* UPDATED
As I mentioned yesterday in my live twitter coverage of the Mercury Prize awards ceremony, lead singer of Glasvegas, James Allan, hs been missing for 5 days. Scheduled to perform at the show last night, the organizers instead chose to show a video of the band playing Geraldine on Later...With Jools Holland from earlier this year.


Allan was last seen 5 days ago when the band arrived home from an Italian vacation. The singer was seen in a cab

Rab Allan, the band’s lead guitarist and the singer’s cousin has stated: "James, please get in touch", adding "He had been saying for ages that he needed a break. Everyone is panicking. We’re not supposed to talk about it. He has been working really, really hard and probably needs a break. If he doesn’t turn up for Kings of Leon, we will be really worried."

I'll provide more details as they become available.

* UPDATE: Allan has contacted his bandmates and the Scottish band are set to issue a statement reassuring fans that the singer is safe and has got back in touch.

mp3: Glasvegas - Geraldine (acoustic version)

The Barclaycard Mercury Prize exists solely to champion music in the UK, mainly through the Albums of the Year competition, which celebrates recorded music of all genres by British or Irish artists, with the music on the album as the only thing taken into account. The twelve Albums of the Year were announced back in July with the overall winner decided just now!


This year, the prize goes to a most deserving, Speech Debelle! largely viewed as amajor underdog, this longshot was praised for her cutting edge hip-hop and pop vibe, as heard throughout her debut album, Speech Therapy.

Check out Debelle's official video for The Key, which she also performed during the Mercury Prize ceremony earlier today.

Debelle thanked her family, friends and band members during an emotional acceptance speech.

mp3: Speech Debelle - The Key (Loose Cannons Remix)

Florence will be taking her machine on the road again this December for a new UK tour. Following a summer of critically acclaimed festival appearances and, let's not beat about the bush here, kick-ass live shows Florence will once again be taking to stages across the UK for a handful of dates.


This year, the prize did not go to the projected winner by a longshot. FatM's debut album, Lungs, was championed by many a critic, blogger, and music fan alike.

You'll have to ease your pain by checking her out live, you lucky Europeans.

Dec 6 - Ulster Hall Belfast
Dec 7 - Olympia Theatre Dublin
Dec 9 - O2 Academy, Glasgow
Dec 10 - Manchester Apollo
Dec 11 - Lincoln Engine Shed
Dec 13 - O2 Brixton Academy London

Tickets go on general sale at 9am this Friday, September 11th, although there is a special, fan-only pre-sale happening tomorrow (September 8th) at 9am. Tickets here.

mp3: Florence and the Machine (featuring Kid Harpoon) - I'm Goin' Down (Bruce Springsteen Cover)