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The 18th Annual ARIA Music Awards were held at the Sydney
Superdome on October 17 and this columnist was there to capture all
of the excitement on the red carpet and backstage. For the uninitiated,
the ARIAs are Australia's most prestigious music industry awards celebrating
the achievements of Australian artists over the past year. More than
2000 music industry guests and 6000 fans turned up for the event,
which was hosted by Rove McManus and broadcast on Network Ten.
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THE WINNERS
This year's awards will be remembered for three letters
- J-E-T! Jet absolutely cleaned up on the night taking away
a whopping six gongs in total on the back of the success of their
debut album 'Get Born'. The Melbourne four-piece, who restored hard-rocking
riffs and anthems to chart glory, scored awards for Best Album,
Best Group, Best Rock Album, Breakthrough Artist - Album ('Get Born'),
Breakthrough Artist - Single ('Are You Gonna Be My Girl') and the
prestigious Single of the Year for 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl'.
There were mixed feelings backstage however when brothers Nic and
Chris Cester talked about their father's recent passing. "It's
a shame obviously that dad couldn't be here tonight. I don't know
if he gets Channel Ten where he is at the moment but I hope he's
watching," said Nic. They also sung their praises for legendary
Australian outfit The Easybeats. They said, "Everybody
knows 'Friday On My Mind' but the Easybeats probably inspired us
in more ways than what we usually get tagged with. It's because
that scene existed at that time that made us want to be in a band."
A supergroup featuring Nic Cester on vocals (with members of other
ARIA nominated bands such as The Living End, Dallas Crane
and Spiderbait) closed the show with a cover of the Stevie
Wright (Easybeats) classic 'Evie (Part 1)' as a tribute to the singer.
Chris Cester said of the performance, "That whole thing's all
about just trying to get everyone together and making this huge
thing so that rock 'n' roll is #1 again because it should be."
And that's just the way it panned out on the night for the band
who took away all the big awards.
Roots music also received some recognition on the
night with the John Butler Trio taking away three awards
for Best Blues and Roots Album and Best Independent Release for
'Sunrise Over Sea' while John Butler himself was surprisingly named
Best Male Artist. The singer said, "Roots music you know -
it's good to see it get the recognition that it deserves. Without
roots music there wouldn't be rock 'n' roll so it's good to see
there's an appreciation for it out there." Butler, who releases
his albums independently in this country also joined in on the debate
of major record companies versus the independents. He said, "I'm
very proud to be independent but I'm independent just because that's
just the way it works for me. I'm signed overseas - I just signed
a record deal overseas. I don't think any one is better than the
other as long as artists have complete 100% creativity/control,
which a lot of artists don't get but I have with my record deals
overseas. Business and music - I think it's very essential for all
musicians to have a business mind about them. Otherwise they're
going to get screwed in some way or another."
Kasey Chambers also had a successful night walking away
with the Best Country Album for the chart-topping 'Wayward Angel',
and against the odds took out Best Female Artist for the same release.
Backstage she could barely contain her excitement speaking of how
rewarding it is to have success on her own terms. She said, "I
think the biggest lesson I've learned is to stick to your guns and
do what you do. You don't have to compromise what you do in order
to get success. That's probably the biggest thing I am proud of
in my career being able to do that. You know, still play the music
that I love and I've been really lucky in that there are a fair
few people out there that like it."
The queen of the 2003 ARIAs Delta Goodrem also managed to
take home an award despite having released any new material over
the year. 'Innocent Eyes' was crowned the Highest Selling Album
for the 2nd year in a row which is a rare feat. But backstage, Delta
was more excited about talking up her new album 'Mistaken Identity'.
She said, "The new album has a lot of songs that I really felt
I just had to be completely honest and talk about the experiences
from the past year and reflect on everything that was going on.
But then also, there are some positive songs on there saying, you
know what, I'm still singing, I'm here again at the ARIAs with everybody
and it's fantastic." Delta performed the first single off the
album 'Out Of The Blue' on the night for the first time anywhere
in the world but the performance was a major topic of discussion
on her website in the days after the event with many fans criticising
it. Delta flew out to London (where most of the album was recorded)
in the week after the awards but will be back in time to promote
the new album. She said, "I really look forward to people hearing
it because seeing as there has been a lot of discussion around it,
I felt that I already put all my thoughts and feelings into this
music."
Missy Higgins also joked about her success this year after
picking up the Best Pop Release for 'Scar'. She said, "I
don't think it's going to buy 5 star hotels but I think I might
have moved up a little bit from the backpacking hostels. I hope
so anyway. I'm a bit over the flea bites". Previously discovered
by Triple J's unearthed, she revealed that she took a break after
winning the competition. She said, "I went backpacking around
Europe after I'd signed to my record label. I just kind of knew
that I needed the time off because everyone was telling me like
you get started in the music industry and once the ball starts
rolling, it's hard to stop so it was something that I'd been saving
up for that I really wanted to do. I'm glad I did it."
