I write this at a gig, not Grosvenor House Hotel, but who in music can ignore the Mercury?
Once again confounding the favourites predictions, this oddball award has proved that there's no point on betting, unless you follow your hunch.
Look at the panel's make-up. They were never going to go for Burial or Portico Quartet.
Elbow have released some stellar albums and subsequently been dumped through their career. The Seldom Seen Kid is a career highlight, supported to the hilt by Polydor's recently excellent press office. Hats off to them; they're doing everything right.
We at musicOMH are in all sorts of ways delighted for Guy Garvey and his crew - the Elbow frontman was a delightful interviewee earlier this year. And he's a dandy advert for black shirts. Three nights at London's Roundhouse later this autumn should prove even hotter for them.
The Mercury's raison d'etre is called into question every year, which provides useful column inches for some publications. But whatever one thinks of the selection process for the judges (only some of whom ever seem to want to be known), it's an excellent advert for the UK's music.
Whatever troubles happen to be facing some in the industry, the Mercury nominees give a useful cross-section of music talent from these isles to a world that loves what we do.
