J, who was the pre-selected winner of the Critics Choice award.  She follows in the footsteps of ADELE and Florence + the Machine, in becoming the fourth female to win this award.  She looked very emotional on claiming the award from last year’s recipient, Ellie Goulding.  “From the bottom of my heart, thank you for making my dreams come true,” she said, almost bursting into tears.  Cee Lo Green won nothing in 2007, having been nominated three times.  Four years later, he returned to win the Best International Male Solo Artist award, with his no.1 single ‘Forget You’ reaching two million hits in one week on YouTube last year.  16-year old Justin Bieber was the unsurprising winner of the International Breakthrough Act, largely down to the viewers of MTV and there was a total shock in the British Female Solo Artist category, as the unheard Laura Marling beat Cheryl Cole and Ellie Goulding to the prize.

With celebrities on the night ranging from Radio 1’s Fearne Cotton, chatty man Alan Carr, F1 ace Lewis Hamilton and former singer, turned actor Will Young giving out awards, other attention went out to the live performers.  There can be no doubt that ADELE wins in this category.  The 21-year old gave a stunning and spine-tingling performance of her new single, which is currently no.1 in 17 countries.  It left everyone in the 02 Arena in shock!  Plan B’s live routine looked more like a violent episode of The Simpsons.  However, his medley of ‘Prayin’ and ‘She Said’ totally rocked.  Aside from Rihanna and a brave, but forgettable live show from Mumford & Sons, most of the performances live were fairly decent this year, compared with some of the drunk, half-hearted attempts of recent years.  As for James Cordon, his performance as host was mellow and decent, but it never reached the expected heights.  I don’t think he will hang onto this position for the 2012 ceremony.

CHANGE: Dame Vivienne Westwood designed the new style

2010 was an unforgettable year of music across the world and the biggest night in the music calendar year certainly didn’t disappoint.  Let’s see what 2011 will bring, but don’t be too surprised if the stars of this year’s BRITS end up dominating next year’s ceremony too.

Cardle's Christmas gets even better

NO.1: Album cover

JUST over a week after winning the X-Factor, Matt Cardle’s Christmas has got even better, after he was officially crowned as the winner of the Christmas No.1 on Sunday night.  Cardle’s winners single, his rendition of Biffy Clyro’s massive hit ‘Many Faces of Horror,’ which he titled ‘When we Collide,’ held off challenges from protest campaigns on Facebook about X-Factor’s domination of the coveted prize.

Other competitors included a hit from Rihanna, one of Cardle’s closest friends with ‘What’s My Name,’ which finished in second place and John Cage’s protest against Simon Cowell, known as ‘Cage against the Machine.’  Their idea was to record a 4min 33sec song of complete silence and was supported by bands such as Madness, The Kooks and Pendulum.  In the end, it didn’t launch a serious threat to the final outcome. 

FORMIDABLE: Matt with his mentor, Dannii Minogue

17.2million viewers watched Matt, 27, the former decorator from Colchester overcome Rebecca Ferguson and One Direction in last Sunday’s final.  Mentored by Australian Dannii Minogue, he was the red-hot favourite to win the ITV talent show for a large proportion of the show, highlighted by the fact that he topped the phone votes on nine of the ten live show weeks.  Cowell will be hoping that Cardle’s success starts a new trend of X-Factor domination of the Christmas charts, which has seen No.1’s for Alexandra Burke, Leona Lewis and doomed Scottish singer Leon Jackson.  It was halted last year, by a successful Facebook campaign to get Rage Against the Machine’s 1992 hit ‘Killing in the Name’ to the top of the charts, overhauling last year’s winning single, ‘The Climb’ by Joe McElderrey. 

On hearing the news of his success, Cardle was gobsmacked; "I can't believe it.  As if winning wasn't enough. I honestly didn't think I'd even make it on to the live shows, let alone win and now be the Christmas number one.  "I can't even begin to describe how it feels.”

Congratulations to Matt, a fitting Xmas No.1, I hope he can build on this success for a long-time to come.  

The X-Factor 2010 - The final straight

BY JASON WRIGHT

A RECORD number of people applied to change their lives and now after months of competitive action, four acts were left standing.  Facing what is certainly the biggest weekend of their lives, only one out of Cher Lloyd, Matt Cardle, One Direction or Rebecca Ferguson could win the final.

For the final weekend, the show’s set changed attire with the familiar blue backgrounds replaced with a more warming gold, making it feel a bit like the classic gameshow Going for Gold.  All four judges were jazzed up for the occasion, three in the ambitions of mentoring the winning act…and the luckless Louis Walsh, once again a spectator for the finale.

FIRST: Matt began proceedings and was solid as ever

After the final kicked off with a last group performance of ‘What a Feeling’ by all 16 finalists, the competition proper got underway.  Again, each act would perform twice and in the first round, they performed a new song instead a previous one.  First up was the favourite with the bookies, Matt performing ‘Here with me’.  Once again, Matt had been struggling with the after effects of laryngitis from previous, so once again his vocal range was limited but still, as with any other performance, he gave it his all.  Not everything went smoothly however back in his hometown fanbase of Colchester.  Fresh from her success down under, Stacey Solomon was given responsibility to give a report but a technical glitch meant she was unable to do so and left viewers with just pictures of his cheering fans.  The great uses of today’s modern technology!

