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About as far outta the safe context of the Mtv Europe Awards as you could imagine, Icelandic wunderkids Sigur Rós tonight picked up the Video Music Award for 'Best Video', beating off competition from all the big hitters. Maybe that isn't such a big thing, but considering we've never seen the videos being rotated on Mtv/M2, it does seem oddly compelling to ponder, why and by whom this was voted the winner. Good choice tho.
In a very different way, Travis looking old and grey made some kind of publicity stunt about war and cruelty and poverty to help shift their new grey record for Sony, which was altogether pretty shocking. The song title alone, 'The Beautiful Occupation', is pretty painful. Not to mention the fact the folks carrying the signs were totally naked, flashing themselves to hordes of wide-eyed, spotty pop brats.
In other EMA news, Micheal Stipe made an incredibly over the top speech to introduce The White Stripes' (who won later won 'Best Rock') shambolic performance; The Darkness sounded pretty hollow tho the mass hand-clapping saw them through; Avid Merrion called Dido a "Bitch" as in "Check this bitch out, shammooooon!"; Kraftwerk looked cool-as in dayglo stripes and lazer beams but Kylie only introduced them (quashing earlier rumours/daydreams that they were to colloborate for the evening) and Justin Timberlake did his beatbox thing with Black Eyed Peas, didn't show up with the Flaming Lips vs Chemical Bros but won the awards that didn't goto Christina (who was hosting the show), Eminem or Beyonce.
Oh and lots of other people came on to say what a great time they were having to help promote their new records, which'll probably flop anyway.
DiScuss: Is tonight the start of a revamp for Mtv whereby they're gonna help support interesting and exciting music, improve access to music that isn't on the three major labels (about the only people who can afford to make videoes) and become a cultural figurehead for generations to come to be proud of? Is Fran the new Bono?
