Green Day triumph at Kerrang! awards


The 12th annual Kerrang! awards drew a familiar cast of aspiring antichrists, zombie-fanciers and young punks to central London last night.

This year's gongfest for the unapologetically hard rocking proved to be a more US-dominated affair than its predecessor, when British bands such as The Darkness, Muse and Lostprophets held their American peers at bay.

Green Day, whose combination of punk-pop and politics has helped them sell 7m copies of their latest album, American Idiot, won the awards for best band on the planet and best live act.

"Thank you very much," said the band's frontman, Billie Joe.

"We're drinking in your honour now. Thanks and thanks and thanks, whoever has the biggest hangover tomorrow should get an award next year."

My Chemical Romance, the New Jersey five-piece described by one critic as a blend of "Black Flag with Buffy the Vampire Slayer", also won two awards, best video for the single Helena and best album for Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, which has sold more than a million copies.

Foo Fighters, fronted by the former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, won best single for Best for You, while the international newcomer award went to the Orlando metallers Trivium.

The Welsh contingent also enjoyed a good night. Funeral for a Friend won best British band, and Bullet For My Valentine were named best British newcomer.

Rockers of a more mature vintage were also honoured. Iron Maiden, who recently incurred the wrath of the Osbournes by criticising their reality TV show, were inducted into the Kerrang! Hall of Fame, and Killing Joke were presented with a lifetime achievement award.

Trent Reznor, whose work found an unlikely new audience after Johnny Cash recorded a cover of Hurt three years ago, was also honoured. The force behind Nine Inch Nails received the classic songwriter award for his services to industrial rock.

Reznor said: "I sit down to write a song and it's just me just trying to be as honest as I can for myself and to see that something you connect with, someone in the outside world, is a really cool feeling."

Looming over both acts, though, was the shadow of Marilyn Manson. The gothic shock rocker marked his retirement from music by accepting the Kerrang! icon award. Manson, the alter ego of former rock journalist Brian Warner, recently announced he was giving up music to concentrate on acting and directing.

theguardian.com/arts