By DJ Monk
Staking its reputation as one of the essential dates in the annual rock ‘n’ roll calendar, the 2020 Vive Le Rock Awards have confirmed some Über cool additions to an already stellar bill for this year’s shebang, which takes place on 1 April.
Following two now fabled nights at the 02 Islington Academy in 2018 and 2019, the event has gone bigger and bolder, moving to the 2000-capacity 02 Shepherds Bush Empire, as it also celebrates Vive Le Rock’s tenth anniversary.
The two previous years have featured live appearances from The Damned, The Stranglers, Shakin’ Stevens, Suzi Quatro, members of AC/DC, Sex Pistols, The Specials, Buzzcocks and even England football legend Stuart Pearce, and the event this year continues to grow in stature and size!
This week, further icons of rock ‘n’ roll have been confirmed to join the event and Vive Le Rock are very proud to welcome London rockers The Only Ones onto the line-up. Frontman Peter Perrett returned in recent years to launch a successful solo career with two fabulous albums in 2017 and 2019, and now VLR will The Only Ones’ legacy, as the band will be picking up a ‘Classic Song’ award for their timeless 1978 hit ‘Another Girl Another Planet’, which will be performed on the night.
Also confirmed to join the melee is soul-brother Jim Jones; Hypnotic, Righteous Mind and Revue, a man who IS rock ‘n’ roll incarnate, who will bring his hand-clapping grooves to the night. Then, just when you thought the evening couldn’t get any hotter, along comes the crazy world of Arthur Brown with his red-hot 1968 hit ‘Fire’, bringing his wild show and worldwide number one smash hit to the event. “I am the God of Hellfire and I bring ‘Fire’ to the Vive Le Rock Awards 2020,” exclaims Arthur, now in his 57th year of performance!
These join the previously announced original Rudeboy, Neville Staple, along with a very special one-off reformation of 80’s goth rockers The Lords of The New Church, fronted by Finnish Hanoi Rocks legend Michael Monroe on vocals. The Vive Le Rockers all-star band will once again back specially invited singers and compere for the night which will see the return of Ed Tudor-Pole of Tenpole Tudor fame (and also 80s TV show, ‘The Crystal Maze’!). Chrissie Hynde and The Pretenders are set to pick up an Icon award and punk legend Brian James will accept the Pioneer award.
There will be a special tribute section for rockers we lost in 2019, including Gang Of Four’s Andy Gill, Eddie and The Hot Rods’ Barrie Masters (who played the 2019 VLR awards) and surf guitar legend Dick Dale.
The audience will comprise of invited members of the media, television, fashion and the music world as well as an allocation of tickets for the general public. Tickets are available HERE.
“This isn’t some chicken in a basket awards show – this is a party with the coolest people in rock ‘n’ roll,” Vive Le Rock editor Eugene Butcher told Über Rock, who, of course, will be reporting from the red carpet on the night.