Report: Barclaycard Mercury Prize Nominee Announcements Hospital Club, London 20/7/10
By: Izzy James
Rockfeedback were graciously invited to attend the unveiling of the shortlist of British acts that have been nominated for the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for Album of the year 2010. Held at The Hospital Club in Convent Garden, we decided to go see what the fuss was all about (we were also told there would be free drinks. There were – well, coffee and juice. It was 11.30am).
Music and media darlings akin flocked to the camera-laden room to bask in the serene blue glow of some moody/cool lights and witness the ever-lovely Lauren Laverne host. How Kenicke were never nominated for a Mercury themselves is beyond us, but somehow Lauren seems to be able to oversee this heinous crime and battle through to announce the nominees as being:
Biffy Clyro – Only Revolutions
Corinne Bailey Rae - The Sea
Dizzee Rascal - Tongue N' Cheek
Foals - Total Life Forever
I Am Kloot - Sky At Night
Kit Downes Trio - Golden
Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can
Mumford & Sons -Sigh No More
Paul Weller - Wake Up the Nation
The xx - xx
Villagers - Becoming a Jackal
Wild Beasts - Two Dancers
Is it just us or is that a pretty obvious list? Well, Paul Weller came as a bit of a shock, but for the wrong reason. Surely the whole point of the award is to give deserving exposure to all 12 nominees and then eventually gift the winner with the sum of £20,000 to help them with their blossoming career? Paul Weller doesn’t really fit the bill. Or Dizzee Rascal for that matter, yet it seems that he can do no wrong in the eyes of the panelists, having been nominated twice before and winning in 2003 for Boy In Da Corner.
Both Corinne Bailey Rae and Villagers were at the announcement to each play one song live, with Villagers performance definitely being the more memorable of the two thanks to some devastatingly good vocals and some very honest songwriting, helping to confirm his place in the list, despite being relatively unknown.
It seem as though everyone has already tipped The xx as the winners; their name was announced last before a rather dramatic pause from Laverne followed by a representative from the betting agency William Hill giving the odds for all acts, but placing The xx as most likely to win with good odds of 2/1.
Although we are ready to be undoubtedly disappointed, we here at Rockfeedback think the most deserved winner would have to be Laura Marling. It has been said time and time again, but for someone so young, her songwriting skill is nothing short of scary and I Speak Because I Can is such a beautiful example at the sort of shockingly good talent that the UK can produce. It would seem silly that she should be nominated for a second time and not walk home the victor.
Annoyingly we’ll all have to wait until the 7th of September until the actual winner is announced.
Artists in this article: Foals, Biffy Clyro, Dizzee Rascal, I Am Kloot, Laura Marling, Mumford and Sons, Paul Weller, The XX, Villagers, Wild Beasts, Corinne Bailey Rae , Kit Downes Trio ,