Rock & Pop - Grooves with Róisín Gadelrab
Instead of last year’s trip down the road to The Roundhouse, I headed to the Brit Awards launch at 02 Indigo on Monday, where this year’s nominees were announced.
The north London battle commences with Alexandra Burke (with Flo Rida) pitted against N-Dubz (alongside Tinchy Stryder) for Best Single with Bad Boys and Number One – both perfectly good pop songs. But what were the Brits people thinking when they put Dido and Duffy in the Album of 30 Years category – are they seriously in the top 10 albums since 1980? Where were Blur, Queen, Pulp, Amy Winehouse, The Stone Roses, The Smiths...and so on to infinity?
Next week the three Brits Critics’ Choice nominees Delphic, Ellie Goulding and Marina and the Diamonds play Dingwalls.
• I met Lee Bennett, the man behind Camden’s Walk of Fame at the launch. He told me The Brits are keen to sponsor a lifetime achievement plaque.
• Loyalties, Voodoo Pins, Congo Faith Healers and Nick Marsh play a Help Haiti gig at The Boston Arms, on Sunday – proceeds to Action Aid.
• RIP Memphis garage-rocker Jay Reatard, who died last week. We previewed his Underworld gig last year. Reviewer Alan Stafford recalls: “I saw him just after the gig walking along Camden High Street with a following of pretty girls – certainly much prettier than him – and remember thinking how the sex appeal of rock and roll can make up for pretty much any defect of person or personality. I’m not sure what killed him and maybe the lifestyle didn’t help, but he seemed to be having a fine old time that evening.”