Xfm's Review Of 2008 - Part 1
Here's what happened in our world between January and March of 2008. New Music Awards madness, Big Nights Out and a free download from The Charlatans. God, we were busy...
JANUARY
The Xfm New Music Award
January 15 saw the inaugural Xfm New Music Award take place at Koko in Camden, in which a team of experts picked the Best British Debut Album of the year. There were live performances from The Wombats, The View, The Twang, The Maccabees, Frank Turner and Air Traffic. Plus, of course, the ultimate winners The Enemy, who took the gong for their superb debut, 'We'll Live And Die In These Towns'. They were given their award by the president of their fan club, Xfm's own Alex Zane. "Nice one," they said. Nice one, indeed...
Take a look at all the action from the Xfm New Music Award...
Radiohead Examine Their True Worth
Radiohead gave you the chance to pay what you wanted for their new album 'In Rainbows', causing much consternation among industry types and much glee from tightwads who paid 1p. The album received a proper release later, but downloads gave it a comfortable Number One spot in the charts. Some economists have linked the current recession directly to this marketing campaign. Honest.
More on Radiohead...
Morrissey Calls In Sick
Insert your own "Still Ill" pun here - ha! Midway through his six night residency at The Roundhouse, the erstwhile Smiths frontman managed to lose his voice after a couple of Moz classics and the man had to bow out of the rest of the dates. None other than Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross wandered onstage to break the news to an angry mob of Morrissey diehards - but that was probably a walk in the park compared to what would happen to them later in the year...
More on Morrissey...
FEBRUARY
The Brit Awards Happened. Yes, They Did.
If it's February, it must be The Brits. The UK music industry's annual orgy of back-slapping, over-indulgence and excitement saw Arctic Monkeys named as Best British Group and take home the gong for Best British Album. Meanwhile, Dave Grohl and his Foo Fighter bagged the same two prizes, but in the "International" category. Kate Nash was Best British Female, Mark Ronson was the Best British Male and Sir Paul McCartney added an Outstanding Contribution To Music Award to his already creaking mantelpiece. Oh, and Take That won something or other.
More on The Brits...
Johnny Marr Co-Hosts With Clint Boon
The man who brought the jangle to some of the greatest tunes of the '80s joined our very own Clint Boon for Music:Response on Xfm Manchester and revealed that he was keen to go solo, properly, for the first time and everything. He also expanded on his feelings for his former 'Miffs partner Morrissey: "We both went through something together that only he and I know about and that's a very special thing..." Well, gracious me.
Listen back to The Johnny 'n' Clint Show...
MARCH
Xfm Gave You The Charlatans For Free!
Or nowt, as they say in Northwich. Yes, back in March Xfm hooked up with The Charlatans to give away their new album 'You Cross My Path' away as a free download. And you lot went so mental for it, we notched up enough downloads to have given the album a Number Two chart placing if it had been sold via the usual outlets. "I'm absolutely over the moon to think how many people will have heard our music now," beamed an ecstatic Tim Burgess. "It proves how successful downloading music can be."
More on The Charlatans here... Apart from the free download, that was only available for a limited time!
Xfm Has A Big Night Out
Crazy cats that we are, we decided to put on another live shebang and invited The Futureheads, One Night Only and Black Kids to do their thing for us at London's Brixton Academy. The 'Heads were enjoying their first faltering steps with their new label and put in an amazing performance, as ever.
Get all the goss from the Big Night Out
R.E.M. Play The Apple Store
It's all about the branding, man. On March 26, Michael Stipe and co nestled against iPod socks and expensive Zeppelin-shaped speakers to bring an invited audience of 500 come classic alt.rock. The lucky few who crammed into Apple's flagship (TM) Regent Street shop in Londinium got an earful of such early tracks like 'Fall On Me', along with monster hits including 'Man On The Moon'. We can only worry how much the poor souls at the Apple Store had to clear up the next morning.
Read the actual reportage from the event
Tagged as The Enemy, Radiohead, Morrissey, Arctic Monkeys, Foo Fighters, The Smiths, The Charlatans, The Futureheads, One Night Only, R.E.M., Xfm
add your comment
Login to xfm+
latest videos
This time, the boys are in a car. What mind-boggling antics will they have this time? Find out!
The up and coming Xfm favourites take themselves out for a stroll.
The Darkness - Nothing's Gonna Stop Us
First new material from the reformed cod cock rockers...
Latest Xfm Sessions
-
Two Door Cinema Club Live At Lunchtime
The trio played a selection of fine songs for an invited audience of Xfm listeners... have a listen here.
-
Xfm Live Session - Tribes
The Camden quartet launched their debut album Baby with a stunning acoustic session just for Xfm.
-
Early Session With Frank Turner
The guitar-wielding troubadour played the latest in Xfm's exclusive early sessions... Listen again here.