Neil Finn and Paul Kelly are backstage talking to the press.
Entertainment reporter Angela Bishop is asks them to name their favourite song of each other’s. Paul Kelly cites Crowded House’s Into Temptation, Fall at Your Feet and Distant Sun. Neil Finn waxes about How to Make Gravy – “It’s a song that’s deeply emotional” – and You Can Put Your Shoes Under My Bed.
John Butler Trio are presenting best adult contemporary album and picking up the award are two titans of Antidipodean music Neil Finn and Paul Kelly for their live album Goin’ Your Way – and they’re here in person. (We’re digging Paul Kelly’s purple suit.)
Kind of amazing that we’re looking at a century worth of incredible songwriting talent; musical royalty that have outlasted so very many fad bands, and will outlast many more.
Plenty of people expressed much the same sentiment on Twitter, if more churlishly:
I hope Neil Finn and Paul Kelly have a decontamination gurney set up in the wings to spray off all this youthful jizz. #ARIAs2014 #ARIAs
— Team Jules (@RedJules4) November 26, 2014
Fondling the dangerously pointy pyramid-shaped Aria award, Neil Finn asks the most pertinent question of the night: “Has anyone ever died with one of these Aria awards.”
Earlier in the evening on Twitter, Finn had expressed enthusiasm about performing at Arias, at the same time condemning the mistreatment of asylum seekers.
looking forward to playing a couple of tunes with Paul Kelly tonight at the Arias , rehearsal was sweet .
— neil mullane finn (@NeilFinn) November 26, 2014
I believe the detention and mistreatment of asylum seekers is completely unacceptable but tonight I celebrate music with my friend Paul
— neil mullane finn (@NeilFinn) November 26, 2014
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chet faker > 5sos
— tricia okkkk (@yeahtricia) November 26, 2014
Thanks Chet Faker, for that breath of absolute fresh air, as you gave a heartfelt rendition of Talk is Cheap.
Chet Faker with Talk is Cheap at the #ARIAs. Best piano performance I have ever seen pic.twitter.com/5suASOyYC1
— 7KIP (@LO_AUS) November 26, 2014
Faker played an acoustic version of his hit track, played on the piano, with a cellist accompaniment. You could hear a pin drop in the room, such were we all captivated.
This dude has some serious onstage gravitas.
Chet Faker performance. Grand piano. Cello. Stunning. Ready for my mum to call tomorrow and ask why he is wearing a beanie in this weather.
— Karen Tinman (@ktonholiday) November 26, 2014
The woman in my row doing interpretive dance to Chet faker's performance made me nervous #ARIAs
— Tara Carter Johnston (@chunkytoast) November 26, 2014
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It’s teary-eye time as we pay tribute to the ABC show Countdown (which ran from 1974 until 1987) and its host Molly Meldrum, which is being admitted into the Arias hall of fame. Many of these kids will be too young to remember Countdown – confession, myself included. But I remember Molly fondly from his Hey, Hey, It’s Saturday days.
Molly is, in fact, getting teary and delivers an incredibly gracious speech: “We had some outrageous times, some hairy times, a few disasters (that was me) and some of my greatest fumbles, mumbles and tumbles.”
“I’m just like everyone in this room, tonight with you here for the same reason. Because I love music. It’s my passion, it’s my life and I’ve been so blessed to share it with so many people.
“On behalf of the team of Countdown we owe it all to the people out there, who are the fans. Those who came back for more, you are the pride of Countdown and so many of us who remember it.”
He also acknowledges cricketer Phillip Hughes who is in a critical condition following a game injury.
Finally, Molly’s famous friends are paying tribute via video: AC/DC, Ben Elton, Olivia Newtown-John, Kylie Minogue and Rod Stewart, who made reference to us Molly’s accident three years ago where he fell off a ladder in his Melbourne backyard and ended up in hospital in a critical condition.
Molly’s looking a bit fragile on stage tonight, but he was all guns blazing on the red carpet earlier.
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And the award for the most disgruntled band tonight goes to Bluejuice, who have sadly just called it quits after 13 years of semi-nudity, sequinned leotards and deranged debauchery. (Last night the band posted a picture to Facebook of them holding their platinum record plaques with the “patient” record execs “who made it all happen”. The end of an era!)
