After the 2009 Mercury Music prize shortlist was announced earlier this week, I was left completely baffled as to why, once again the bigwigs behind the nominations refused to acknowledge any rock or metal bands?
Now I know they‘re classed as a bit ‘underground‘ and they don‘t make it on to Radio One every week, but why the heck do we have acts such as Speech Debelle, Led Bib and The Invisible making the cut whilst immense acts don’t get a look in.
And it’s not the first time the pretentious folk over the Mercury Music Prize HQ have completely overlooked all things metal, in fact, it’s actually the 18th year that our favourite genre has been denied a presence on the final shortlist.
Now, I know we can accuse rock and metal of being a bit of a ‘niche’ genre, but lets face it, Florence and The Machine, Sweet Billy Pilgrim and The Horrors…. They’re stuck in a time warp and seem to be more concerned with looking cool than making music.
Anyone who follows my blogs will know how angry I get with these indie types (who make up sub-genres in order to appear cool) but let’s face it, they all wear clothes they stole from some charity shop and pile on ridiculous neon accessories any chance they get.
What’s more, most of them don’t even sing in tune, they just warble on and on and on to some synthesiser whilst doubling over and waving their hands about as though they have the worst stomach cramps in the world… now is this what we should be giving a prize for?
The answer is, quite simply, no.
You can’t tell me that since 1992, there have been no decent metal albums released, in fact I would like someone to explain why the Blackout, Fightstar or You Me At Six – you know the ‘famous’ rock stars - have never got a look in… because there’s no way on this planet they can miss out on the list whilst Bat For Lashes sits up there.
What’s more, if we’re doing it for the ‘trendy kids’ and not the old rockers, then where are UK legends Gallows, my favourite UK band, Biffy Clyro or emo favourites Funeral For A Friend? I’d even go as far as to ask where Enter Shikari are, after all, some of the neon kids like to stomp their feet around to that every so often.
What I want to know though, is why this award is only acknowledging pretentious indie kids (not you Kasabian) and overlooking some of the most epic albums of 2009 in favour of people who make music they know people will like as opposed to music they believe in.
So, in honour of rock / metal and anything that doesn’t look like something your gran would have worn back in the day, here are our list of top albums of the past year, which we think deserve the prize far more than any of these trend followers… simply because we, the real music fans, are the trend setters.
Just think what that £22,000 would do for (some) bands like these;
Bring Me The Horizon – Suicide Season
Enter Shikari – Common Dreads
Fightstar – Be Human
Gallows – Grey Britain
The Blackout – The Best In Town
The Ghost Of A Thousand – New Hopes, New Demonstrations
U2 – No Line on the Horizon
You Me At Six – Take Off Your Colours
Love it! Ruth xx
