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Pink Sunshine
Jul. 8th, 2018 09:36 pmTravelled to Gosport on Friday night ahead of the Let's Rock Southampton festival yesterday. It was held out on Southampton Common and the weather was boiling hot the whole time. I wandered around buying cold drinks and sampling the hog roast as the opening acts Go West, Snap and Aswad played, then made my way down to the front for 'The Retrobates Party' who were set to feature the act I'd come to see - Fuzzbox.
The Retrobates turned out to be the house band who were backing all the solo singers. To my delight Vix and Maggie from Fuzzbox came on first and played International Rescue and Pink Sunshine. Alas, they left the stage after that to give way to Nathan from Brother Beyond. After him came Annabella Lwin who was excellent, then finally Hazell Dean. When Hazell finished her second song Looking For Love, all the others came on to take a farewell bow.
After the Retrobates Party came Wendy James. She might not be as beautiful now as she was in 1988/9 but she's still in pretty good shape and still has a twinkle in her eye! She was fantastic, striding around the stage owning it and doing great renditions of Tell That Girl To Shut Up, I Want Your Love, Baby I Don't Care and If Looks Could Kill.
The press of the crowd meant I was in a pretty awkward position for photos - I got several on my phone but they were all unusable 🙁
When Wendy's set ended I made my way over to the merchandise tent where she was due to be signing for 30 minutes. I found myself squeezed to the back of an amorphous queue, and for several awful minutes I didn't think I was going to make it. Meanwhile two separate guys, having obtained Wendy's autograph, both walked out waving their treasure and chanting "I've died and gone to heaven!" Thankfully one of the merchandise team got her over to my end of the table and asked if anyone else needed stuff signed. I went for Wendy's new CD. She asked my name, wrote it and drew a big heart on the CD sleeve then signed underneath.
During the week I'd messaged Maggie Fuzzbox, and she'd said she could come out and meet me after her set. I messaged her again after getting Wendy's autograph but heard nothing. That said, across 99% of the park I was getting no internet signal. I stopped to see Kim Appleby then walked around fuming with frustration, convinced that Maggie might be trying to message me and it wasn't registering on my phone.
Just before the Blockheads came on, a voice called out hello to me. I turned and it was my old friend Sue who was sitting with her boyfriend. We all sat and chatted, then watched the Blockheads. Sue and her fella tried to persuade me to stay on for the headliner Adam Ant. Tempting as that was, Sue told me they were staying in a Southampton hotel as the last train to Fareham was leaving at 10 pm. A B&B was a luxury beyond my reach (assuming there would be any nearby not full) so I reluctantly said my goodbyes and wended my way back to the parents'.
Late in the evening Maggie Fuzzbox messaged me. She too had had problems getting an internet signal so hadn't seen my message. Even though it wasn't her fault, she said she and Vix would like to send me something as they'd "let me down". What a lovely lady she is.
At midnight I had the consolation of the 1985 Christmas Top of the Pops complete with Janice Long kissing an unsuspecting John Peel under the mistletoe, and the video of my lovely Jennifer Rush with the glitter in her hair.
And today the long journey back.
The Retrobates turned out to be the house band who were backing all the solo singers. To my delight Vix and Maggie from Fuzzbox came on first and played International Rescue and Pink Sunshine. Alas, they left the stage after that to give way to Nathan from Brother Beyond. After him came Annabella Lwin who was excellent, then finally Hazell Dean. When Hazell finished her second song Looking For Love, all the others came on to take a farewell bow.
After the Retrobates Party came Wendy James. She might not be as beautiful now as she was in 1988/9 but she's still in pretty good shape and still has a twinkle in her eye! She was fantastic, striding around the stage owning it and doing great renditions of Tell That Girl To Shut Up, I Want Your Love, Baby I Don't Care and If Looks Could Kill.
The press of the crowd meant I was in a pretty awkward position for photos - I got several on my phone but they were all unusable 🙁
When Wendy's set ended I made my way over to the merchandise tent where she was due to be signing for 30 minutes. I found myself squeezed to the back of an amorphous queue, and for several awful minutes I didn't think I was going to make it. Meanwhile two separate guys, having obtained Wendy's autograph, both walked out waving their treasure and chanting "I've died and gone to heaven!" Thankfully one of the merchandise team got her over to my end of the table and asked if anyone else needed stuff signed. I went for Wendy's new CD. She asked my name, wrote it and drew a big heart on the CD sleeve then signed underneath.
During the week I'd messaged Maggie Fuzzbox, and she'd said she could come out and meet me after her set. I messaged her again after getting Wendy's autograph but heard nothing. That said, across 99% of the park I was getting no internet signal. I stopped to see Kim Appleby then walked around fuming with frustration, convinced that Maggie might be trying to message me and it wasn't registering on my phone.
Just before the Blockheads came on, a voice called out hello to me. I turned and it was my old friend Sue who was sitting with her boyfriend. We all sat and chatted, then watched the Blockheads. Sue and her fella tried to persuade me to stay on for the headliner Adam Ant. Tempting as that was, Sue told me they were staying in a Southampton hotel as the last train to Fareham was leaving at 10 pm. A B&B was a luxury beyond my reach (assuming there would be any nearby not full) so I reluctantly said my goodbyes and wended my way back to the parents'.
Late in the evening Maggie Fuzzbox messaged me. She too had had problems getting an internet signal so hadn't seen my message. Even though it wasn't her fault, she said she and Vix would like to send me something as they'd "let me down". What a lovely lady she is.
At midnight I had the consolation of the 1985 Christmas Top of the Pops complete with Janice Long kissing an unsuspecting John Peel under the mistletoe, and the video of my lovely Jennifer Rush with the glitter in her hair.
And today the long journey back.
