How the Beastie Boys stormed the VMAs long before Kanye West
(Credits: Alamy) Without wishing to be too disparaging in this opening line, it is fair to say that the MTV Video Music Awards have never been considered among the most prestigious accolades that a musician can strive for. Perhaps as a result of that, the VMAs have witnessed some rather bizarre occurrences since its inception back in 1984. The chances are that, when you think of the VMAs, your mind is invariably drawn to that defining moment in 2009, when a pre-fascism Kanye West stormed the stage in a bizarre protest against Taylor Swift winning the award for Best Female Video. In actual fact, though, West wasn’t even the first person to invade the ceremony’s stage in an inexplicable protest. That accolade is, instead, afforded to Adam Yauch, of Beastie Boys fame. With the iconic video for ‘Sabotage’ – directed by a young Spike Jonze – up for five separate awards in 1994, it is fair to say that the trio enjoyed the award ceremony, despite not winning any of those five trophies. In addition to giving a performance of ‘Sabotage’ – in between Green Day and, bizarrely, the Leningrad Cowboys – Yauch got some more stage time when he stormed the stage, following R.E.M. and Jake Scott’s win for the direction of ‘Everybody Hurts’. Before a rather bewildered Michael Stipe even had a chance to reach the microphone, the Beastie Boy – bedecked in traditional lederhosen and a Groucho Marx-esque fake moustache and glasses – took the stand. “This is an outrage because Spike [Jonze] is the director, and since I was a small boy I had dream that Spike would win this, and now this has happened,” the rapper cried, although it’s unclear how many people knew it was him, given the disguise, and the fake European accent (exact region unclear) he had adopted under his pseudonym of Nathanial Hörnblowér. Much like with the Kanye West situation, the performer was allowed to go on for quite some time before MTV’s security stepped in, giving Yauch (or, Hörnblowér, rather) a chance to continue, “And I just want to tell everyone that this is a farce and that I had all the ideas for Star Wars and everything,” before being carted off. To his credit, Michael Stipe didn’t attempt to intervene with this intrusion, simply standing back and looking understandably confused as to what exactly was going on. Nor did MTV throw their toys out of the pram, either. In fact, the Beastie Boys appeared at the award ceremony a few more times, including in 1998 when they were awarded the Video Vanguard – which, disappointingly, Michael Stipe did not use as an opportunity to get his own back. So, although Kanye West might make for better headlines, it is worth remembering that Adam Yauch was the true pioneer of disrupting the VMA Awards, and quite rightly too. After all, you can’t invite a group like the Beastie Boys to a formal award ceremony, not give them any awards, and expect them to sit down with the quiet reverence of ageing folk singers. At any given moment, they were always ready to fight for their right to party… and accuse George Lucas of plagiarism. Related Topics
