I also loved a set a few years later - early 2000s?- at Crystal Palace where the smaller auditoria and setting evening sun created an accessible intimacy to the gig that is missing from the large spaces. There was also The Hyde Park farce when the plug was pulled by local bureaucracy.

My favourite gig was a solo set at a relaunch for the Brixton Academy in 1996. I was working at the Arts Council and my boss was given free tickets which he passed on. My colleague and I sat through a spellbinding gig in a packed auditorium with sadly just the two of us in a cluster of free seats.

I’m catching up on cultural life so I’m late to this excellent series. So much has been written and said about Bruce that you’d think it would be hard to weave together an original compelling series yet this one succeeds easily in being addictive, informative and very enjoyable.

American Recordings is just a remarkable series of albums. Lots of Friday tunes nestling in there!

The oddest thing is that a Tory appointee with a right wing history has been forced out by right wing press, expect the usual self flagellation across the airwaves tomorrow accompanied by gloating in different places. Davie won’t be missed.

And reintroduce investigative journalism into @bbcnewsnight.bsky.social which is little more than televised talk radio these days, a dreadful waste of talent.

Done. Thanks for prompting. Much appreciated

I’ll order it. Random recommendations are often a really great way to find great work

Never heard of it, but it looks like it could be a really interesting book. Some wild price variations in second hand market.

Boris Johnson.

Love this thread - despite having nothing much to add to it.

It is just remarkably insensitive and betrays incredible ignorance. What is wrong with the phrase identity card? Why waste energy trying to “brand” it? I mean keep it simple

I think I’ve a vague recollection of there being a film but I certainly haven’t seen it. Book was less gratuitous than the others and better because of that

I seem to remember them as a series spawned in the wake of James Herbert’s success with the Rats and subsequent titles. One called The Survivor, creepiest one I think, came to mind after recent air crash. Very much aimed at teenagers so preferable nonsense to public nonsense of Harry Potter.