We caught up with frontman Jake Stone in the interval, necking a glass of wine, and spewing a little bit of vitriol about the Arias that he would like us to quote in full. (Background briefing: Bluejuice have been up for many Aria awards in the past, and not won once):
“This [Jake points at himself] is the face of disappointment. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Bluejuice have been continual Aria nominees, and the best-loved band by every attendant here, and we are continually overlooked for an award because one, we’re not good enough and more importantly because there’s a plot against us. They should give us an award just because I’m so MOTHERFUCKING REAL.”
True dat, true dat.
Here’s Bluejuice’s parting gift to the world, single I’ll Go Crazy.
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If our live blog weren’t enough, you can watch a livestream of the Arias on YouTube.
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5 Seconds of Summer are in our vicinity at the moment, backstage talking to the press. The one with curly hair, Ashton Irwin, says it’s a “super-cool thing to come home and have the country behind us”.
Someone remarks that they’re looking very fresh-faced despite their big week (they flew in to Sydney yesterday – they were on the same flight as One Direction – straight from the American music awards, held in LA on Monday).
I'M SO PROUD OF 5SOS, RT IF YOU ARE TOO ❤️ #CONGRATS5SOS pic.twitter.com/QeM7kxz5dg
— was @TeamUSLittleMix (@5SOSRepublic) November 26, 2014
“I’m an emotional wreck right now,” says Calum Hood, the two-toned hair one.
The redhead, Michael Clifford, pipes up. He says winning an Aria “cannot be put into words”.
The curly hair one is thanking his parents.
This is profound stuff.
A journalist asks “How does it feel to be called the next One Direction.” The curly haired one refutes that, saying bla bla ... “better performers” ... bla ba “grow”....
Applause.
And then they are gone.
Here’s a tweet from a fan hovering around the red carpet, who clearly knows a lot more about these lads than we do:
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Twitter wins always go to celebrities photo-bombing other celebrities:
The legendary @katyperry caught photo-bombing a @onedirection selfie! #ARIAs pic.twitter.com/cliTAwKFIu
— Channel Ten (@channelten) November 26, 2014
Yah, yah, break the internet ...
Song of the year goes to 5 Seconds of Summer – their first win of the night, for She Looks So Perfect. Calum Hood reminded us of how young he is when he said, “Thank you to our team who stuck for us, this is the first award that our parents have seen us get, so this is very special.”
And a hint of how confident they are that 5SOS is anything but a fad: “See you guys next year.”
And backstage, this is the epitome of an Australian popgasm:
Tour buddies reunited at the #ARIAs @theveronicasmusic @5sos #theveronicas #5sos #5secon... http://t.co/VID1iccEbu pic.twitter.com/GQqE8iPsgM
— Sony Music Australia (@SonyMusicAU) November 26, 2014
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Hilltop Hoods and their album Walking Under Stars take out best urban, among a list of very strong contenders of 360, Iggy Azalea, Illy and Thundamentals.
And Dan Sultan takes out best rock album. It’s been such an epic year for Dan – he’s made some big, potentially risky moves that have really paid off.
He was fully channelling Fonzie on the red carpet tonight. Check out that leg spread.
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A couple of quick awards – The Wiggles take best children’s album, then DZ Deathrays picks up best hard/metal album, and best country goes to Kasey Chambers for Bittersweet. I spotted Chambers on the red carpet with presumably her new amour, who she seems quite smitten with. Great to see Chambers really happy and fulfilled at the moment, musically and personally.
Also, who knew The Wiggles had such famous friends?
@TheWiggles with @Harry_Styles from @onedirection! Rockin'! #ARIAs #ARIAAwards2014 #ARIAs2014 pic.twitter.com/3UOPUbz9mk
— The Wiggles (@TheWiggles) November 26, 2014
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Sheppard are on stage performing their total earworm Geronimo. I talked to the band on the red carpet earlier and asked them what their plans were for 2015. Their answer? Conquer America! It’s not the only time I heard that reply tonight.
Here’s some ear candy for ya:
Aussie indie pop band #Sheppard gather on the #ARIAs red carpet. pic.twitter.com/akTLfQJnpg
— news.com.au (@newscomauHQ) November 26, 2014
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Illy and Charlie XCX are presenting breakthrough artist which is awarded to Iggy Azalea. Charlie XCX – who shared with Azalea a US No 1 for Fancy – accepts the award on her behalf, with Illy, and says “I’m sure she’ll enjoy this, peace!” Short and sweet.
