The OC Register has put up an article from last night’s 2011 OC Music Awards which includes a few words from M Shadows on winning “Best Metal” group and “Best Album”.
True, Avenged Sevenfold went home with two OC Music Awards at Saturday's 10th annual ceremony, which filled City National Grove of Anaheim and attracted more media for red-carpet arrivals than ever before. (Were they hoping for a Gwen sighting?) The Huntington Beach-based band won for best metal, naturally, and also claimed the trophy for best album, for the group's chart-topping release Nightmare, its first work since the passing of drummer James "The Rev" Sullivan.Share
By comparison, A7X's deserved wins seemed completely obvious: of course M. Shadows and his absent gang would win best metal. Landing best album is also entirely logical, when you consider that last year's selection, Thrice's Beggars, was the biggest-selling and most widely acclaimed of any disc to tumble out of O.C. in its eligibility period ... just as Avenged's Nightmare was in 2010.But being the only act to competitively win two OCMAs when 22 others also nabbed honors doesn't exactly add up to dominance. At least last year, when Dusty Rhodes and the River Band picked up three wins, it felt like some kinda sweep: best rock, best country/Americana and best live band, two of which the group wasn't necessarily expected to score.
Regardless, Shadows seemed genuinely flattered and even a little humbled by the honor, acknowledging local forebears (the Vandals, Death by Stereo, especially Social Distortion, "the best band to come out of Orange County, hands down") each time he got to the mic.
He was unflappable, too: When an obnoxious doofus from Wildboyz decided to crash the podium before A7X's frontman could reach the stage, insisting the New Limb should have won before hurling a few random f-bombs (was one of those directed at Avenged?), Shadows just took it in stride. "A little Kanye West happening up here, huh?" After which he had a few heartfelt thanks to mention. All class.
