27th October

1977: Lots of scary sights this week, an on their uppers Slade joining in by counterbalancing Noddy's huge mullet with Dave Hill's suddenly cueball pate. As they're reduced to an Elvis tribute, it seems to have had a Samsonite effect. Not even they can hold a candle to Darts' Den Hegarty, taking out the pianist and then falling back onto the stage in a performance that made their name. For their sensitive take on The Troubles Boney M bring a full band who like a good headstock waving session and, to go with the resident four, an extra three singers in carnival gear whose leftover material headgear is almost as big as Liz Mitchell's antennae. Mary Mason has the full range of theatrical moves but is overshadowed by her tight perm which seems to move independently of the rest of her head. Kid is very excited to the point of yelping the end of the title of Tom Robinson Band's first hit but then so are the die-hards down the front, even if their airpunching leaves something to be desired. Note Tom's Musician's Union sticker and pink triangle badge. Even Legs & Co are up for something extra this week, lots of hair flicking to Ram Jam plus a very long still shot of Lulu reaching her fist out to us. Want some, do ya?

1983: Radio 1 special aside this was Tony Blackburn's first show in four and a half years and his last bar the final fling - not even in his post-I'm A Celebrity salad days. Not entirely difficult to see why, as he gets King Kurt's name wrong and then nearly forgets the title. Difficult to forget anything about what transpires, almost literally cartoonish and not a little dubious with a big finish, though they do almost entirely miss with the second bag. No such antics with Musical Youth, whose early success had clearly gone towards some smart tailoring. No using all available spaces for Adam Ant but a couple of backing utility women who one suspects aren't actually au fait with those violins. Are those big cuffs or an undone straightjacket? Hard to tell where Adam's concerned.

1988: Add own miming joke here, Milli Vanilli getting huge cheers every time one jumps behind the other. It's not even suggestive. If only the same could be said of The Art Of Noise & Tom Jones riding roughshod over Prince, the only Art Of Noise actual element seeming to be the bloke holding a computer keyboard.

1994: Green Day debut live, with Billie Joe battling a vocal mix that's all over the place. No such qualms for East 17, who've turned out in dog blankets.

2000: Blur do the double, the hit followed by the new one off the Greatest Hits with Damon fondling his guitar like a precious ornament, leaving Graham to prove more invention in both noise and headwear. Wise covering, much like S Club 7's big winter coats. David Gray's constant head-nodding was a cause celebre for a while, but his drummer seems to be putting in far greater body language for less effort.