NOTES FROM RED CARPET INTERVIEWS
♠ September 10th, 2007 by ♣MTV executives described the Video Music Awards at The Palms as “the largest ever star-studded event in Vegas history.” Along with platinum performances, jaw-dropping collaborations, and masterful music mixes it all made for an unbelievably unforgettable night. But the real star of the sterling show was The Palms itself – and thus hotel tycoon George Maloof. I chatted with him before showtime about giving up his casino 5 days but instead finding fame across the world on TV:
“I think the best way to put it is, I lost all control of my place but what a great event. It is something so special for Vegas – so great that we’ve never had anything like this in Vegas before. It’s the largest red carpet that’s ever been in Vegas and probably ever will be – unless we do it again from here. We started planning all of this in April once we’d worked out the deal. Then its been non-stop for the last 90-days. They pulled it off – all over the entire property, from the Pearl theater to the nightclubs to the super suites. It’s the greatest award show in the history of the world. Tickets have been brutal because last year they had 16,000 seats and they moved from Miami to the Pearl which is only 2600 seats. But to put in the cameras, the cranes, the wires, the dancing table tops and lighting rigs it came down to less than 1000 seats. I got one ticket each for myself, my brothers and my mother. That was it. Sometime in the next 48-hours we’ll be completely back to normal and it will be like it never happened. But the residual promotion around the world is endless. The aerial shots of the Palms and our exterior pools on the suites look fantastic – and everybody around the world will see it. It is something very special for Vegas to be part of the coolest tv broadcast ever attempted.”
I asked George if he’d figured out how much gaming revenue he lost from ripping out 400 slot machines and 20 gaming tables to accommodate MTV’s red carpet staging and pre-show needs. MTV also converted 28 other gaming tables into special VMA edition felts for the broadcast! Miles of cables were strung throughout the casino and to the very top of the Fantasy Tower for the suite performances to connect to the 8 production and satellite trucks parked behind the resort. He told me: “I haven’t looked at the numbers. It’s a big number but with so many high-rollers playing over the weekend and staying in the hotel we more than made up for the slots loss. I let MTV have carte blanche and said yes to everything they asked for except I told them they couldn’t close Flamingo Road which is what they wanted.”
Music mogul Ne-Yo who was born in Vegas and still makes it home told me: “It makes sense for the VMA’s to be here. Vegas is a party town and this is the ultimate music party.” Ne-Yo explained for me his current feud with Britney’s handlers: “ I wrote several songs for Britney’s new album project coming out in November but she went into rehab and I lost contact with her for a long time. Then I ran into Nicole Scherzinger from Pussycat Dolls. She was putting an album together and asked if I had some songs. Britney’s people never returned my phone calls so I told Nicole to take them. After that happened Britney’s people called and asked why I was giving away her music. I said ‘wait – until you guys cut the check it is my music and not hers.’ So that ended that. I love the writing of music, the songs. I love the creative process of the writing but I also love the attention of being an artist. I can’t choose one over the other.” Ne-Yo admits he still pays strict attention to his mom: “She still rules the roost and it will be that way until the day she unfortunately passes away.”
Pussycat Doll Nicole who is now a solo singer wore a sexy slit sophisticated dress by Alice Temperly of London and talked with me about the night’s excitement: “This is my first VMA solo – its my first anything solo. I feel mad, crazy, wicked and excited. I couldn’t sleep last night I was so nervous. I have been waiting my whole life for this. It took me over 2 years working on my new album. I knew right after I finished the Pussycat Dolls album that I had to focus on my music by myself. It seems fast that I burst open but it is something that had been in the works for a long time. I took my time. I didn’t want to rush the album or the music so it is now coming out November 6.”
