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Higgins ‘Gutted’ Over Choice Music Prize Snub
Singer-songwriter, nice guy and general old-mucker-of-mine Ollie Higgins released a statement tonight admitting he’s “gutted” his Grand Stretch in the Evenings album was overlooked by the judges of the Choice Music Prize this year. Magnanimous to a fault, Ollie pays tribute to all the nominees. But his own exclusion, he attributes frankly to “politics plain and simple”. Many years ago, he explains, he was part of a school table quiz team that made it all the way to the Community Games regional finals. Only one question stood between them and a coveted place in Mosney. Higgins was asked to name the first man in space. “My head was saying Yuri Gagarin, Yuri Gagarin, Yuri Gagarin,” recounts Higgins solemnly. “But for some reason, what came out of my mouth was ‘Uri Geller’. It’s a mistake I’m just going to have to live with for the rest of my life.”
His former team mate is now a Choice Music Prize honcho and Ollie believe that bad blood has stood in the way of his nomination. Does he have a message then for his old friend? “Yes,” he admits… “Jim, please stop dropping bent spoons through my letterbox. I get the message already. Its been twenty years dude…”
January 15th, 2010 at 8:36 am
ollie and david kitt should chip in a few sheckles and take a hit out on him..
see comment 106
http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/ontherecord/2010/01/13/its-the-one-you-have-been-waiting-for-the-choice-music-prize-shortlist/#comments
maybe they could get whoever did this to carry it out (just to keep it music related)
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/theampersand/archive/2010/01/14/record-label-confirms-garage-rock-musician-jay-reatard-has-died.aspx
January 15th, 2010 at 12:13 pm
What happened to his Zeppelin tour and when are the tickets on sale??
January 15th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
@ Albinicus – Ollie is a man of peace. It’s gotten him where he is today.
@ David – that tour was pulled after one date, I’m afraid. For, er, technical reasons. Donations to the Serious Burns Unit.
January 15th, 2010 at 4:16 pm
Gutted about the tour. I was really looking forward to going up in that zeppelin!
January 15th, 2010 at 4:46 pm
You noticed I stayed out EK!? When was I ever in? Don’t know nearly enough about the albums in question to venture an opinion. Too many acronyms too – who the hell is SEBP??
The whole squabble, entertaining as it is, could probably be summed up in six words “Subjective opinion not universally agreed with.”
Which actually applies to every online argument ever about top 100 lists and awards etc. etc. Which is possibly why I stay out of them now that I think about it.
For anyone who doesn’t know what we’re talking about:
http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/ontherecord/2010/01/13/its-the-one-you-have-been-waiting-for-the-choice-music-prize-shortlist/
January 15th, 2010 at 5:16 pm
Er, wrong thread man.
Yeah, I liked the album too. I also admire him for speaking out if he felt he wasn’t treated fairly. But impugning Jim Carroll’s integrity? That’s another matter…
But we won’t get into that.
January 15th, 2010 at 5:40 pm
Neglecting Ollie Higgins from the Choice Music Prize is just another slap in the face that was 2009 for him. If the Zepplin Tour had gone ahead I think we would have seen a different outcome.
Ollie may feel that “politics” played a part, and sure Gellargate probably did. But his shunning of the mainstream media plays a bigger part. The judges all have requested interviews from the man himself, only to be rejected for one ridiculous reason or another. Play the game, Ollie, or get played.
January 15th, 2010 at 8:06 pm
Let’s call a spade a spade. Grand Stretch in the Evenings was a big disappointment for Ollie fans. Certainly not up there with his best work like ‘Common Man’ & ‘Decent Skin’!