Guy Sebastian, a wide-eyed Australian Idol at last year's
ARIA Awards, won Highest Selling Single for 'Angels Brought Me
Here' and Channel [V]'s Oz Artist of the Year. According to the
bro with the fro, the past year has been all about learning. He
said, "It's been a really short time but I've learned so
much. I've been overseas making my album. I think I've learned
that not everyone gets the opportunity that I've had. My record
company basically gave me a budget and said go and do your album
and kind of just gave me free rein to do what I like and along
the journey I've learned so much." He was also very thankful
to the Australian public for voting him the Australian Idol last
year. He said, "I was fortunate enough to go on Idol. I know
it's copped a lot of flak. But you know I'm so proud to have been
voted by the people that matter to me."
Congratulations to all of the winners at the 2004 ARIA
Music Awards - the full list of which can be found below:
ALBUM OF THE YEAR - Jet 'Get Born'
SINGLE OF THE YEAR - Jet 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl'
BEST GROUP - Jet 'Get Born'
BEST MALE ARTIST - John Butler 'Sunrise Over Sea'
BEST FEMALE ARTIST - Kasey Chambers 'Wayward Angel'
HIGHEST SELLING SINGLE - Guy Sebastian 'Angels Brought
Me Here'
HIGHEST SELLING ALBUM - Delta Goodrem 'Innocent Eyes'
BEST POP RELEASE - Missy Higgins 'Scar'
BEST ROCK ALBUM - Jet 'Get Born'
BEST URBAN RELEASE - Koolism 'Part 3 Random Thoughts'
BEST BLUES & ROOTS ALBUM - John Butler Trio 'Sunrise
Over Sea'
BEST DANCE RELEASE - Infusion 'Girls Can Be Cruel'
BEST COUNTRY ALBUM - Kasey Chambers 'Wayward Angel'
BEST ADULT CONTEMPORARY ALBUM - Paul Kelly 'Ways &
Means'
BEST CHILDREN'S ALBUM - Hi-5 'Holiday'
BEST COMEDY RELEASE - Scared Weird Little Guys 'Bits
and Pieces'
BEST INDEPENDENT RELEASE - John Butler Trio 'Sunrise
Over Sea'
BEST MUSIC DVD - Midnight Oil 'Best Of Both Worlds'
BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST - ALBUM - Jet 'Get Born'
BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST - SINGLE - Jet 'Are You Gonna Be
My Girl'
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Fine Arts Awards
BEST CLASSICAL ALBUM - Teddy Tahu Rhodes 'The
Voice'
BEST JAZZ ALBUM - The Necks 'Drive By'
BEST ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK/CAST/SHOW RECORDING -
David Bridie 'Nautical Forlorn'
BEST WORLD MUSIC ALBUM - Seaman Dan 'Perfect Pearl'
Artisan Awards
BEST COVER ART - James Hackett for 'The Dissociatives'
by The Dissociatives
BEST VIDEO - James Hackett for 'Somewhere Down
The Barrel' by The Dissociatives
ENGINEER OF THE YEAR - Paul McKercher for 'A Song
Is A City' by Eskimo Joe
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR - Paul McKercher and Eskimo
Joe for 'A Song Is A City' by Eskimo Joe
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THE LOSERS
Eskimo Joe, Pete Murray, The Dissociatives, Dan Kelly &
The Alpha Males, Dallas Crane and The Cat Empire all
went away empty handed on the night despite having multiple nominations
each. One has to feel for Pete Murray in particular who was nominated
in five categories and thoroughly deserved an award for the major
success of his debut album 'Feeler' which is still charting after
more than 15 months in the Top 50. Shannon Noll also missed
out despite having the year's highest selling single in 'What
About Me' and one of the year's highest selling albums in 'That's
What I'm Talking About'.
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BACKSTAGE GOSS
*The Black Eyed Peas revealed their plans to
release a new album in February 2005. They said, "Rhythmically
it's a lot faster and more aggressive. It's kinda like a combo of
'Hey Mama' & 'Lets Get Retarded' combined. Also on the record
we got James Brown - the godfather of soul. We also collaborated with
Sting." And commenting on the pressure to follow up the huge
success of 'Elephunk', they said, "We just go in the studio and
make music. We write songs everyday. It's not really a struggle. You
don't really compare it. There's always going to be a situation that
you want to release. That's what it's about. It's releasing that pain."
2005 is shaping up to be a big year for the group who will not only
be celebrating their 10th year anniversary but also plan to come back
to Australia for another tour in March.
*Jimmy Barnes and Chris Cheney (The Living
End) also revealed that they have collaborated on a track called
'Resurrection Shuffle' for the forthcoming Jimmy Barnes '2UP' album.
Cheney spoke about the union as well as his involvement in the supergroup
that performed 'Evie'. He said, "It actually feels really good
to be playing guitar with someone other than the other two guys in
my band because I've never really done it so it's actually quite refreshing
to be playing with other musicians and stuff for a change. It's been
really great. Also, the thing we did with Jimmy too - we've never
really done anything like that before. We learned so much from recording
- especially with Jimmy. It was probably the quickest most fun kind
of recording session we've done because we wanted the best result
so that says it all right there." Barnes added, "I think
it's a great thing for bands to get together because you always learn
something." Cheney also spoke about The Living End's nomination
for Best Rock Album for 'Modern Artillery'. He said, "It's actually
good to be nominated for us because we've been overseas for most of
this year. We released the album last October and then pretty much
went overseas. We haven't really been in the country promoting it
as much as I would have liked but to get a nomination is actually
a bit of a surprise."
