Babyshambles at the EMA's in Munich. Left to right: Mick Whitnall, Drew McConnell, Pete Doherty, Adam Ficek. Photograph: Franc Micelotta/Getty.
Woah. Strange old day.
EMA - surreal foggy oddness. We stumbled through plastic corridors like lighthouse keepers at a wedding, tripping over VJ microphone cables and squinting at flashbulb image capturing devices. We plowed through Delivery like ambulance drivers on a stage that looked like the third level on Pacman. I met Serj Tankian, one of the most remarkable vocalists I've ever heard which was kind of a big deal for me. If you have any preconceptions about System of a Down all I can say is have a listen to their first album. His vocals are blistering, bludgeoning and as savage as John Lydon at his best. I beamed like the cat that got the cream when he told me he was into Babyshambles.
We also befriended more unlikely 'Shambles fans, the Madden brothers from Good Charlotte - I know, I know, you punk purists out there will be vomiting into your collection of Operation Ivy records - but they happen to be really sound lads. When they presented the Album of the Year Award they jokingly announced us as the winners, before shrugging and admitting, "nah, its Nelly Furtado". People give them a hard time, but they know what they do is just pop music, what's so wrong with that?
A strange old day indeed, but I guess it'll be something to tell the grandkids when I run out of bedtime stories. Still, can't help think on such occasions that the words 'music' and 'business' are strange bedfellows.
So long...
Drew
