Now in its 13th year, the SAMAs are always a good night of entertainment and new music, and this year was no exception.
The event manages to be both very slick in the production values but also retain a health dose of irreverence, unpredictability and risk of descending into unplanned chaos at the same time, a difficult combination to pull off but Richy Muirhead and his team are very good at it!
The awards tonight were hosted by DJ and broadcaster Jim Gellatly and poet Leyla Josephine, who both put in a decent shift in front of a busy and sometimes excitable crowd. BM is not going to discuss the merits or otherwise of the award winners, suffice to say that everyone nominated deserves a big-up as they were all nominated on merit, talent and hard work. The full rundown is at www.officialsama.com for those interested.
In terms of the live acts, who appeared in between the various categories, things started with the soulful and very talented Becky Sikasa, who sang with a live band and backing singers, her sophisticated and jazzy originals demonstrating a high level of talent and ability.
Scottish-based rappers The Honey Farm continued the live entertainment with their three woman cheeky take on the beats, backed by a DJ/soundman. Witty, sometimes rude and a great live spectacle, they channelled some old skool acts like Cookie Crew and Salt n Peppa, plus their own unique DNA – respect due.
Show closers Vlure have been building a formidable live reputation for a year or two now around their native Scotland and further afield, and on tonight’s performance you can certainly see why. A riotous mixture of metal, pop-punk and electro, the five-piece killed it on track after track – with a frontman willing to stand on the barrier and blast his words at the audience, it seemed at times a bit like Glasgow’s take on Enter Shikari. Tracks like ‘Shattered Faith’ rang around the room and provoked an outbreak of dancing and jumping around by the crowd. Headed for SBSW in the US next year and going from strength to strength in the UK and Germany, things could break big for Vlure and with their energy and passion to the fore, they certainly deserve it.
Another great SAMAs indeed!