MTV Video Awards

I was recently asked by VG to discuss the recent MTV Video Awards, which were held here in Vegas last weekend. It’s been in the papers so much that I kind of figured everyone was reading about it. But I guess we get more info because it is a local event.

George Maloof owns the Palms, where the awards show was held. He pulled over 400 slot machines out of the casino for a week to make room for the red carpet, but did object when MTV wanted to close down Flamingo Boulevard out front. I didn’t watch the show or go by even though the Palms is only a couple of miles from my house. The awards were given out in the new Pearl showroom, which just opened a few months ago. It is supposed to be one of the nicest places for concerts, with the big tickets getting to sit at tables down front or in private boxes, and every seat has a great view.

Different events were presented all over the resort, with some of the big acts appearing up in the new sky villa suites. If you’ve got $10,000 to spend for a night’s stay then there is a suite with a basketball court, one with bowling lanes, and even the Playboy suite, which you might periodically see if you watch The Girls Next Door. Most of the suites have private swimming pools – glass bottomed, hanging on balconies off the side of the tower. It must be interesting to be swimming at night, hanging out there on the 50th floor, with tremendous views of the Strip.

The ‘big’ fight between Tommy Lee and Kid Rock was a replay of one last year, where the Kid kicked in the door of a high roller suite one night at the Hard Rock looking for Tommy. He was knocking on the wrong door though. They both stayed at the Palms this year, but were put in separate towers to try and keep them apart. I assume the fight was over their former shared (well, not shared that way) wife Pamela Denise Anderson Lee Rock Lee (any others there I missed?) who was supposedly running around with magician Hans Klok who she is appearing with at a Planet Hollywood magic show, and was reported in today’s paper as dating a poker player, stating she paid off some big table loses with 'sexual favors'.

Many of the big named people that attended the awards have been spotted in the lounges around town all week, not only partying, but putting on performances, so if you were at Tryst or Tao or one of the many other places you might get a few songs live by some of the biggest names in music. No reported sightings of anyone in daylight though.

As far as the biggest story to come out of the event, I really can’t add too much. Let me present my opinion this way. You can go over to Kevin to see a clip he posted about it (not my opinion though). Go ahead, I’ll wait.

Last night I was bouncing around YouTube looking for clips by Donovan (which will come at some time in the future) and came across this one. It is of a song that I remember from a long time ago, and probably would have posted a version soon anyway. Here is some live footage from a concert in 2000. Evidently Donovan had been attending several concerts (she says 17 in the clip) and was noticed by the act on stage. It looks like a fan’s biggest dream was fulfilled here, he was called up on stage and got to perform with the backup dancers. He looks pretty good, and the focus of this clip is more on him than on the lead. So for those of you that are die-hard fans of a group, I guess that this shows you are noticed, and perhaps one day you can get up and dance on stage.


My comments here: Tina was 61 years old at the time of this concert in 2000, wearing five inch heels, probably was on stage for at least an hour before this song rolled around, is listed in Wikipedia as the most successful female rock artist of all time with record sales in excess of 180,000,000 and selling more concert tickets than any other solo performer in history, performed in front of the largest paying audience ever to see a single performer - over 184,000 fans in Brazil, still has a pair of the best legs in show business (or anywhere), is divorced from an abusive coke addict that left her deep in debt, and has two kids of her own. (hope I can move this good when I’m 61, as I can’t even do that stuff now, and would never attempt the heels)