2015 Grammy Awards: Moments the Cameras Missed
Only at the Grammy Awards would the host tell the crowd to put away their flasks before the cameras started rolling. Emcee LL Cool J instructed the star-studded audience to hide their booze at the Staples Center on Sunday night before the 57th annual Grammy Awards ceremony got under way.When AC/DC kicked off the show with an impressive display of pyrotechnics, the crowd appeared to be filled with little devils donning glow-in-the-dark devil horns. But just as quickly as the fans put them on, they were politely instructed to take them off again and keep them out of sight.
“Ladies and gentlemen the devil horns are yours to keep but please put them away for the rest of the show,” read a sign that flashed on the screens throughout the arena.
After Sam Smith won his first of four awards, none other than Paul McCartney made his way through the crowd to shake his hand and give the “Stay With Me” singer a hug during the commercial break. ELO’s Jeff Lynne did the same thing a few minutes later, which must have been a thrill for the British crooner.
Before the show, William Phillips, Smith’s co-writer on “Stay With Me,” told Yahoo Music that the singer was a humble and unassuming guy and that they used to go down to the pub and grab pizza together without attracting attention, but they’re unable to do that now that Smith’s star has risen so quickly and he’s recognized everywhere he goes.
McCartney’s performance with Rihanna and Kanye West topped the evening’s highlights – at least in terms of star power – and playing along side them was Nuno Bettencourt of famed ’90s band Extreme. The guitarist chatted with Yahoo Music before the show and said that McCartney was like a 17-year-old kid during rehearsals who wouldn’t put down his guitar and had more energy than anyone in the room.
Although HAIM didn’t win the Best New Artist award for which they were nominated, the three Southern California sisters appeared to be having the time of their lives. During commercial breaks they chatted with gal pal Taylor Swift, who’s taking them out on her 1989 tour, as well as Jenny Lewis and Kanye West. They also told us on the red carpet that their parents were there to cheer them on and that they were incredibly excited to see Annie Lennox perform.
Hozier, whose performance of “Take Me to Church” with Annie Lennox was widely considered one of the best of the evening, told Yahoo Music that he never expected a song that he wrote in his attic to become such a breakout hit.
Lady Gaga showed the world a different side of herself when she performed the standard “Cheek to Cheek” with legendary crooner Tony Bennett. Before the lights went up on their performance she hugged Bennett and practiced some of her moves, looking positively demure compared to her past Grammy appearances. Afterwards, on her way out of the arena, Gaga gave high-fives to audience members and security guards as she made her way through the crowd.
The audience’s attention began to wane toward the end of the nearly four-hour show, and people began streaming out at the end of Beyonce’s angelic performance of “Take My Hand, Precious Lord,” but not before they lost their minds over Prince, who presented the Album of the Year award to Beck.