We can only speculate as to why Iggy isn’t here with us tonight to celebrate her win, but we suspect it has something to do with being busy kitting out the new Californian mansion she’s just bought with her boyfriend Nick Young. Oh, and don’t go and congratulate her in person. You’re not, um, welcome...
Or maybe she’s still celebrating her win at the American music awards earlier this week, where she beat god’s gift to women, aka Eminem, to take home the favourite rap/hip-hop album and best rap artist.
In any case, the streets of Mullumbimby will be heaving with celebrations tonight. Perhaps.
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Best blues and roots is being presented by Kasey Chambers which has been given to John Butler Trio. John makes the unusual move of acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land – wouldn’t it have been amazing if the show had begun with that?
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Carissa and Danny from Channel V are presenting best pop, which goes to Sia (no surprise). Danny says, “Sia’s not here today but we’ll accept it on her behalf until she calls us.”
And then a cutaway to Molly Meldrum, 71, who is getting a special award, but looking very, very grumpy. They’re now taking a trip down memory lane, playing one of Madonna’s very early interviews, which was with Molly back when he was one of Australia’s foremost music journalists.
Speaking of memory lane, let’s cut now to Prince Charles poking fun at Molly Meldrum, recalling a disastrous 1977 interview with Meldrum on Countdown. The Prince of Wales quips that while there are warnings not to work with animals or children “no-one prepared me for Molly Meldrum”.
And here’s a pic that was snapped earlier of Richard Wilkins stealing a kiss from Molly Meldrum, rocking the red carpet in his trademark Stetson hat.
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Tom Ballard is presenting best group, which goes to Brisbane’s Sheppard and their album Bombs Away. If you haven’t heard their monster hit Geronimo then you clearly haven’t switched on the radio, television or walked into a cafe any time this year. The group do a shout out to “Chuggie” (Michael Chugg) of their label.
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Twitter, unsurprisingly, has eyes for no one else but 1D. “Directioners” were queuing up outside the Star from before 10am to catch a glimpse of their heroes.
Far from the headless teenage hysteria I was expecting, they assess their surroundings with military precision. Do they risk losing their spot by sitting down? The band will probably pose for photos outside the Star sign; is that within iPhone shooting distance?
after looking at pictures of the boys tonight #unholythoughts #ARIAs pic.twitter.com/VvyjrieN47
— YANKEE DOODLE HARRY (@soulfoodhxrry) November 26, 2014
Earlier on the red carpet, Guardian Australia had a chat to Inspector Anthony Bell, who had the unenviable task of keeping the Directioners in line. He estimated there were 2,000 fans cramming around the red carpet trying to get a glimpse of the boys – many of them crying and hyperventilating with emotion.
“With all these girls crying, I feel like I’m at a funeral,” he quipped. “All these overexcited and heartbroken girls are crying because they can’t marry their boy band idols.”
Here’s a photo of Bell and a gaggle of girls in the aftermath of One Direction’s entry into Star.
father my children #ARIAs pic.twitter.com/4pmTsZeovp
— 1D Updates & Finds (@xNarryStylan) November 26, 2014
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Jessica Mauboy is rocking the stage in a glittering blue jumpsuit for her sassy track Can I Get a Moment? We’re going to plagiarise our own Mixtape write-up of this track now:
Jessica Mauboy is Australia’s best chance of finding an heir to Kylie Minogue’s pop princess crown – and then who knows, maybe even give Queen Bey a run for her money.
And here’s her earlier on the red carpet dressed in ... a dress ... by someone.
Jessica Mauboy is a national treasure and there is no sarcasm in that comment. For real, love her.
— Shmurda Was The Case (@captainfranco) November 26, 2014
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Here’s Triple J’s Matt – dressed bravely as Ziegler in full leotard and Sia wig, and Alex as Chet Faker! And Alex is presenting best independent award to, yes ... Chet Faker. I’m having double vision guys.
There would've been mass outrage and rioting if @Chet_Faker didn't win. #arias pic.twitter.com/oG2ZHP3yBd
— Marty $miley (@martysmiley) November 26, 2014
Earlier on the red carpet I asked Alex what formula makes up a Chet Faker outfit and here’s what he told me:
“The laidbackness, you can the sloppiest jumper that you can hanging like an elephant’s skin is what I had in mind when I was putting it together. You get the beard – it needs to be nice and red, like a red panda beard – put a beanie on, and away you go.”
