U2, Kid Rock Added To Grammys

U2, Kid Rock, Rihanna and Robert Plant with Alison Krauss are the latest big names added to the list of those performing at the 51st annual Grammy Awards.

Plant and Krauss are up for five trophies, Rihanna was nominated for three and Kid Rock is in the running for two. U2 don't have any nominations, but they have a new album to flog, and they'll add an Irish flavour to the British invasion presented by Coldplay and Radiohead performing on the show.

Other artists previously announced to take the stage of the Los Angeles' Staples Center on Feb. 8 include Paul McCartney with Dave Grohl, Lil Wayne, Kanye West, Jay-Z, T.I., Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake, Jonas Brothers, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson and Kenny Chesney.

Much more interesting is the rumoured appearance of best reggae album Grammy nominee and renowned eccentric Lee "Scratch" Perry with the unpredictable Andrew W.K. (who co-produced Perry's nominated Repentance LP) and Lightning Bolt drummer Brian Chippendale, who performed on the album. Vampire Weekend were also said to be involved, but their representatives have denied it.

U2, Coldplay and Radiohead may be the three biggest bands in the world, but it would be so much more entertaining to see the 72-year-old Perry, wearing too many necklaces to count and his multi-coloured hat of burning incense, on the show singing about "Pum Pum."

I saw Perry at Toronto's Harbourfront last year, and can imagine Grammy clock-watchers' futile efforts trying to keep him in line to allow the star-packed show to roll along while he's locked in a heavy dub groove and rambling on unintelligibly. Fingers are crossed that this will happen, but I don't think the Grammys are cool enough for it to be true.

But maybe the initial lineup of award presenters will be enough to get you to watch. If you like Jack Black, Duffy, Samuel L. Jackson, Simon Baker (whoever the hell he is), Charlie Haden, Josh Groban and Gwyneth Paltrow, you're in luck. My biggest hope would be for Paltrow to present an award in one of the categories in which Coldplay are nominated, and her husband Chris Martin's band doesn't win. The look on her face after that would show how good her acting skills really are.