The Plastic Bag Awards 2011

It's that time again, The Plastic Bag Awards 2011 or, in other words, the Baggies! I've dropped the 'Best Film' category this year since I've seen so few in the cinema but that didn't spoil the enjoyment of the judging panel. So, here we go ...

Best Theatre - Play

There are five nominees in this category:

• Flare Path
• Clybourne Park
• Doctor Faustus
• Othello
• Jerusalem

I could easily have added 'The Last Of The Duchess' to this list but the panel is limited to a maximum of five nominees. It's a difficult category to judge since all the nominees excelled in one way or another and, in the case of 'Dr Faustus', it's a play I've waited 30-odd years to see again. 'Othello' was an eye opener, 'Clybourne Park' had its twists and turns and 'Flare Path' had its excellent writing and single-mindedness. But the award goes to 'Jerusalem' for the magic and mayhem, the celebration of life and England and the magnificence of Mark Rylance in the lead role.


Best Theatre - Musical

I saw some excellent musicals this year but the nominees have been narrowed down to:

• How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying
• South Pacific
• Fings Ain't What They Used T'Be
• Crazy For You
• Sweeney Todd

One of the highlights of this list was seeing Daniel Radcliffe in his first singing and dancing role and he wasn't bad at all. It was a joy to see after seeing so many mediocre productions in New York earlier in the year. 'Fings' was produced in a tiny studio theatre under the arches in Southwark (most appropriately) and was a show I've heard of but not seen before. 'Crazy for You' was a tap-dancing joy to behold and 'Sweeney' excelled with Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton.

The judges have quite rightly awarded the Baggy to 'South Pacific', the production I first saw at Lincoln Centre in 2010 with a foot of snow outside the theatre and I trudged and slipped my way back to the hotel in a south seas dream. Seeing it at the Barbican had a lot to live up to with Samantha Womack as Nelly Forbush, and it fully lived up to my expectations. An excellent production I went back to see again at the Barbican and have tickets to see the touring production at Wimbledon. A worthy winner.


Best Entertainment

This category picks up any performances that aren't plays or musicals and this year the nominees are:

• Meera Syal at The Purcell Room
• 'Big People Show' with Chris Tummings and Victor Romero Evans
• Noddy Holder narrating 'A Christmas Carol'
• Matthew Bourne's 'Nutcracker'
• Slava's Snowshow

Despite the fun of seeing Sir Noddy Holder narrate a new version of 'A Christmas Carol' the judges unanimously awarded the Baggy to Mr Slava Polunin for his magnificent Snowshow. Anything that can bring such joy and have me giggling like a loon while being pelted with snow in a theatre deserves an award and this is my humble offering to a great clown.


Best Gig

I haven't been to as many musical gigs this year as in previous years but I saw bands, solo artists and collectives, such as the Ready, Steady Go! show and Carole King and Friends. The nominees this year are:

• Jimmy Cliff @ The Indigo2
• Amanda Palmer @ The British Library
• Buffy Sainte-Marie at Porchester Hall (with Donovan and Roger Cooke)
• Alan Price @ the Queen Elizabeth Hall
• Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine @ Brixton

Jimmy exhausted me with his energy, Amanda exhorted me to should 'Fuck It!' in the British Library, Buffy was the star of the Songwriters Cirlde recording I attended and Alan Price was a genuine star appearing in Ray Davies' Meltdown over the summer. However, the award goes to those Carter USM lads for the glorious music after a 20 year wait, a great atmosphere and a blinding light show (literally). Well done chaps!


Best Live Performance

I always like to pick out a few live performances from the gigs I've seen that stand head and shoulders above the rest for adding that something else to the overall experience. The nominees are:

• Shelby Lynne - You Don't Have To Say You Love Me
• Sandie Shaw - (There's) Always Something There To Remind Me
• Ray Davies - Lola
• Buffy Sainte-Marie - He's An Indian Cowboy At The Rodeo (@ Union Chapel)
• Buffy Sainte-Marie - Cod'ine (@ Porchester Hall)

Shelby was in great form over the summer as was Sandie Shaw in her pink Union Jack coat and bare feet. Ray Davies brought the roof down with the crowd singing along to 'Lola' and Buffy Sainte-Marie has earned two nominations from different gigs. This one really was a difficult decision for the judges but the winner is 'He's An Indian Cowboy At The Rodeo' by Buffy Sainte-Marie and her great band.

I've seen Buffy perform 'Indian Cowboy' several times and it's one of my favourites, especially with the powwow singing at the end of the lovely song about a teenage crush. This time she took it further with not only extended powwow singing but also powwow dancing, with Buffy and the band dancing round the stage in front of the pulpit in the chapel, a glorious sight! A well deserved Baggy for a joyful experience!


Best New Album

Most of my new albums this year have been from 'old' bands and it's been a bumper crop. The nominees start off with the only 'new' artist:

• Amanda Palmer - Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under
• Poly Styrene - Generation Indigo
• Blondie - Panic Of Girls
• Kim Wilde - Snapshots
• Kate Bush - 50 Words For Snow

New albums from Blondie, Kim Wilde and Kate Bush was great news, particularly the new 'un from Kate which wasn't expected at all given the release of 'Director's Cut' earlier in the year. Amanda's album was, in part, a filler until she gets round to a new studio album but it's packed with great songs. However, the album I downloaded in New York and listened to endlessly on the flight back to London and then endlessly over the summer and autumn is the magnificent 'Generation Indigo' and the Baggy goes to Poly Styrene.

This is especially poignant since Poly left us in April just weeks after the new album was released. Poly died of cancer and never had a chance to promote the album or play the songs live - something she tweeted she was looking forward to doing - and what great songs they are. The songs are still a staple on my playlists and 'Generation Indigo' is my most played album of 2011 according to Last.FM. Namaste Poly!


Best New Song

There have been some great new songs in 2011 and the nominees are:

• Amanda Palmer - In My Mind
• Poly Styrene - LUV
• Blondie - Girlie Girlie
• Cerys Matthews - Sweet Magnolia
• Kate Bush - Snowflake

'Generation Indigo' is the best album of 2011 and I could've picked any of the tracks to nominate but I chose 'LUV for its simple and heartfelt message. Any song that can make me cry on a first listen is great in my book and that's what 'Snowflake' did to me, just as Blondie made me smile and Cerys made me sway with pleasure. However, the Baggy for best new song goes to Amanda's 'In My Mind' for it's gentle simplicity and brutal honesty, a beautiful song.


Best Exhibition

I've been to various exhibitions this year and the nominations are:

• Diaghilev & The Ballet Russe - Victoria & Albert Museum
• Devotion By Design - National Gallery
• John Martin's Apocalpse - Tate Britain
• Fra Angelico et Les Maitres de La Lumiere - Musee Jacquemart-Andre
• Punk And Beyond - Signal Gallery

It's not fair to beat about the bush since the winner is obvious - the Fra Angelico exhibition in Paris, a glory of light and colour bringing life to the pure vision and belief of the wondrous Fra Angelico.


And there you have it, the Plastic Bag Awards 2011. Let's see what 2012 has in store for us ...