Performances at the VO5 NME Awards 2018 were as legendary as ever. In among all the nominees and winners were four vintage shows from Skepta and Stefflon Don, Alt-J, Pale Waves and Liam Gallagher. Here’s how they went down.
After speeches from NME editor Mike Williams and host Huw Stevens, Stefflon Don and Skepta took to the first performance of the night: their 2017 collaboration ‘Ding-A-Ling’, nominated for Best Collaboration supported by VO5.
The crowd at London’s O2 Academy Brixton was treated to a huge bassline and a frenetic performance from Steff and Skepta, who had four dancers apiece.
Following Skepta and Stefflon Don’s performance of ‘Ding-A-Ling’ and Haim’s acceptance of the Best International Artist award supported by 19 Crimes Winery, the Mercury Prize-winning trio Alt-J take to the stage at the VO5 NME Awards 2018.
Nominated for Best British Band supported by Zig-Zag, the band stripped back the brass-backed track but retained its fiery core.
Next up, the winners of the NME Under The Radar Award supported by HMV, Pale Waves, brought their catchy-as-hell debut single ‘There’s A Honey’ to life on the stage of the O2 Academy Brixton.
The indie-pop quartet Pale Waves showed the audience exactly why The 1975’s Matty Healy insisted on producing their jaw-dropping first two singles.
The final performance of the night was Liam Gallagher who, fresh from his acceptance of the Godlike Genius Award, played a setlist comprising Oasis classics and highlights from his debut solo album, 2017’s ‘As You Were’.
He opened with ‘Rock’N’Roll Star’, which he recently told NME is currently his favourite Oasis song to perform live. Says it all, really, doesn’t it?
At one point during the song, as we all bellowed, “Toniiiiiight I’m a rock ‘n’ roll star” back at him, he snarled, “Yeah, you fucking are.”
And then he belted out ‘Morning Glory’ as loads of us stood on our seats and bawled along to every single word.
