The only Oyster Card holder that matters…

This weekend I’ve been to the Heavenly birthday celebrations in the South Bank.

The Rockingbirds are an eccentric bunch, they look the same now as they did 16 years ago when I first saw them. My sisters/friends and I opted to see them over the Magic Numbers (it’s hard to muster up much enthusiasm for the latter these days). Just to explain, it was an indoors festival, where you can wander between bands (it was quite odd to have allocated seats in a formal setting and be able to wander around, it felt quite disrespectful to have people slope off mid-song, but that’s festivals for you).

Later Andy Hackett and Sean from The Rockingbirds joined Edwyn Collins on stage, as did Roddy Frame. But it was a good 15 mins before I noticed the latter, I was too preoccupied being strangely fascinated and a bit shocked by how Collins’ has deteriorated. That was some stroke. Roddy Frame breathed incredible life into ‘rip it up’ and I dread to think how tired it would have sounded without him there, under the circumstances. Aztec Camera were the first band I saw in the late 80s, I thought he was cute then, and he’s still lovely.

The last time I saw Edwyn Collins live was at a friend’s wedding reception, 4 years ago now, so it was quite scary to see him last night, but he seems a brave soul and everyone looked like they were having a ball on stage, including him, so that was nice to see.

It was unexpectedly moving to celebrate 18 years of Heavenly. The main players are firm family friends; the label, its events and parties have been a part of my whole adult life. I first met some of them when I was just 16, which is, kerching, 18 years ago. Cue lots of mutual, how time flies conversations, but time really does fly, children, marriage, it’s all made us a bit more grown up. I even managed the Chemical Brothers after-show thingymajiggy sober. I couldn’t have imagined that a few years ago…

Edit: Now that’s an oyster card holder. I love it.

We were talking about bands we wish we could have been a part of. My second choice would have been Duran Duran between 81 and 85. Unfortunately for me, I’m a girl so I don’t think I would have cut the mustard somehow but if I could have done a quantum leap, I could easily have sidled inside of Roger Taylor’s suit, without so much as a by nor leave. As a kid I dutifully computed his name and face because he was in the world’s greatest band, but it comes to something when you have a sympathy vote from a 7 year old. Not only that but you share a name with his nibs from Queen and every girl on Planet Earth is ogling your brother. Poor thing.

This recent photo though, shows Mr Taylor has enjoyed something of a late bloom.

Here’s some Roger Taylor info to fill in the gaps in your knowledge:

1. After three multi-million worldwide selling studio albums and their huge world tour in 1984, which peaked with 3 nights at New York’s Madison Square Garden, Taylor was burned out and exhausted. He did, however, in 1985 work with Duran bandmates Simon Le Bon and Nick Rhodes on the album So Red The Rose for their side project Arcadia which featured among others, Sting, David Gilmour, Herbie Hancock and Grace Jones, but that band never toured, and he didn’t participate in its promotion.

2. Before joining Duran Duran, he played with several school and local club bands. After being inspired by the punk bands playing at Barbarellas club in Birmingham, he formed New Wave/Punk outfit Scent Organs, who became regional finalists in the ‘Melody Maker’ young band of the year in 1978.

3. In 2004, Taylor and Giovanna Cantone announced their separation after 20 years of marriage. In the same year he was named Britain’s 5th most eligible bachelor in U.K high society magazine Tatler alongside Prince William.

He opens this early Duran video in suitably grand style. The director obviously had him down for a heart throb. Now, I must have been missing a trick. I was too busy marvelling at Nick Rhodes’ cheekbones. If recent photos are to go by, I was looking in the wrong place.

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In other news….

Tickets go on sale tomorrow for a celebration of Heavenly Records (18 years)at the Southbank Centre from 12-14 September. A particular highlight will be Doves performing live again after 3 years and Nada Surf performing their excellent Let Go album in its entirity for the first time. I’ll most likely be at the latter. Maybe see you there? No? It’s a few years old now but it’s a beautiful album.