*The top 6 Australian Idol finalists also attended
the big event. Finalist Chanel summed up the night when she said,
"Well everything that's happened on Australian Idol has been
really bizarre and tonight was like another mad episode of Inside
Idol." When asked what she wanted to be as a kid, she said, "I
wanted to be a princess because then I'd have people to clean up after
me. But I said that while I was dusting…hehe." When asked
the same question, the height challenged Anthony said, "I still
have to grow up," while Marty said, "I was going to be like
a crazed mad inventor. But that didn't last very long." Unfortunately
for him, neither did his stint on Australian Idol as he was voted
out the following night. Courtney on the other hand said, "I
always wanted to be a rock star." He will soon find out whether
that dream will become a reality with the winner of Australian Idol
being announced later this month.
*Australian Idol runners up from 2003 Shannon Noll
and Cosima also came in for a chat. Shannon said of the current
idols, "I think they're all great kids. They're all very talented
so good luck to them." Cosima on the other hand spoke about her
decision to leave Australian Idol. She said, "I really believe
that everything happens for a reason. If that hadn't happened, I wouldn't
have been where I am today." She added, "The supporters,
they were absolutely amazing from the moment that I left. Australians
have an amazing capacity to just bond together and they really showed
their affection for me when I left." She also spoke about the
decision to release her album independently. She said, "It might
take a bit longer and it might be slightly harder but I'm doing what
I love and at the end of the day that's what's important and I've
done an album that I can be proud of.
VARIOUS TIDBITS
*Best Cleavage Award for the 2004 ARIAs
goes to Tina Arena who joked about her 'Greatest
Hits' album being re-titled "Greatest Tits"…we're
with you on that one Tina! Honorable mentions go to Kate
Ceberano, Katie Noonan, Tiffani Wood, and Nessa
Morgan.
*Best Dressed Award goes to Sophie Monk
who looked fantastic in her Lisa Ho dress. Honorable
mention goes to Andrew Mercado from MAX who was
dressed in a butcher's outfit and happily posed for a
photo with us.
*Spotted: Ian Thorpe texting away
on his mobile phone at the afterparty at the Establishment.
*Also spotted: Guy Sebastian look-alike
Aaron Lay who was last seen by this columnist trying to
sneak in to the afterparty. Not only did he succeed, but
he did well to convince some people that he was the real
deal.
*Winners of the Best Dance Release Infusion
have come out of the closet revealing that they'd
like to remix The Wiggles track 'Dorothy The Dinosaur'.
*After two years of touring for 'Get Born',
Jet are ready to start writing for their next album.
In the meantime, watch Channel [V] on the 13th & 14th
of November from 12 noon EST for a world exclusive broadcast
of a performance by the band.
*In the no names department, which high
profile celebrity was spotted acting suspiciously in the
bathroom at the start of the ceremony?
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TOP 10 QUOTES
Here are the Top 10 quotes that this columnist
was privy to backstage:
1. "It's just bullshit that goes on
afterwards. I don't know what everybody else's ulterior
motive is but I just want to say hi to a few people and
I actually want to go to bed." Tina ('Italians
do it better') Arena speaking about the afterparty
2. "A year and a half ago, and even
now, if someone told me that my song had went in the Top
100, I'd be doing cartwheels for months." Guy
Sebastian on the #1 success of 'Angels Brought Me Here'
3. "Appreciation is majorly appreciated
and that kind of appreciation is surreal. I wasn't expecting
that." John Butler on picking up three awards
for the 'Sunrise Over Sea' album.
4. "One thing we did was when we realised
that nobody was coming to see us play, we just made it
all about the songwriting. We just kind of locked ourselves
away and made sure we honed our craft and all that sort
of shit." Jet on their early days
5. "I like the fact that they, when
they recorded their music, you don't know if it was made
today or if it was made in the 60s. They really nailed
it. They wrote good songs not really concerned about what
today's "popular" standards are to get on the
radio." Black Eyed Peas giving props to Jet
6. "We worked hard at pushing Australian
music, home-grown in the suburbs of Melbourne, and we
sold it around the world. And we're still very proud of
that and opened the door for lots of other people that
came behind us and still continues on now. Australia is
now a completely international musical country and we
played our small part." The classic line up of
the Little River Band after being inducted into the ARIA
Hall of Fame
7. "Australia is always my home and
that's where I will always base myself definitely. And
I've got my dogs and I've got my family and everything
so I always come home here…I will be spending a little
bit of time overseas but Australia is my base." Delta
Goodrem still calls Australia home
8. "A year ago I would have never in
my wildest dreams thought that I would be here right now."
Missy Higgins commenting on her success
9. "Hip hop is really taking off and
people are catching on to something that really is Australian."
Koolism on their Best Urban Release award win
10. "I think there's just been a lack
of alcohol tonight." Eskimo Joe sum up the night
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© Words & Images: Danny Canak
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