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Russell Morris presents best live performance which was given to Keith Urban. Urban’s not here but said thank you via video message. I have a feeling it won’t be the last video message considering the success our artists are finding overseas these days – neither Iggy Azalea or Sia are present, and I’m betting good money on Sia raking up tonight.
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And there we go, Sia has just picked up best video for Chandelier – definitely one of my favourite videos of the year. It was impossible not to be moved by that performance by 11-year-old dancer Maddie Ziegler. Sia also co-directed the video with Daniel Askill.
And no video message – although maybe it won’t be the last award she picks up.
And you can watch the uncut version of Chandelier here.
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Canberra duo Peking Duk – with a bit of help from Nicole Millar – have beat Flume to the best dance release award for their song High. It’s the first win for Adam Hyde and Reuben Styles who have taken to the stage to thank their mums. Clearly, we’re still on the innocent side of the night, kids. If you were wondering, the curly-haired Peking Duk has just revealed backstage to Guardian Australia that he uses Toni & Guy’s Souffle in his hair. On the subject of Peking Duk, Guardian Australia Canberra reporter Shalailah Medhora has just told us the best place in the capital to get Peking duck is Portia’s Place in Kingston.
The best #ARIAs entrance came from @pekingduk in their ice cream truck! #ducktruck pic.twitter.com/wTXt8Bjtoy
— news.com.au (@newscomauHQ) November 26, 2014
Peking Duk also arrived at the Arias in an ice-cream truck.
We have landed at the @ARIA_Official in our whip. #ARIAs pic.twitter.com/YosHaR5A5j
— peking duk (@pekingduk) November 26, 2014
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Managed to grab Isabella Manfredi from the Preatures going up the red carpet, who was in the mind that this is a very exciting time for Australian music. I asked her if there’s a certain Australian sound or approach to music:
“I think Aussie bands sound better and they work harder,” she said. “And you find that when you go overseas, you hit New York and you hit London, you think you’re in the mecca of everything and you’re just like – really?
“And the Australian approach is a number of things. Firstly, we’re not the centre of anything. We’re on this island and you have to work to get off the island. So there’s ambition there. But also, there’s something about Australia that’s quite feral, there’s something wild about us. And that works with music.”
Check out our video interview with the band, also from September.
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5 Seconds of Summer – just one boy band heartthrob here tonight – and they’ve opened the show with She Looks So Perfect.
They were very, very popular on the red carpet but barely gave media a nod. That’s what happens when you have five million Twitter followers, you don’t even need to court journalists.
According to the night’s host Osher Günsberg they’re the first ever Australian band to debut their album No 1 on the US charts. Not bad boys, not bad.
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RT @tomsteinfort: One Direction has arrived at the #ARIAs.....my ears hurt pic.twitter.com/EmvIpMVPB6
— ARIA (@ARIA_Official) November 26, 2014
Monica Tan and Janine Israel here, from the Guardian Australia culture team, live at 2014 Aria awards. We’re in the media bunker having manned the red carpet. Firstly, no, we didn’t get to speak to 1D or 5SOS. I’m devo. But we did get to meet Chet Faker and Sia ...
My selfie with Sia and Chet Faker #ARIAs #triplej ... Kind of. pic.twitter.com/ULpApb7fAz
— Monica Tan (@m_onicatan) November 26, 2014
If you can’t tell that’s Alex (Chet Faker) and Matt (Sia) from Triple J’s breakfast show.
Monica: But for reals, I did actually get to have a word with Chet Faker (aka Nicholas Murphy) dressed in a smart, tux jacket, with signature sunnies and red beard.
I asked Murphy what was his defining moment of 2015 and he told me about a show he played in Turkey a month ago, that was supposed to be 450 people, and was upgraded to 6,000. And it sold out.
“I didn’t know anything about Turkey so to rock up in an arena – I was like whoa, what’s actually going on?”
He's got the best beard in the game. @Chet_Faker good luck tonight! #ARIAs pic.twitter.com/tmB8Q5k2Pg
— ARIA (@ARIA_Official) November 26, 2014
Despite his No 1 album Built on Glass, and being up for an incredible nine nominations, Murphy told me 2014 has been the hardest year of his entire life.
“It’s been fun, but mostly it’s been extremely challenging because I’ve just entered a world that I knew nothing about. I haven’t really been in the same place for more than two weeks since 2013 so it’s just been touring.”
And what’s in store for 2015? “The year I get my life back!”
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