Brits greatest hits: the inside story

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/feb/22/brits-greatest-hits-inside-story-brit-awards

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You can spend the whole year preparing for the Brit awards: booking the hottest acts, securing enough rehearsal time, making sure all the right bigwigs are invited. Then you turn up and there’s not enough booze, the live acts are deafening the guests and the deputy prime minister is calling you into his office for a dressing-down.

The Brits might have a reputation for being terminally uncool, but even the best-planned ceremonies have a habit of going awry. We spoke to some of the ceremony’s major players to find out what it’s really like behind the scenes … and how Stevie Nicks’s hairdryer once saved the day.

Prezza’s hairdryer treatment

Rob Dickins Former record executive and Brits chairman from 1993-1995In 1988, I said we had to cut the last award to get the Who [who had recently re-formed] on stage. The producers and Noel Edmonds said no. Noel started reading out the categories for best male artist, and I flipped. I went on stage, as the clock was ticking towards the news, and said: “The winner is Rick Astley. I am accepting on his behalf. Please welcome the Who.” I don’t think Rick has ever forgiven me.

Mick Fleetwood and Samantha Fox [who hosted the following year] weren’t meant to be funny, but it became the funniest show of all. I was in a box with Tim Burton, who was making Batman at the time, and we were crying with laughter.

John Prescott was on the table I was hosting in 1998. To get on to the table [to pour water over Prescott], one of Chumbawamba stepped on my wife’s thigh, so she had a bruise the size of a football. Pauline Prescott had to borrow Stevie Nicks’s hairdryer backstage to fix her hair. We got called in [to Prescott’s office] the next morning, and hauled over the coals.

Rick cries, Prince mumbles

Noel Edmonds Host in 1985, 1986 and 1988Two memories of hosting spring to mind. One is not understanding a word Prince said [when he won best soundtrack for Purple Rain in 1985]. The other was when we ran out of time in 1988, and poor Rick Astley never got to collect his award for best single – and ended up in tears. My presenting of it was the end of an era and they then decided that they wanted to go for a … more adventurous style of presentation. I haven’t seen it in years. That’s not me being rude about the British pop industry, but it’s not the kind of thing that I watch for televisual entertainment, to be honest.

‘Fingergate’

Maggie Crowe Director of events and charities at the BPIThe live show is a white-knuckle ride. We can’t start and stop - sometimes to our own detriment as with “Fingergate” [Adele had her acceptance speech cut short in 2012 so Blur could perform, and flipped the bird to the cameras]. When it happened, I ran straight over to the Beggars Banquet table [Adele’s record company]. You’ve never seen someone move so fast.

Live from the ATM

Johnny Vaughan Host in 1999I don’t particularly like the Brits. Kids watching the show see these credible rock’n’roll figures of rebellion, who they look up to, sitting beside some fat geezer in a suit who is the first to congratulate them when they win. Would I want to host it again? Absolutely not.

At one point, I was standing there and there was the MasterCard logo below the plinth. It felt like I was doing the show live from the top of a cashpoint. In no way is this someone talking bitterly about their experience. It was a terrific night.

Bring the noize

Mathew Horne Co-host in 2009How did I feel? Pretty calm, although the bank of people at the front of the stage are so noisy. It’s great for atmosphere, but really difficult to hear what is going on.

The ‘no-booze’ Brits

Tony Wadsworth Former Brits chairman (2001-2003), BPI chairman (2007-2014) and former EMI chairmanThe KLF had their machine guns with Extreme Noise Terror [in 1992]. I remember Sir Georg Solti, the renowned conductor, was rushed out of the theatre covering his ears.

In 2002, we opened with a gobsmacking animated Gorillaz performance. ITV wanted to re-edit it [it was not broadcast live] so it would open with Kylie. I wanted to focus more on the show than the party, so I experimented with not having dining tables. That year was the infamous “No booze Brits”, which, of course, had just as much booze as any other year – if not more. The difference was that [the drinking] wasn’t shown on screen. But it was a failure, definitely.

I ❤ the 90s

Nemone Co-host of BBC Radio 1’s coverage in 2001/2The 1990s were the heyday, as there was a bit more irreverence from the artists. They were going to have their say, and they were going to moon Michael Jackson. If you’re broadcasting from there you’re thinking, “Yay! It’s kicked off!”

Related: The Brit awards 2015: more thumping inevitability at pop's joyless office party

Right there, right then

Mike Edwards Jesus Jones singer and award presenter in 1992I presume I was annoyed at the time that we’d not been nominated. I have very little memory of the night, but what I do remember is getting a flight to America the next day, and the Brits coming up on the cabin screen. There I was presenting an award to Lisa Stansfield, which made me feel acutely self-conscious.

Thumbs up for Macca

Ged Doherty BPI chairman, Brits chairman 2008-2010 and former chairman of Sony Music UKThe year Paul McCartney won outstanding contribution to music [2008], I had to do a lot of lobbying to his people. There was a lot of my personal time taken up getting him on the show.

Don’t stop schmoozing

Sara Cox Award presenter in 2000I can’t honestly remember what award I gave out! [It was to S Club 7 for best British breakthrough act.] You’re there for a long time. The Brits is the most exhausting, fun 12 hours you can have.