Brits 2008: will there be anarchy?

The shinyness of the Brits is perhaps an antidote to the usual press about the music industry: constantly cutting costs to keep afloat in a digitilised, internet-dominated age.

It's something to boost morale and give those musos something to smile about.

It promises to be an eclectic evening, with newcomers and old-hands going head-to-head in just about every category: Richard Hawley takes on Mark Ronson and PJ Harvey goes up against Leona Lewis in the domestic categories.

Meanwhile, in the international categories Bruce Springsteen takes on Kanye West and Bjork tackles Rihanna.

The age gap isn't lost on Hawley who said he was in two minds about going to the show: "I'm quite cynical so (the Brits) is a way of the system absorbing you ...

"That's part of what I think, but part of it is thinking, 'I'm a 41-year-old bloke and somebody's nominated me for an award for music that I've done'. It can't be anything but nice. Thanks."

But will there be a little too much polish and not enough of the grit and eccentricity?

Will the Brits once again showcase the anarchy of Jarvis Cocker clambouring on stage to "moon" Michael Jackson or Chumbawumba chucking a bucket of icy water over John Prescott?

The show is carefully courting tabloid headline-hoggers Amy Winehouse and Paul McCartney. Organisers have offered the stage to Winehouse in what the Times called "an incentive to continue her recovery from drug addiction". That would be very noble of the UK music industry's biggest night out, but cynics would suggest ratings and publicity would be a bigger reason to get the troubled star on board. Oh, and her talent, of course.

Macca, meanwhile, has accepted the Outsanding Contribution to Music award. Like Winehouse, he's been a staple of the daily tabloid digest in recent months due to his high-profile divorce case from Heather Mills.

Will Heather Mills rush to the stage and "moon" her soon to be ex? Will Blake Fielder Civil organise a prison break and turn up to support his wife?

It doesn't look likely.

Hopes must thus be pinned on the Osbournes to do their bit to bring a touch of disorder to proceedings. Some think the duo might manage to upstage the cringe-a-thon that was Sam Fox and Mick Fleetwood's 1989 effort - which, like Jarvis's stage assault and Chumbawumba's icy bucket, has entered the canon of pop history.

The Brit Awards ceremony will be shown at 8pm on ITV1 tonight

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