NEW YORK -- A few days before show time many award ceremonies are plagued with problems, including under-rehearsed routines, faulty pyro and even artist cancellations. Compared with such events, this year's MTV Video Music Awards are relatively glitch-free. Relatively.

[...]

Vines frontman Craig Nicholls was just as enthused about having the opportunity to rock the VMAs. "We're happy that we're a part of this great big thing," he said. "I'm looking forward to playing our song and seeing other people play their songs and just seeing who wins the awards. I got my fingers crossed for the White Stripes."

[...]

The Hives and the Vines will perform back-to-back at the VMAs in what is being billed as a battle of the bands. But the musicians don't exactly view it that way.

"We're going to have a sword fight if it's not clear who actually sounded better or looked better," joked the Vines' Nicholls before turning more serious. "No man, it's not like that at all. It just so happens that we're playing together. We passed that battle of the bands competition. We did that years ago and I think [the Hives] did as well."

The Hives, who will play on the right front side of the stage before the Vines' full-stage stint, are of similar mind.

"It's not really a competition," singer Howlin' Pelle Almqvist said. "You can't win in music. Everybody loses all the time."

"We're a pretty competitive band," added Hives guitarist Nicholaus Arson, "but the main thing is we don't really like competitions in music."

First the Vines rehearsed for an hour on their own. Their performance was loud, subversive and highly energetic, and on two takes Nicholls replaced all of the chorus melodies with near-random screaming.

"We just try and have a good time," he explained afterwards. "If we're feeling like we're pissed off, I guess it's going to sound pissed off. If we're more kind of mellow, [the music will be] more restrained, more melodic. There's always an element of improvising with our live performances."

The Hives flawlessly ripped through multiple takes of their number and at this point may be the favorite in the battle. Their performance was powerful and energetic, sounding like a cross between the Stooges and the Sonics.

"I actually believe that we're the best band around because we get to decide ourselves what to do in the band, so we might as well do what we think is best," Almqvist said. "And we're skilled enough musicians that we can pull it off."

Catch all the sizzlin', star-packed VMA action direct from Miami on August 28. MTV News' preshow kicks things off at 6:00 p.m. ET/PT, followed by the big show at 8 p.m.