STAR: Rebecca will go onto better things

Next to perform was Rebecca, her soulful voice has made her a standout act in the competition and she was certainly given her just reward with a place in the final.  Her first performance of the night was ‘Like a Star’.  It seemed the pressure had got to her just a little bit, but still it was very captivating from start to finish.  No such problems with the production team in Rebecca’s home of Liverpool as Coleen Rooney was assigned to join Rebecca’s supporters in a packed arena.

BREAKTHROUGH: One Direction kept their cool

The last group standing was One Direction, who perhaps went into the final with the fans advantage. The hysteria built up in their performances perhaps reminds everyone of the original Take That in the 90s.  They certainly kept cool under pressure performing ‘Your Song’, once again proving the fact that this could be a breakthrough year at least for the groups’ category.  Their popularity was proved by the support given in member Louis’ hometown of Doncaster.  Michelle Keegan, best known for her portrayal of Tina McIntyre in Coronation Street, was unlucky to have been given the role as host of the gathering there as when came to giving a report, she was caught up right in the middle of an bottleneck of fans, which seemed to look more dangerous than the tram disaster that’s currently gripping Weatherfield!

Three acts down, just one to go. It was time for Cher and despite making the end, the teen had now certainly hit a new low.  Going into the show with literally no support anymore and having been bombarded with several threats that she would be killed if she showed up on Saturday.  Fortunately, this didn’t materialise and she saved the best until last. ‘Get Ur Freak On’ was her first number, doing what she did best and as far the judges’ comments suggested, she had surprisingly taken round one.  Of course, Cher’s faithful in Malvern had certainly not given up on her, and showed up at a fan park in droves, making it another difficult job for the outside report, which was the case for BBC Radio 1’s Scott Mills.

UNIQUE: Cher had fun with Will.I.Am from Black Eyed Peas

The second round was the most looked forward to as it was the eagerly anticipated duets round.  First again was Matt performing ‘Unfaithful’ with Rihanna, it looked so hot and steamy with plenty of chemistry, and that was just the ring of fire.  Next came Rebecca with ‘Beautiful’ alongside Christina Aguilera, this was at a slow and calm paced, just as the original version was.  Next came One Direction singing ‘She’s The One’ with now regular guest Robbie Williams, it all came together, voice and performance style.  Finally Cher did a mix of ‘Where Is The Love?’ and ‘I Gotta Feeling’ with Black Eyed Peas front man Will.I.Am, perhaps the most stand out of the four because of its upbeat and unique adaption of doing two songs together.

Following additional performances from both Rihanna and Christina Aguilera, the voting lines were frozen and the first results for final weekend were delivered.  Finally, the judges had lost their power and the public were now in control.  Their votes decided that Rebecca, One Direction and Matt would be back to perform in the next phase of the final on Sunday.  A right result as they had been the three front runners throughout most of this series.

So that meant Cher, despite the heroics of the night, was finally gone.  Considering her desire to win, you would have thought she might have been a broken wreck following the announcement of her exit but she surprised everyone by being gracious and accepting the defeat.  There is no doubt she will get a contract and sell thousands of singles and albums, as if Simon Cowell doesn’t offer her a deal, it’s almost likely that Cheryl Cole will snap her up.

STANDING: The final three get set for the final round

The first half had come to an explosive conclusion and now just Matt, Rebecca and One Direction were left the running to be crowned X Factor winner 2010 and earn that life changing recording contract. But who will it be?

TO BE CONTINUED…

The X-Factor 2010 - The semi-final showdown

BY JASON WRIGHT

Just five acts were now left in the running for X-Factor glory, supermarket worker Mary Byrne, teenager Cher Lloyd, single mother Rebecca Ferguson, boyband One Direction and DIY handyman Matt Cardle.  Now all five acts were in the crucial semi-final and by the end of last weekend, four would be in this year’s grand final and one would be heading home with their dreams destroyed.

UPBEAT: Rebecca Ferguson wowed the judges

As with past semi-finals, two songs were required from each act to get through.  First each act performed a ‘Club Classic’, which basically meant a popular song at nightclubs/discos and a song handpicked by them as one they believe would get them into the final.  First to go was Rebecca singing ‘Show Me Love’.  Despite having wowed previously, something she has lacked before is performing an upbeat song, finally this was her chance and she didn’t disappoint. Then as expected, she went back to her ballad roots for the second song, ‘Amazing Grace’ was so captivating and heartfelt, many have said this would be a two-way fight for the win but don’t count her out yet.

UNDERWHELMING: Mary didn't do enough to stay in

Next up was Mary, first with ‘Never Can Say Goodbye’ which again seemed to be underwhelming though upbeat songs are not her thing.  Her second performance again returned to her specialist area with ‘The Way We Were’, a poignant choice as it was her late mother’s favourite song and so understandably made her very emotional.  Nevertheless, her performances were solid if unspectacular and still left her with every chance of reaching the final.

