Wild Beasts lose out to The XX at Mercury awards (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Wild Beasts lose out to The XX at Mercury awards

10:24am Wednesday 8th September 2010 in

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KENDAL’S Wild Beasts narrowly missed out on the prestigious Barclaycard Mercury Prize last night.

The falsetto-voiced art-rockers lost out to bookies' favourites The XX - who scooped the coveted title of Album of the Year and £20,000 prize money.

A panel of judges, comprised of music industry experts, mused over the winner as nominees performed at a ceremony in London.

The Lakeland lads gave it their all with an accomplished rendition of their brooding hit Hooting and Howling.

Speaking to The Westmorland Gazette after the nomination for album Two Dancers, singer Hayden Thorpe said they were delighted just to be nominated alongside some “great albums.”

“The first sensation is relief that our hard work has been acknowledged and recognised,” he said.

“I think the Mercury creates interest for acts that might not have had that chance before.

“We believe Two Dancers is a strong album and we have to believe it is good enough.”

Former Jam frontman Paul Weller - who was himself up for the prize for his album Wake Up The Nation - had backed the band to win.

Kathy Earle, head of sixth form at Queen Katherine School, where Wild Beasts studied as teenagers, said it was wonderful to see former pupils flourishing.

“They were all individuals,” she said. “At the time I taught them they were forming a band and I remember them hiring a garage on a local industrial estate.

“We are often faced with young people who have these aspirations and of course we are supportive but you never know if they will come to anything.

“The school has a strong music base and we always see students do very well. They were very bright young men.”