I attended the Grammys for the first time last night. It was an interesting experience.
1. The award show is LONG. Because it’s produced for TV, every 15 minutes or so, it goes dark for 5-10 min. Meaning, you’re not doing much, except watching Grammy reruns on the big screens waiting for TV to catch up. We were in a box, but if you’re down on the floor, you aren’t allowed to get up during the live show.
2. The show is delayed for 3 hours on the west coast, despite being filmed live in LA. This is awkward, as Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and news posts ruin the “surprise” of who won what, long before West Coaster’s even get to start watching. TV networks need to STOP delaying, as if the delay actually means something. If you have to show it at 5pm Pacific, 8pm Eastern, it’s not the end of the world, and it embraces the way we consume media today.
3. They confiscated cameras as you walked into the Staples center, but let you keep your phones. I haven’t purchased a digital camera since I got my first iPhone in 2007, and my phone takes high res video as well as great photos (here’s a clip I took last night of Arcade Fire). It’s a futile attempt to block images and video from escaping the venue, aside from their own highly curated feed, and it’s very old school thinking. Just let the information flow, it will drive more interest the show.
4. My friend Shira Lazar did a great job interviewing celebs behind the scenes, tweeting about it, and driving interest in the show via social media; she was part of the Grammy’s social media efforts. This morning I read that the ratings were the highest that they’ve been in 10 years with ages 18-34. Social media is a huge part of it.
5. Arcade Fire, a more “indie” band from Canada rose to the top to win Album of the Year - the show’s highest honor - beating GaGa, Eminem, Jay Z, and others. They themselves seemed surprised at their win, and after their acceptance speech played an unscheduled additional song for everyone.
6. The Grammy’s feels like an “insiders” show - meaning only the very biggest artists perform and present, and it’s nearly impossible for newbies to make any noise. That being said, I had no idea who Esperanza Spalding was, who won Best New Artist, beating out Justin Bieber, Drake, Florence + The Machine, and Mumford & Sons. And Arcade Fire’s win certainly went against the grain.
Overall, the Grammy’s is really a massive concert, with every possible genre performing, with some awards in between the performances, put together in a highly controlled and curated three and a half hours. If you’re in the business of music, it’s also a great networking opportunity; before and after the show, everyone is in town at the same time, and during the show, the pre party, boxes, and after parties are the place to be.
Thanks to Nokia for the invite.
