Mercury Winner To Be Given Money To Write A Tune

22-07-09

THE winner of this year's Mercury Music prize will be be given some money to go away and write an actual tune, it has been confirmed.

This Kasabian can play the guitar while wearing sunglasses

Announcing this year's shortlist the organisers said nominees including Glasvegas, the Horrors and Kasabian will get the chance to spend £20,000 to come up with something that does not sound like a crash helmet full of bees.

Mercury judge John Gage said: "It's good to award artists who move us emotionally or impress us technically, but we felt this year's shortlist should be about highlighting what not to do."

He added: "La Roux sounds like a narky substitute teacher bashing out some Human League B Sides in a shed and couldn't hit a note with a fucking claw hammer.

"And while I am fully aware that jazz is meant to be unlistenable, were Led Bib even in the same room as each other when they recorded that album? Sweet baby Jesus.

"And then of course there's Bat For Lashes or 'Big Bag of Shit For Muppets' as they're also known."

Music fan Wayne Hayes said: "I really hope it goes to Kasabian, not because of their music obviously, but because they named themselves after the getaway driver for a gang of brutal murderers and I think that's really cool."

Along with the cheque, the winners will get 10 free music lessons and a studio session with someone who can tell the difference between 'good' and 'awful'.

Producer Tom Logan said: "For £20,000 we can bang them out an album, full of potential singles and proper choruses, and not one of them will sound like somebody urinating on a Stylophone."