18th April

1968: The Kinks in a semicircle give Ray at its head a chance to have a sit down. They seem to have mislaid a pianist, mind.

1985: Dead Or Alive always seemed to open shows, surely a case of setting the bar too high. Actually it's the crowd that are overactive here rather than Pete, still trying to make something cultural out of an eyepatch. Their drummer had his syndrums out and so does Howard Jones', along with a low-slung keytar and someone on gated handclaps. China Crisis couldn't look more different with the big white electric piano and the Confederates tie, but they've ended up brothers in mullet.

1996: Not that you'll see her quite yet, but please welcome for the first of five hosting jobs, all in 1996, the semi-legendary Bear Van Beers! The wildcard of the Pops presentational roster, a 23 year old who got the job after bombarding Ric Blaxhill with showreels and letters and Lisa I'Anson being double booked for this show. Actually Beertje was her proper first name, and after Pops and some local work for Granada covering ice hockey and for a Sky News entertainment show she moved back to Holland to become a presenter and fashion writer. Fashion? Maybe she'd now advise Alanis Morissette that that shirt is the colour of a Quality Street wrapper and is too big for her.