Three “couples” walked the red carpet and chatted with me. First Travis Barker holding hands with separated wife former Miss America, Shanna Moakler who had filed for divorce from him after a contentious series of “posts” on MYSpace berating each other to their fans: “It was horrendous the way we were – but that was just the surface and not in our hearts” admitted Travis. “Shanna is now in anger management classes so she doesn’t hit people anymore.” “And Travis is in that sex addicts class so he stops running around with animals” Shanna cut in. “We traded her anger for both becoming sex addicts,” laughed Travis. I asked what the secret was for their “successful” marriage. Said Travis: “Communication. We try to communicate. We have 3 beautiful children so we have to communicate. Even when we were at our lowest we still had to communicate. She missed me and I missed her.” Said Shanna: “We never gave up. The key to us being here together again tonight is that we never gave up.” Travis’ new album titled “Expensive Tastes” which he produced entirely himself will be released in time for the holidays – and he says its perfect for me!
Spice Girl Mel B, known as Scary Spice was with new husband Steven Belafonte. They married in July on a runaway weekend in Vegas. “We’d been planning it for quite a while – but we did it in secret. Why wouldn’t we pick Vegas? Its got everything. It worked as a surprise to everybody but us.”
I reunited with my old friends Robin Thicke and his stunning actress wife Paula Patten. “Sometimes you don’t realize how big you were dreaming until they come true,” said Robin. “And then you are so thankful to be doing what you love to do with the people you love. It’s now a very cool thing for my dad (comedian actor Alan Thicke) to be following me around instead of me following dad around. Tonight is just a celebration of a lot of years of struggling and hard work and just being so thankful and blessed I want to enjoy every second of it.” Paula told me: “Do you realize we have now been together for 13 years. We’ve been married for 2 years but dated for 13. It was a little trying this year to balance my acting career with his singing because he was on tour with Beyonce and I was working on 2 movies in Europe. We met each other whenever we could but it was also good both of us were busy at the same time. This is how you keep it together because a little bit of absence makes the heart grow fonder.”
Big, brilliant, blazing bling – and haute couture fashion were the order of the night! The biggest bling of all was on rapper Young Joc who had a chunk of diamond-flashing metal in the shape of an weighing 14 lbs. hanging by triple chains from his neck! “It doesn’t get any bigger or heavier,” he told me. “It’s a monstrosity. I designed it and teamed up with the guys at Focus Diamonds in Atlanta and now we have our own company called Ice Box Jewelry. I’m just living the dream and enjoying life right now. This is our 2nd VMA night. I love it. The last time we were in New York. I said then I wanted to make the Forbes list – and believe it or not I made the Top 20 Cash Kings. I’ve arrived and it is crazy. I just shot my first video directed by Fly Chi- and I’ve done so well and the bling shines so bright we did it off the theme of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.”
I asked rapper Chamillionaire how it felt for him to make the Forbes list too. “It is an honor considering who else is on there” he told me. “Its great to be in that realm of entertainers. It was my first album on a major label and to have that success I have had selling ring tones and 4.5 million digital worldwide sales when no-one thought I would come close that is a blessing. This has become a big business in addition to the rapping. Coming from Texas I learned to really hustle before the deal with Universal. I had a car company. I had real estate. The average life of a rapper is not long- maybe 4 years at max so I had to keep busy. I was bred to be an entrepreneur. I remember the lowest point of my life it was like yesterday. That’s what keeps me grinding so hard. I remember at one time being negative in my bank account. I should never have reached that low a level- sitting at home looking at my bank statement and owing them money. I said to myself I will never be negative again. I was mad at myself for buying things I should never have bought. That changed everything and now I can lend the bank money. When I started making money I’d walk in the bank and the tellers would look at me like wow all that money going into the account. Now its to the point where I cant even walk into the bank anymore. My journey from nothing to the big time took 9 years. I’d mix my own tapes and sell them out of my car trunk. I wasn’t making a lot of money. I was tired of having to look successful; but not having anything so I made the change. I looked into the business stuff and started owning my own stuff so as the artist I got all the money instead of it being broken down and given to everybody else. I am the CEO of my own life and when they cut me the check it comes straight to me. I bank it. I look after it. I love that.”
