Wednesday 06 April 2022.

Tuesday 05 April 2022....I went to three events today... 3.30pm to 6.30pm... THE LONDON BOOK FAIR returns to Olympia, Kensington, London. This was the first of the three days of this event. Ex Spandau Ballet TONY HADLEY was there on Wednesday to promote his autobiography. The first in-person edition of The London Book Fair since 2019 is set to be an international affair with attendees from the US and Canada, large country pavilions from France, Germany and Italy (to name a few!), and confirmations from the Big Four UK publishers. Exhibitors from all sectors of the publishing world are set to be showcasing here. Half of Olympia has been flattened to make way for the new live music venue that opens in a couple of years, which looks great from the photos i have seen. Some people say "people don't read books anymore", but judging by the huge amount of stands and people here, it's safe to say hard copy books are as popular as ever. Lots of music books around, but sadly no musicians here to promote them. It is the opening day so many stands are having complimentary drinks events for an hour or so. SPOTLIGHT CATALAN PUBLICATIONS - wines, Peroni beers and canapés. BATSFORD BOOKS - prosecco, wines, pale ale and snacks. ITALIAN PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION - wines, beers and canapés. then 6.30pm to 8.30pm THE LONDON BOOK FAIR afterparty at The Hand & Flowers Pub, opposite Olympia. This party was hosted by publishing agents Andrew Nurnberg Associates. Around 100 guests here , and it is a full complimentary bar, so time for some Jack Daniels & cokes Pints of Guinness and some canapés. then 9pm PSYCHEDELIC FURS + Jah Wobble & The Invaders of the Heart play The Royal Albert Hall. A bigger than usual show for them as I saw their recent shows at Royal Festival Hall (2018), The Forum , The Roundhouse (both 2019) so RAH is twice the size ,so the venue is bound to be not full. The Furs are playing a UK tour to support their 2020 album "Made Of Rain". In December 2020 it was voted Best Album of 2020 by Vive Le Rock magazine. 40 years since their excellent second album "Talk Talk Talk " was released in 1981. On 25 June 2021 they also released a 2 CD 29 track with booklet "Best Of " album. I have seen The Furs over a dozen times since 1979, when they were a support band. Jah Wobble was the bass player in the first Public Image Limited line-up, over 40 years ago. I went to the first ever show by PIL - at The Rainbow Theatre, London - 25 Dec 1978. A nice third band have been added to open the evening...WASTED YOUTH. They have reformed this year after 40 years away. The surviving members of Wasted Youth (Ken, Rocco and Nick) will be in the line-up I saw them five times in 1980 and 1981. Wasted Youth,Last Gang Fulham Greyhound Pub, London 31.03.1980 Only Ones,Athletico Spizz 80,Wasted Youth Electric Ballroom, London 10.05.1980 Wasted Youth Fulham Greyhound Pub, London 06.07.1980 Wasted Youth Bridgehouse , London E 25.08.1980 Classix Nouveaux,Wasted Youth,Our Daughers Wedding Hammersmith Palais , London 15.06.1981 ---------- I ended up missing both the support acts, as i was at the Olympia drinks event earlier. As expected the circle upstairs is 90% unsold. I bumped into several friends in the interval before the Furs came on stage. Despite a planned stage time of 9.30pm , they did not come on stage until 9.45pm. This meant that their 95 mins set finished at a curfew busting 11.20pm. BOBBY GILLESPIE from Primal Scream was sitting a couple of rows in front of me, left of stage. When you’ve waited nearly 30 years to make a record, what’s a two-year delay in touring it? Such is the fate of the Psychedelic Furs, who in 2020 released "Made of Rain", their first album since 1991, only to find the gigs to promote it stymied by the first Covid lockdown. “Sorry about all the cancellations we’ve had! singer Richard Butler sighed. The 65-year-old Butler is still a fantastic showman, all bows, feints , hand gestures and cross-legged crouches. The vocalist remains an elegant stick insect, a tremendously compelling old-school frontman possessed of a winningly imperious swagger. It was pretty much three quarters a greatest hits set and a few tracks from the recent album. The six-piece band featured their fab sax player, who had many highlights during the show. They really have got loads of great songs, and a few more were left out to make way for the new stuff. An excellent show. Full Psychedelic Furs setlist played tonight.... Highwire Days Dumb Waiters You'll Be Mine Mr. Jones Wrong Train The Ghost In You (dedicated to Jordan R.I.P.) The Boy That Invented Rock & Roll No‐One Pretty in Pink Don't Believe Love My Way Ash Wednesday President Gas This'll Never Be Like Love Heaven (floor seats up and dancing from here) Heartbreak Beat Encore: Sister Europe India

Posted 6th April 2022