Kasabian poached by Baftas after Brits snub
Guitarist Serge Pizzorno: "It’ll be a strange old show playing in front of a load of penguins"
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Your support makes all the difference.Awards season has begun and the rivalry isn’t just between the nominees. The Baftas have stolen a march on the Brit Awards by signing up Kasabian to perform, after the rock band was snubbed by the music industry’s annual showcase.
When Hollywood’s A-list stars settle into their plush seats at the Royal Opera House for Britain’s equivalent of the Oscars, they will be entertained by a blast from the anthemic Leicester band, who promise an explosive opening to the evening.
There was widespread surprise when Kasabian failed to receive a Brit nomination ahead of next month’s awards. It followed a year in which they headlined Glastonbury, topped the charts and were voted the Best Band in the World Today by Q magazine.
In the battle for attention between the two competitive awards shows, held a fortnight apart, sharp-eyed Bafta producers asked Kasabian, famed for their riotous live gigs, to open the show for its black tie-clad audience of nominees and film grandees.
Katherine Allen of Bafta producers Whizz Kid Entertainment, said: “Kasabian are the biggest rock band of the year and they headlined Glasto. What better way to kick off the Baftas with a bang? We wanted something totally different this year.”
The profile of the Bafta awards has soared since it moved to a date preceding the Oscars, encouraging Hollywood nominees to walk the red carpet as they hustle for the attention of Academy voters.
Last year’s guest-list included George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Taylor Swift will play at the Brit awards but its star performers, Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran, may lack a little in glamour.
Serge Pizzorno, Kasabian's guitarist, told The Independent: “It’s a huge honour to open the Baftas because we’re all such great film fans. It’ll be a strange old show playing in front of a load of penguins but it’s going to be great.”
“We’re going to start the night off with a huge explosion. We’re going to play everything twice as loud. Half the people there won’t have a clue what is going on.”
Kasabian, victors at the 2010 Brits, believe the Baftas is now the more rock n’roll event. Pizzorno said: “It’s a conspiracy. They’re trying to shut rock and roll out of it [the Brits]. What sort of message does that send to working class rock and roll bands which the industry is in dire need of?”
“Kasabian couldn’t have done any more last year. It’s bulls***t really. It’s way more exciting playing the Baftas than the Brits.”
Last year Tinie Tempah performed at the Baftas, high-fiving the Duke of Cambridge in the front row. The film event has no qualms over encroaching on to the Brits’ territory. Ms Allen said: “Music and film go hand-in-hand. The Brits have actors presenting awards. The Baftas are all about supporting young British artists of all kinds.”
The Baftas, broadcast on BBC1 and the Brits, an ITV show, both recorded 4.6m viewers last year. However the real impact of the events is often judged by social media traffic and the column inches generated afterwards.
The Brits, shown live where the Baftas are time-delayed, is a much slicker spectacle these days, avoiding the famous disasters of the past. However some observers mourn the lack of Liam Gallagher-style unpredictability from the impeccably-behaved music stars of today.
Brits V Baftas
Baftas
Venue: Royal Opera House
Presenter: Stephen Fry
Dress code: Black tie, designer gowns
Viewing figures 2014: 4.6m
Scandalous moment: Russell Crowe pinned a TV executive against a wall after his acceptance speech was cut short in 2002
Brits
Venue: O2 Arena
Presenter: Ant and Dec
Dress Code: Flesh, and lots of it
Viewing figures 2014: 4.6m
Scandalous moment: Jarvis Cocker’s Michael Jackson stage invasion, the Sam Fox/Mick Fleetwood presentation debacle, Chumbawumba dowsing John Prescott, etc
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