The last month in the Northern Irish music scene can only be described in one word… Buzzing!
Northern Ireland this month has been home not only to an array of vibrant local talent showcasing NI’s home-grown musicians, but has also been the stage for a whole host of International artists, including gigs by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Kasabian, which culminated in the MTV EMA’s on the 6th November.
In the run up to the MTV European Music Awards, NI was home to Belfast Music Week. A week musically filled with some of Northern Ireland’s most promising young acts and the main players from this side of the Pond. The highlight of the week was the Belfast Calling event, organised by CDC Leisure. Thirty of NI’s finest, played acoustic sets across a whole host of venues within the city. Acts from the likes of Mojo Fury and the legendary Rams’ Pocket Radio took to the stage in a showcase led by, James Walsh of Starsailor.
It was a truly special evening of unplugged performances’ from some of NI’s more powerfully hectic artists like Intermission; to hear tracks stripped back and raw was certainly a listening pleasure for the ears of music fans.
In all the fever pitch of the MTV EMA’s coming to town it is easy to forget that NI had its very own first music awards ceremony, celebrating the wealth of talent these shores have on offer. Organised by AU Magazine and Oh Yeah Presents, the first of the annual Northern Irish Music Awards was held in the Ulsterhall on November 2nd. The hosts for the evening were Across the Lines very own “Rigsy” and local radio station City beats’ Emma Fitzpatrick. Performances came from alternative rockers General Fiasco, And So I Watch You From Afar and Cashier No 9. Not to mention a storming performance from electronic dance act The Japanese Popstars and a blistering set from Punk legends the Stiff Little Fingers, who took home the Oh Yeah Legends award and closed the evening’s events with a performance not to be rivalled. It is unfortunate however that the awards were plagued with controversy and rumours of favouritism for some acts, due to the anonymity of the judging panel. This aside however, the NIMAs were along time in coming for a country filled with a wealth of emerging talent and can only be the start of an exciting platform for the NI scene.
I sat down with chuck from Pocket Billiards for a chat on how they felt to be Nominees on the night:
The first NIMA were held this week, how did it feel to be nominated for best live act?
After so many years gigging the circuit it’s been amazing to be nominated for this award and to be put in the same category as some of Northern Ireland’s best acts. For us playing live has always been about entertaining and having fun, we love putting on an energetic show – when the audience go nuts it makes us go even more nuts!
The awards were the first of their kind over here, how important is it for you guys to be recognized on your home turf?
We have had to work hard to make our stamp on the music scene here, as a Ska band it can be difficult to get the same opportunities as more mainstream genre bands. It’s so gratifying to be recognized in the first year of these awards, feels like all the hard work is paying off!
How did you find the atmosphere on the night of the awards?
Awards of this kind have never been held here, so no-one really knew what to expect. There was definitely a feeling of anticipation and intrigue in the air, but after the first round of bands and awards it started to feel like a regular gig at the Ulster Hall – which is no bad thing!
For you guys as a band, Is it important for the awards to become an annual event? Is it giving NI the platform it so longingly needed?
For us as a band, it’s not the most important thing in the world, but for the music industry in NI I think it’s extremely important. An annual event like this will give both new and established bands something to aim for. It would be great to see a wider range of categories and genres being included, perhaps a “best new band” category would help bring some of lesser known bands to the fore.
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All in all this month in Northern Ireland has certainly been one of the most hectic and exciting times the music scene has seen in a long time and it is showing no sign of slowing down for emerging talent.
Below is a list of all the winners at the NIMA 2011:
Best Band: Two Door Cinema Club
Best Song: General Fiasco- “The Age That You Start Losing Friends”
Best Album- Cashier No.9- To the Death of Fun
Best Video- Cashier No. 9- Lost At Sea
Best Live Act- And So I Watch You From Afar
Best Electronic Artist- Space Dimension Controller
Best Solo Artist: Robyn C. Shiels
Best Festival- Glasgowbury
Oh Yeah Contenders: The Wonder Villains
Oh Yeah Legends: Stiff Little Fingers
Words by: Dorothy Lawrence
