Who's Afear'd are delighted to win the Scrumpy and Western website's prestigious "Album of the Year" award for 2008, as well as a nomination for "Band of the Year" (see below). Not bad for a CD which was made on £80 and a barrel of scrump. Proves that in the age of digital technology and professional celebrity, the DIY ethic and foul language are still king 
And for the record, it's not the first time we've had to 'beat off' the Wurzels, and it probably won't be the last.............
The
Scrumpy & Western Music Awards
As
well as re-launching the Scrumpy &
Western Hall of Fame, 2008 sees the inaugural Scrumpy &
Western Music Awards. These awards are to recognise achievement
by Scrumpy & Western artists in the various categories, in the
furthering and broadening of Scrumpy & Western music genre throughout
the year.
We
have four categories - Band or Artiste of
the Year, Comedian of the
Year, Album or Single of the
Year, Non-Musical Release
of the Year - as well as the 2008 inductee
for the Scrumpy & Western Hall of Fame.
And
the winners are...
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Band
Of The Year 2008: The Wurzels
Throughout
their history, The Wurzels have done more to further
and broaden of Scrumpy & Western music genre than anyone. 2008
saw the 50th birthday of the writing of Drink Up Thy Cider,
and Tommy Banner celebrating 40 years with the band. And while we
didn't see the band build on their chart success of 2007, The Wurzels
did play a number of high profile gigs - none more so than their
triumphant return to the Glastonbury Festival in June.
They also featured at Bestival (voted the Best New Festival
of 2008) as well as the Rehydrate The West Festival. In
addition they made history by being the first band to feature on
a Monopoly board, and launched a brand new high-profile website.
Other
nominees were The Mangledwurzels who played over
100 gigs in 2008 including the massive Bristol Harbour Festival
and several high profile cider festivals - and managed to get onto
primetime TV on Britain's Best Dish, and Who's
Afear'd whose album spawned some nice radical anti-Hampshire
publicity across the local press.
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Comedian
Of The Year 2008: Bill Bailey
2008
was an impressive year for Bill Bailey. Starting
the year with two high profile charity shows in London, he then
headlined at the Eden Sessions, Edinburgh Festival and the Latitude
and Big Chill Festivals. By August he was on tour of Australia and
New Zealand, and on his return he toured Bill Bailey's Remarkable
Guide to the Orchestra with a 72 piece symphony orchestra,
before finishing the year with a sell-out residency at the Gielgud
Theatre in London. He even managed to release a new DVD for the
Christmas market. Wow!
Other
nominees were Jethro who continues to tour like
a maniac across the country and released his annual DVDs for Christmas,
and Justin Lee Collins for his continued success
breaking into mainstream TV.
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Album
Of The Year 2008: Day Of The
Badger
by Who's Afear'd
It
may sound like it was recorded in a skittle alley at the back of
a Dorset pub on a budget of a few quid (which it was!), and it hasn't
got an original song on it - but Day Of The Badger
is still without doubt the Scrumpy & Western release of the
year. It's as raw as hell and as rough as the end of pint of Badger
- and it is without doubt the funniest, cleverest, wittiest, smuttiest
release of 2008. Eleven parodies and one cover (Dorset Is Beautiful)
blend incisive political commentary with crass punk rudeness - your
mother won't approve, the vicar would be shocked, but you and your
mates should love it! Highlights would be Mr Sandbanks
(an attack on Dorset's answer to Monte Carlo), My Willy's Getting
Hard (just plain smut!) and I've Been Everywhere (in
Dorset - clever stuff). I think Adge would approve!
Other
nominees were The Wurzels with Bush and Troy's
Christmas single Last Christmas, The Somerset Paddies
live album Refuel: Live at the Wellie and The Cutlers
Of Cornwall's album A Country Life.
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Release
Of The Year 2008: Marnin' Moonrakers
by Keith Burge and Tom Mills of
The Yokels
This
is the category for non-music releases within the genre. We are
unsure whether there will be enough releases to continue this award
in future years, but for 2008 we had a nice selection to choose
from. The winner was deemed to be Keith Burge and Tom Mills of The
Yokels for their book Marnin' Moonrakers.
A clever and nicely put together tome of Wiltshire wit and dialect;
and the lads did a lot of book signing sessions and media work to
support the release - and thoroughly deserve the award.
Other
nominees were the Monopoly: Somerset
Version (featuring The Wurzels!),
Bill Bailey's latest DVD Tinselworm
and Jethro's latest DVD A Giant Portion
of Jethro.
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And
the 2008 inductee into the Scrumpy
& Western Hall of Fame is Paul Gunningham
Webmaster,
archivist and music fan (and songwriter and performer!), Paul
Gunningham has been inducted into the Hall Of Fame following
his sad death in 2007. As well as setting up and editing the Wurzelmania!
and Scrumpy & Western websites, Paul worked tireless
to promote the genre through his writing and campaigning to get
more of Adge Cutler & The Wurzels releases reissued by EMI.
His sudden death in 2007 through injuries sustained in a road traffic
accident was a shock to us all, and he is still sadly missed.
The
Hall Of Fame committee also recognises the sad loss to the genre
of former Wurzels bass player John 'Jai' Howe (pictured left) who
passed away on 5th February 2008.
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