SHE didn't exactly swing down from the scaffolding, but Gladiators presenter Ulrika Jonsson certainly made a splash at the BBC Blackstaff Studios in Belfast, where she co presented the Heineken Hot Press Rock Awards alongside BBC Radio DJ Mike Edgar. The organisers of this year's awards (shown on BBC 1 last night) were obviously sparing no expense, since the Swedish celebrity earns in the region of £1/2 million a year, and was reputedly paid £100,000 to appear in eight episodes of the quiz show Shooting Stars. In comparison to those fees, Heineken got their Gladiator for a bargain at just over £8,000.
The guest list was a rock n roll call of Irish music stars, and it included Northern Irish bands Ash, The Divine Comedy and Therapy?, Belfast singer Brian Kennedy, who won Music Personality of the Year, Dublin band Revelino and Tuam rockers The Saw Doctors, and U2's Larry Mullen Jr., who picked up Best Musician award. Also there were singers Eleanor McEvoy, Leslie Dowdall, Naimee Coleman and Una. British band Radiohead popped over to pick up the only award given to a non Irish band - they had hoped that Dave Fanning would be on hand to present the gong, but alas, Dave was in Dublin to interview Bono on the radio.
Jean Butler, star of Riverdance, high stepped it onto the stage to present Brian Kennedy, with the Best Male Solo Artist award; the Irish American dancer, who now lives in Dublin, is about to step out of her dancing shoes and concentrate on acting - she headed back to New York straight away yesterday to do a screen test for a film role. Jean is also hoping to work in video production, and says that her, ambition is to make a great pop video, MTV style. With, top notch choreography, of course.
The music business back slapping continued last night at the 12th IRMA Awards dinner, held as usual in the Burlington Hotel. This year, however, the event was split in two, presenter Liz Bonnin introducing live performances by The Spice Girls, Wet Wet Wet, Peter Andre, Van Morrison, Brian Kennedy and OTT, and Marty Whelan hosting the dinner party which included such pop personalities as Karen and Shelley Poole from Alisha's Attic, Andy Bell from Erasure, and Sharleen Spiteri from Scottish group Texas.
The Irish music biz ranks were swelled by a contingent of international record industry figures, which included president of Polygram Music Group, Roger Ames, Polygram's UK and Irish chairman, Sir John Kennedy, head of MTV worldwide, Bill Roedy, chairman of Warner Music UK, Rob Dickens, BMG head of A&R Mike McCormack, McCormack, managing director of Universal MCA, Nick Phillips, and editor of Music Week, Steve Redmond.
