High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The 1997 MTV Europe Music Awards landed at The Ahoy, Rotterdam and was hosted by Boyzone lead man, Ronan Keating. The mammoth opening number featured U2, who flew in direct from their world tour, dressed in boxing gowns and introduced to the stage by actor Dennis Hopper. The Spice Girls, fresh from firing pop svengali Simon Fuller on the morning of the awards performed "Spice Up Your Life". LL Cool J hit the stage with "Phenomenon" and Blackstreet teamed up with Slash from Guns N` Roses for a version of "Fix". The pop group Backstreet Boys also sang "As Long as You Love Me" and "Everybody (Backstreet`s Back)".