Tonight is the Australian music industry’s night of nights, the 29th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards. The night when the small but respectable industry we’ve got Down Under gives itself a pat on the back.
We recently reflected on some of the more cringeworthy and hilarious moments in ARIAs history, but did you know that one of the greatest ARIA Awards moment was never broadcast? No? Well, let’s take a trip back to the 2011 ARIA Awards.
As Sydney rockers the Hell City Glamours recently recounted, in 2011 fellow Sydneysiders Front End Loader were up for the Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album award, alongside the likes of Cosmic Psychos, Floating Me, Coerce, and Dream On, Dreamer.
“In typical ARIA fashion, one of the greatest moments in ARIA awards history was not televised,” write Hell City Glamours. “As the Descendents would say, ‘thank you (front end loader) for playing the way you play.'”
See, Front End Loader did indeed pick up the ARIA for Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album, but they couldn’t make it to the ceremony, instead giving their speech to Linday ‘The Doctor’ McDougall to read out. What ensued was a piece of ARIA history few got to witness.
“If Radio’s The Doctor is reading this from stage, it means the unthinkable has happened and Floating Me has been robbed,” the speech opened. “The members of Front End Loader can think of no finer way to spend an evening than to be here with you all.”
Tonight is the Australian music industry's 'night of nights' aka the ARIA Music Awards Sharing this because this was…
Posted by hell city glamours onWednesday, November 25, 2015
“Unfortunately, as an independent band that has been not making money and not selling albums for many years, our budget does not allow this. To our fans who congratulated us on the nomination, we accept in the spirit that you’ve offered it.
You have proven over the years to be a strange bunch of freaks, but you’re our freaks and we’ve grown fond of you. If this award makes you happy, go right ahead and enjoy that. We’re not sure what the award means – we know there’s no cash prize, because that’s the first thing we asked.”
“If there is any value attached to this award then it belongs to our partners and families, past and present, who have enabled, tolerated and endured the challenges and bullshit involved in being Australia’s least popular, relatively well-known band.”
“To the Australian Music Industry… as you were… please carry on… we mean you no harm. We will continue to write Rock Music that we enjoy, play shows when and where we can, and record and release this music as our time, money, and circumstances permit.”
“None of these activities concern you so please, move along, and let us never speak of this again.” There you have it folks, one of the greatest moments in ARIA Awards history and it never even made it to air.