BELOW-PAR: But Matt did enough to make the final

In the week’s build-up, Matt’s participation had been in severe doubt, suffering from severe laryngitis and then tonsillitis.  Yet although having hardly had any rehearsal time, just hours before the live show, he took the brave decision to sing.  His first song ‘You Got the Love’ was certainly not his best for the well-documented reasons but still giving the best he could.  The same could be said for his second performance, ‘She’s Always a Woman.’  Simon Cowell didn’t agree, stating it was his worst performance. Nevertheless, his huge fanbase and previous form should still carry him through.

CONFIDENT: Cher stuck to her usual routine

Matt may have been under huge pressure, but Cher was feeling it even more.  Although her performances had been strong of late, over the last few weeks, she had alienated the public for some strange reason and was going into the semi perhaps as the clear-cut favourite to get the axe.  In this situation, there was only one thing to do; she had call upon her specialist route of rapping.  Both of her performance of ‘Nothin’ on You’ and ‘Love the Way You Lie’ easily showed examples of the format, which has been so much criticised but something she had to do to stay in.  Dannii Minogue thought she had to perform a ballad but at the end of the day it was Cher’s choice and now her fate was with the public.

GAMBLE: One Direction took risks that paid off

One Direction had also been heavily affected.  Their mentor Simon had been struck down with man flu throughout the week so Cheryl Cole kindly stepped in to oversee their rehearsals. Also, Zain had missed many rehearsals, as he was back in Bradford, following the tragic death of his grandfather.  The group’s first performance was perhaps the best of round one, taking a huge risk performing Rihanna’s ‘Only Girl In The World’ which had only been a couple of weeks old but it totally worked.  Then they followed it up with ‘Chasing Cars’ which again, was totally spot-on.

Continuing the trend of series firsts, another two were made in the Sunday results show. Firstly, the first ever four-way X Factor final and secondly, the first semi-final sing-off.  The latter came at the surprise to the public as this had been unannounced until then.  However ITV had later said, it was planned weeks ahead, they just clumsily didn’t re-write the script.

Firstly, as before, the three acts with the most votes went through. They were One Direction, keeping Simon in the competition, Rebecca, ensuring the already-known fact that Cheryl would make the final again and Matt, sealing a double whammy of delight for Dannii, as just 24 hours earlier, her former protégé, Stacey Solomon won this year’s series of I’m A Celebrity.

SHOWDOWN: Cher and Mary await their fate

That left Cher and Mary, the two acts most at risk of leaving in the sing-off.  Both of them literally gave the performance of their lives and it left the judges with a difficult decision.  Louis Walsh went first to vote and as expected, chose to keep his last act Mary.  Dannii opted to send Cher through, along with mentor Cheryl which left Simon having to decide who got the last place in the final.  After several minutes of mulling whether to send Cher to the final or revert the decision back to the public vote, he save Cher, no surprise as he had continually backed her throughout.

This left the public up in arms, as they obviously wanted Mary to go through and it meant the Louis was out of the competition before the final YET AGAIN, making it now just one appearance in the past five finals for him, a sobering statistic.  Personally, it doesn’t feel right to have a semi-final sing-off but that was the decision after all.  What they need to do next time is give the public a prior warning of this rather than just leave this to minutes before it was going to take place.

STANDING: The final four, who are you backing?

But nevertheless, it is a still a strong line-up for this weekend’s big finale.  Cher Lloyd, Matt Cardle, One Direction and Rebecca Ferguson, and by late Sunday night, one of them will have won The X-Factor 2010 and become the nation’s next big music sensation.

The final starts this Saturday at 7pm on ITV1 and ITV1 HD, with a two-part report to follow next week. Britain, Who Are You Backing?

Russell & Katy Get Hitched In India

US POP sensation Katy Perry tied the knot last Saturday with the controversial comedian Russell Brand.  In a private ceremony in India, Perry and Brand exchanged vows infront of a selection of celebrity guests, including Rihanna, David Walliams and Jonathan Ross.

Brand and Perry first met in September 2009 at the MTV Video Music awards and have been almost inseparable ever since.  The popular comedian, who has his own Channel 4 show, ‘Ponderland,’ proposed to Perry outside the Taj Mahal whilst enjoying a romantic holiday last Christmas.  They have desperately tried to keep details of the wedding under wraps, to stop a massive intrusion from the British and American media. 

Consequently, few pictures have appeared of the celebration, with the belief with many is that an exclusive magazine deal may have been put in place at a later date.  Perry also revealed on Twitter that she pleaded for privacy whilst the wedding was happening.

Russell Brand made the headlines for the wrong reasons in 2008, when along with his best pal Jonathan Ross, the pair left obtrusive and insulting messages on the answer phone of former Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs.  The scandal that followed led to Brand having no option, but to resign from his very successful show on BBC Radio 2.  Since then, he seems to have grown up and taken responsibility for his action and Katy Perry has certainly played her part in a change of cultured personality.  Perry has been successful in the charts with hit songs such as ‘California Gurls,’ and ‘I Kissed a Girl,’ in the last two years.

We shall see how long the happy times can go on for, but I wish Katy and Russell the very best of luck with their newly-found happiness.