Many of the ladies wore the tight short figure-hugging stretch material designs of Paris designer Herve Legere but perhaps the 3 most outrageous fashion outfits on the red carpet belonged to Kat Van D from Miami Ink, Sapphyri from Charm School and the former porn-star turned pro-wrestler Blond E who was on the arm of x-rated actor Ron Jeremy. Said Kat: “My outfit is sleezy and cheersy. It is everything to excess because I love leather so this is rodeo cowboy meets bikergirl. I have been tattooing now for 11 years and my body is 75% covered. The only part of my body left to do is my back.” Sapphyri told me: “I designed my black dress myself. I call it flavoricious naughty-haute!” Blond E commented: “I tried to wear a minimum of clothes because its still so hot in Vegas – but all the cutouts in the pants are for ventilation.” Ashanti’s dress was a custom-designed dress by Pannina Topre. “Its got a gazillion diamonds on it,” she said. ”Its perfect for tonight. Its hot that Vegas has the VMA’s, The energy is amazing in Vegas so to bring the MTV party here is an amazing marriage. I’ve been partying around town but the most important was visiting the gift stores they set up for the celebrities. I went to the hospitality suites at TAO Beach in the Beach and the Venus pool club in Caesars. I got 2 amazing rings – big chunky stones, one blue and the other red and white. My new album “Declaration” will be out very soon so its time to celebrate tonight. But I also have a movie coming out soon called Extinction and I’ll be back for the premiere because we’re doing it in Vegas.”
Its easy to understand why some of the celebrities are now referring to MTV’s show as the Vegas Music Awards. Said barb-laden comic Jeffrey Ross: “Its about time it came to Vegas. This is the entertainment capital after all. I feel at home whenever I come to the Palms so should MTV. I love it here. I enjoy it here. I will be back pretty soon as I am doing the Larry the Cable Guy Christmas spectacular from the Palms and we will shoot part of it here. Unfortunately with my humor I have to stay bi-coastal. People like me better in small doses. It’s a great way to make a living but as an insult comedian you’ve got to keep moving. Actually I’ve never really been resented and I’ve always been forgiven for the insults eventually. If I know someone can’t take it I won’t even take the time to craft a joke around them. After the vicious Pam Anderson roast Courtney Love held me down while Bea Arthur beat the crap out of me.” Late night TV talkshow host Carson Daly added: “I cannot believe they have never done this before out here. Its about time – plus as if the town wasn’t tempting enough they had to bring a bunch of drunk rock-stars in to make it even hotter.” American Idol star Chris Daughtry went on: “I think everything should be held in Vegas. From golf tournaments to political conventions. There is so much to do out here – and as there’s no question about where to go afterwards when you party a few dollars and the girls take their clothes off you don’t have to go far. Its perfect for these guys tonight!”
I chatted with the Foo Fighters, Soulja Boy enjoying his “Crank That” as the nation’s #1 single, Gnarls Barkley lead singer in white coat suit, and Pamela Anderson on the arm of her Beauty of Magic co-star Hans Klok. Their appearance with Ellen DeGeneres airs tomorrow (TUES). Pamela told me she and Hans have now added the blazing fire-spikes cabinet trick to their stage act. “ I’ve only been slightly burned a couple of times,” laughed Pamela who revealed that they’ve now begun rehearsals for an underwater stunt. “ Thats even more dangerous,” said Hans. “And it will be quite a lengthy teaching and learning process but she’s so good and so willing we’ll get it done and add that too.” 50-Cent told me that he’d ordered his open-air poolside concert at the Hard Rock over the weekend cut short after 50-minutes because fans were pushing the stage and it looked as if it would sink into the Hard Rock pool. “All those lights, all that electricity all that water,” he said. “I didn’t want to fry. I kept asking the crowd to stop pushing the stage and move back. But they wouldn’t so the only thing I could do was call it quits. It was the safest sanest thing to do even though it upset a few people. But it really could have been a very dangerous situation. The stage was sinking and I wasn’t going down with it.”
Don’t forget Luxe Life will have full photo-coverage tomorrow of all the after show parties plus the weekend rundown of all the star-studded nightclub events – and you’re invited to join hit-maker Ludacris at his 30th birthday party at the outrageous Italian restaurant nightclub Café Martorano in the Rio. Wednesday as we return to normal we’ll wrap up our MTV coverage with a deeply personal interview with Shar Jackson as she talks candidly about being part of the Kevin Federline-Britney Spears love triangle.”
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