Gem Archer Joins Paul Weller At The NME Awards
By
Stop Crying Your Heart Out
on
February 25, 2010
Weller closes ceremony with a career-spanning set
Paul Weller has collected the final award of the night at the Shockwaves NME Awards tonight (February 24), picking up the Godlike Genius gong at the at the O2 Academy Brixton in London.
Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie and former Clash guitarist Mick Jones, whose bands have both claimed the prize, presented Weller with the honour, with the Modfather then giving a short speech to the crowd.
Weller then performed a six-song set with his solo band that spanned his career and brought the Shockwaves NME Awards to a close.
The star was joined by ex-Oasis guitarist Gem Archer and My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields for his closing set, which saw him play songs from across his career, including recent single '7+3 Is The Striker's Name'. The supergroup also ran through tracks including The Jam's 'Eton Rifles' and UK chart-toppers 'Start!' and 'Town Called Malice'.
NME editor Krissi Murison introduced Weller onstage first, alongside The Clash's Mick Jones and Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie.
"We could quite believe he hadn't been given it before," Murison said, before Jones and Gillespie took to the mic.
"He wrote some of the most beautiful, poetic songs," Gillespie said, before listing a number of Weller's most-revered tracks.
He added: "I could go on all all night cos he's written so many classics."
Gillespie then called Weller "the real deal", before letting Jones speak.
"It's our great pleasure to present this award to this incredible man, and to this man who we love," Jones exclaimed, after which a video montage of stars including Noel Gallagher, Carl Barat and Peter Blake praising Weller played on the big screens.
Weller then took to the stage himself.
"What could I say, it's taken them 30 years," he said first.
He then added: "I'm embarrassed because people said so many nice things about me...but they're all true! God bless you, have a good night!"
Paul Weller played:
'7+3 Is The Striker's Name'
'Start!'
'Wake Up The Nation'
'From The Floorboards Up'
'Eton Rifles'
'Town Called Malice'
The Shockwaves NME Awards, which was hosted by Jarvis Cocker, will be broadcast on Channel 4 at 11:25pm (GMT) next Friday (26) then on T4 on the same channel at 11:10am on Saturday (27) UK ONLY.
Source: www.nme.com