Grammy Awards In Confusion

Once upon a time..I swore I would never again attend the Swedish Grammy Awards. The reason at that time was a a huge difference in my own perception of what a Grammy Award really is, and the black and white reality. I remember arriving to this Royal Tennis Hall in Stockholm, all dressed up and nice, to enjoy a lovely evening. There is always a certain illusion that the award itself breathes a little glamour. I mean, this used to be the closest to the Hollywood imagination you could come in this country within Music Industry. So, dressed for success, entering the tennis court (you can smell the luxury right?)  to sit down at our hard conference chairs during the live TV show with all the cameras and long commercial breaks is a strong memory. As the evening progressed, I had to get to the ladies room, walking my way along the center court, passing different smaller rooms where they played squash in their sweaty t-shirts and loud screams. The whole sense of glamour faded even further. There I was,(at the time)  in my black long leather dress, all fixed up, feeling like being in the zoo watching the monkeys. What the hell....It´s not that I dislike watching sweaty men.., but just not there, then....

There is always a dinner involved. I can´t remember if it was located in the tennis court aswell, or if we had to go someplace else, and it does not really matter. What I remember was, I left early. 

10 years later I decide to not to be such a wining bitch and give it another try. This time, it seems, the Music industry had grown drastically. We no longer fitted in a soulful, warm place like Berns, where it used to be back in the good old days. A place where you can feel the music and memories speaking to you thru the walls. I totally believe it´s true. You feel the vibe of a place and you act there after.Haha... Hrmmm...maybe it also was during that time where the TV audience started to complain about the artists being to drunk on national TV whilst receiving their prizes.:) But let me tell you....It has not become any better regarding that matter:). That´s just the way it is.

 And on the other hand, if you have been sitting having dinner since 4pm, the actual TV show starts at 8pm, and ends by 9.30. What do you expect? Those are long hours and many people to toast with that you have not seen for a long time.

So there I was again, 10 years since the last visit... entering the huge Globe Arena in Stockholm. Dinner served by long tables, at 4pm again, and...as I said earlier...those are long hours.

At 7pm doors open to welcome everybody in who had bought their own tickets.

Now it was my turn to feel like a monkey in the Zoo.  

Artists, record companies, publishers, producers and so on...sitting at their tables, left with a coffee cup and a glass of wine, surrunded by people from every where looking down at us from their hockey rink chairs.

 It´s the strangest thing. And you know it´s only one hour you have to wait until the show starts...  So the bottom line is not to create the best Grammy evening any longer. It´s all about doing a good TV show. 

Everything is done only to please the TV company. It´s a massive production. Not for free, since the dinner tickets are stupidly expensive. BUT, you shall feel honored that you where invited! 

I am curios to know how the Grammys work in the US. so therefore my new goal....a Grammy Nomination to see how they handle it:) haha..I wish.....

Anyway, 2 days ago I went to the Grammy Awards again, to once again try to change my somewhat blurry opinion of the Award.

My publishing company Kobalt invited me.  And yes, I felt honored.!! And Yes, They were the best of hosts!

This time located in a smaller hockey rink just along side of the bigger Globe Arena from a few years ago. But the same setup. 

Again. It is frustrating when you hear the Tv presentation say, "and now guys, you only have 2 hours left until the show starts" and you just finished your main course.  So, again.....these are long hours....

People run around in this kinda cold facility, from table to table, talking to each-other, going to the bar, walking up the stairs, heading to the rest rooms, stumbling back down, back to the bar, sitting down again, talking, drinking, enjoying, waiting, waiting, drinking, laughing. And suddenly, it´s showtime. 4 hours later. 

And after you read in the papers how rude people think it is that some of the artists were a bit to tipsy on the show. And then, only 2 hours more to go......

It might seem like a dream, to attend this kind of event. But I have to agree..I am a wining bitch. 

You see.... after you have done x amount of shows in general, the commercial breaks have a tendency to feel like forever. Most of us are not there for the TV show. We are there to meet each-other,talk , laugh, remember, create new possibilities,  support each-other and celebrate the nominees and the winners. This is our evening, this should be the Music industrys Christmas Eve.  To me it became an evening I will never forget. Not because of the good things, but because of a strange happening.  I was confronted by a big man dressed in black.

 Just like in the movies he secretly showed me his police tag and pulled me aside. Another woman came up to me and they started to ask me questions, because they suspected me to have taken drugs, and they wanted to test me. As the questions continued, I realized how incredibly nervous I had become. My heart replaced itself to my throat and I suddenly felt really guilty, but knowing that I am probably the one person that is the furthest away from that shit anyone can be. We spoke for a while, and I managed to talk myself out of the test. 

At first I only saw it from the humoristic side. Me??? caught by the drug police?? It was a joke!! Like my friend said: ", You????? of all people?? why?? you barely drink black tea because it´s unhealthy for you., I find this really touching.." and I could laugh with her, and every body else whom I shared with. 

But then I realized, shit..this IS really serious stuff, and my question still is, What the heck where they doing there? at that time? At the Grammy Awards? Destroying the evening for certain people they suspected??They probably have the right to be there, of course, other wise they would not have appeared, but it is just so un-tasteful and absurd. Don´t get me wrong. I dislike drugs. I have seen enough people in my life being destroyed by them so they are not on my list. But, still.....It became a big thing here in Sweden, a certain producer, whom they also caught just minutes before he was about to enter stage on live TV to receive his Grammy. He was totally pissed off, and I understand him.  There is always a right moment for everything, and trying to catch suspected drug users on the Grammy Awards during live TV is probably not the best place. 

Come on, this is a small country. Everybody knows everybody, and you can easily find out where people live. Why not pay a home visit instead if they wanted to?

 Helping me out to be even more sceptic to an already confused Award Show ain´t doing no good .

I wonder if they have drug police at the US Grammys as-well?? Will they push  Timberlake and Madonna aside to ask them to do a drugtest because they look like they have taken something? Don´t think so.