Gordon in the morning: Ferry bad news

Gordon gets overexcited in the shipping lanes:

THE lads in The Wanted almost lost £6million of kit on Wednesday night when a ferry carrying tour gear was in collision with a cargo vessel.

The Wanted have six million quid's worth of equipment? That's a hell of a lot of make-up and trousers, and a really expensive tape machine, presumably.

Still, they "almost lost" it all, did they?

The Wanted ferry nearly lose their kit

So this must have been a really, really serious incident?

The accident happened in Belfast Lough, and roadies with the kit on a Stena ship were so worried it was going down they put on life jackets.

And believe me, if you've got an incident at sea, nobody is better at predicting what might happen than a roadie. If only Noel Gallagher had been on the Titanic, they might have avoided any loss of life at all.

Although... if there's a bit of a bump at sea wouldn't putting a life jacket on be a normal thing to do? Has Gordon taken a basic safety measure, and a minor incident, and inflated it like a seat that can also be used as a floatation device?

RTE have a report on the incident:

A passenger ferry was involved in a collision with another vessel at the entrance to Belfast Lough, authorities in Northern Ireland confirmed tonight.

Police are assisting the Maritime and Coastguard agency in an investigation into the incident.
The Stena ferry has docked at its terminal in Belfast. There are no reports of injuries.
[...]
There were 51 passengers and 47 crew on board.

A spokesman said there were no reports of injuries and everyone on the ferry had safely disembarked in Belfast.

So this is a bit of a minor bump, then, and it seems at no time was the ferry in any danger; much less its cargo "almost lost". Still, why let the facts, etc, etc?

Gordon in the morning: Where do you hide a Justin Bieber?

There's something quite canny about Justin Bieber choosing to spend the night after the EMAs in a gay club in Belfast. I'm not sure it's the last place anyone would look for him, but it's probably not the first.

Although, frankly, it's unlikely any of his fans would find him in any nightclub at all, given they'd all be about ten years too young to get in to one.

Gordon, though, thinks there's another motive:

WHAT'S the best way to knock back rumours you've fathered a love child?

Go for a night out on the shandy at "Europe's hottest gay venue".

I'm not sure that would entirely clear you from a paternity suit, Gordon.

By the way: this morning's Sun front page on Conrad Murray: Thriller Killer. Keeping it classy.

MTV pick Belfast to host EMAs; hope music execs don't google 'weather Belfast November'

MTV has announced that the City Of Belfast is the "lucky" venue helping underwrite the costs of this year's European Music Awards:

“Belfast’s vibrant nightlife and compelling music scene, known for fostering emerging artists and turning out international chart toppers, provides the perfect backdrop for one of the world’s biggest nights in music. The spirit of Belfast combined with our expertise is the perfect foundation for an unforgettable event and unique night,” commented Antonio Campo Dall’Orto, Executive Vice President of Music Brands, VIMN.

Plus, they totally offered more cash than anywhere else. That means a lot.

Belfast are excited at having tempted such an almost-famous awards ceremony to their city:

The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Pat Convery, said: “It is fitting that the EMAs are coming to Belfast – one of Europe’s most exciting and vibrant cities and with around 35 per cent of our population below the age of 25. Belfast has a rich musical history and has produced artists such as Snow Patrol and the legendary Van Morrison and we now have an unprecedented opportunity to shine a spotlight on our musical heritage while also providing a major boost to our economy. I am delighted that MTV has chosen Belfast. The decision to host such a world class event in our city is an endorsement of what we have been saying for some time now – Belfast is a happening place.”

Yes. Van Morrison and Snow Patrol. Them formed in the mid 1960s; Snow Patrol came together in 1994. Two whole bands in fifty years and none you can think of for last fifteen years. It's not exactly Hitsville UK, is it?

This isn't having a pop at Belfast which has a whole bunch of beautiful, scrabbling bands doing things at a pitch that MTV and, god bless him, the Lord Mayor are never going to be interested in. When you're barking up interest in an awards ceremony that will feature either Katy Perry or Lady GaGa or both by saying "this is the obvious place, being the home of Van Morrison", you're doing something massively wrong.

Irish music could be in trouble

An alarming headline from Gigwise:

Snow Patrol To Speak On Behalf Of Irish Music
At Stormont today...

Good lord, how did they land that gig? I mean, were they elected? Or was it an evil trick by Welsh music to make its rival across the sea look bad?

It turns out they're only talking on behalf of an Irish music project:

Lightbody is expected to show how the project, Oh Yeah, has helped Irish musicians across the country.

Oh Yeah was set up by Ash’s Tim Wheeler in a bid to establish a dedicated music centre in Belfast.

Which is a lot less alarming than it first appeared.