Glamorous Indie Rock and Roll

Back, back, back in the mists of time, I worked in telly. Sadly, mortgages and bills put paid to my freelance and fabulous career. But it did mean that I notched up a pretty decent sleb count.

I suspect people will hate me if I tell my good stories.

So here's a rubbish one instead.

It was somewhere around the beginning of the new millennium. I went, clad in my finest togs, to a massive charity concert where young people were gathering to see a selection of up and coming bands. Not good bands, I hasten to add, but bands which were marketed at the kids. Lolly (yes, who?) was there, along with Eurovision hopefuls Precious (again, who?), Fierce (ditto) and Atomic Kitten. Also present were Northern Line, featuring Big Brother's Ziggy. Who, ironically, would be the most famous of them all at this moment.

Along with my trusty camera crew, my job was to interview said bands and get them to record idents for the show I worked on. Which sounds much more glamorous than it actually was, and really involved a lot of waiting around, feeling a little bit stupid. Now, during the year or so in which I did meedya, I conducted many interviews. But never before had I experienced Atomic Kitten, who, at that time, still featured the gobby Kerry Katona. Salt of the earth doesn't even come into it. These girls were rough. Uncontrollable. And downright annoying. I segued neatly from hip interviewer to bossy schoolteacher, and ended up shouting at them. I actually used the phrase "Now, girls, please!".

Yes, I do cringe.

Eventually, as we TV types say, it was in the can. The show went on. And afterwards there was a huge party in a nearby hotel. I called some friends, who met me there. We'd expected a free bar, but it was only for the artistes - we press (and associated hangers on) had to pay through the nose. A plan was formed. As we were two boys and two girls, with approximately the correct hair colours, we decided to masquerade as Scooch, who were making their initial bid for the charts at this time. Free drinks ahoy. And we didn't even have to sing. Which is a very good job, all things considered.

Apologies for the poor picture quality, and for the fact that apparently I look "evil" (something to do with my eyebrows) in this photograph. But here I am, with various Atomic Kittens and your man off Big Brother.

(I realise that this story doesn't make me sound very cool, so I'll add that David Gedge from the Wedding Present once smoked my cigarette during a gig.)

Glamorous Indie Rock and Roll - The Killers

Comments

[ordinary girl]

Famous people (plural!!)
Picture!!
Ziggy!!

That's it. I'm sunk!

[bedshaped]

I wouldn't say your eyebrows look evil, although your spiky, blonde hair is a little 'angry looking'.

[Angelalala]

I love the way it looks like Ziggy has just chinned that woman behind you in his haste to get his arm round the one that looks a bit like Jamie Theakston.

I hate this task.

[penfold]

Is spiky-boy groping you under the table...?

[Cat]

OG, I think "famous" is prehaps stretching it a little...

Bedshaped, it's quite special, isn't it?

Angelalala, that Jamie Theakston-alike used to date someone really famous, but I can't quite recall who. His name's Dan Corsi.

Penfold, yes.

[mike]

Aha! The spiky-haired guy on the right is Andy Love, also formerly of Northern Line, and currently a-singin' and a-dancin' on the Pet Shop Boys tour (which I caught a couple of weeks ago). And he wrote the theme tune for X Factor!

I shouldn't know this stuff, but I do.

[penfold]

Mike - there are hotlines and help is out there...

[Cat]

Mike, he's clearly doing a bit better than Ziggy...

Penfold, while I didn't know that, my sleb knowledge is also shamefully vast, thanks to the multitude or trashy magazines I read!

[Clare]

I have never even heard of Northern Line, but at least I now understahd why someone on BB the other day was saying that Ziggy planned on spending his winnings on an underground railway line...

[scienceequip icons]

It is possible to tell, this :) exception to the rules

P.S. Please review our icons for Windows 8