15th October

1981: In September 1980 Kid Jensen moved to Atlanta, sort of reverted to his proper name and helped bring CNN into the world. Before long he got bored of that and came back to what he knew. Also back, after a four year stint away from the studio caused more by lack of than too much interest, was Gary Glitter, who hadn't changed except for his shoulder epaulets being even bigger. Restraint was similarly a constant problem to B.A. Robertson, somewhat invading duet partner Maggie Bell's personal space. She appears most unimpressed with his idea of clapping. In case there was any remaining room for largesse, Bad Manners filled it in every sense, Buster dressed for the slopes and causing an inadvertent continuity problem. Presumably there's a reason why the saxophonist is in a dressing gown but it must remain lost to the ether. The juxtaposition between 'MISS STONY (something) LIONS CARNIVAL' and The Exploited is almost beautiful, as is the audience attempting to form some sort of party movement reaction to the second wave punk atom bomb dropped before them and eventually joining in with the smuggled in hardcore off by stage right. Also note the first sighting of explosions behind a hard rock band as would become standard a decade or so later. If this was a show of returns, it was also one of farewell as Legs & Co bowed out, it being decided a wider, mixed sex repetory company would be more adaptable and useful than a specific weekly slot with a restricted number of participants. Their final headline routine... well, you could dance to it, certainly. The Tweets' Birdie Song, it was. What's more they clearly aren't doing the 'proper' actions. Top work by whoever was operating the big screen, waving that thing for all they're worth.

1999: To Swansea! On the Pops tour of reduced worth, Christina Aguilera, which in 1999 was apparently "unpronounceable" and a song which seemingly wasn't worth playing to the end despite being number one.

2004: ...but hang around long enough and they build a set outside TV Centre for you, as with "this band 'ere, U2". In contravention of all sorts of moral panics Bono starts where, Jensen aside, this blog day started.