Firstly, I still can't get over the fact that Sigue Sigue Sputnik are live, kicking and gigging in 2001, who'd have put money on that back in 1989?

I didn't think we were ever going to find the venue. Hey tj, next time you play Bedford choose The Nag's Head - we must have driven past it about 1000 times. We were going to stop at the police station to ask directions but I thought they might arrest us on the spot to save the bother of coming down later on.

Eventually we arrived, found the bar and started getting into the atmosphere. A crowd of no more than 200 (Neal thought 160) had gathered during the support act's (The Mau Mau's) set. I spoke to Martin and Tony before the show, Martin told me of the night on the Italian tour when 1000+ fans sang happy birthday to him. 1000+ fans, come on England you're letting the side down. Tony told me to keep an eye out for Lisa L on stage, "she's replacing John Green who's in Paris". From what I saw later on stage I think he'd better stay there.

The band took to the stage about 10.30pm, Lisa leading the way to the delight of the guys in the audience, Neal, Martin and Tony not too far behind. Neal was wearing this huge fluffy white coat which must have been as hot as hell, Degville had on (again) the Elvis t shirt and hat. Tony looked really cool with his latest hair do, funky glasses and bottoms. Not going to go into what Lisa was wearing... take a look at the pics, she's got great stage presence though.

The set list then...

CLOCKWORK ORANGE
SEX BOMB BOOGIE
EVERYBODY LOVES U
21ST CENTURY BOY
ALIEN CHRIST
SHE'S MY MAN
DEMON SEED
ALIEN@TION
JAYNE MANSFIELD
SLAVE TRADE
LOVE MISSILE F1-11
******
ROCKIT MISS USA

There were no technical hiccups at all tonight, the sound was great (apart from possibly a not quite correctly tuned guitar on Alien@tion although that could well have been down to how bloody hot it was in there). Martin forgot the lyrics to several of the songs (he didn't have aNNIe there to prompt him), nobody seemed bothered though and Martin certainly had a laugh about it afterwards!! She's My Man included Neal singing part of Suicide's "Ghost Rider" in the middle, don't know how many people recognised it. The crowd were spilt in 2, the first half were really going for it (well, MOST of them) and got quite boisterous at times, especially (as always) to Love Missile, even I got dragged from my usual front row perch to partake, was I knackered by the end not really being built for such goings on. The back half of the crowd were a tad more reserved although I did ask around afterwards and all the people I spoke to said they thought the band did well.

Tony asked me afterwards if I thought the band were getting better after each show, well judging by this performance the answer has to be a resounding YES. Lisa came over afterwards (obviously not put of by the chorus of "get ya tit's out for the boys" she got as she left the stage) and asked if I thought she'd done OK. Apparently she'd had no time to rehearse at all, rather she was thrown it at the deep end. "Tony told me all I'd have to do was twiddle a few knobs!!" she said. She really was great and I hope she joins the band on a full time basis.

My only slight criticism of the night was that the set was shorter than we have become used to (only one song as an encore)!! However, I didn't see a set list and I was told that the band had hoped to be on stage 15mins earlier than they were so it's possible that some songs got missed off due to a shortage of time.

I spoke to Tony again outside while he was loading the equipment into his car. Do you always carry a copy of the Generation X paperback with you? He told me of his delight at how things are going for the band at the moment, he seems especially glad to be working with EMI again. Also had another quick chat with Lisa (now without the wig which I thought looked much better), she certainly had a tight squeeze to get into the back of Tony's Merc (but then again you wouldn't expect him to be in a knackered old Ford Transit would you). Don’t ask me what Martin did against the wall either, it was very rock n roll!!

If the rest of tour is going to be as good as this then we really are in for a roller coaster rocket ride.

DR SPUTNIKS TIP OF THE DAY - If you are going to come to a Sigue Sigue Sputnik concert and stand there like a miserable disease ridden lemon DON'T do it on the front row where everyone else wants to have a great time!!!!!

All in all a perfect gig, well, almost perfect, but not quite.

Hello and best wishes to everyone who came and said hello, hope you like the video Stuart?

CHATTING WITH LISA AFTER THE SHOW

THIS LOT WERE A RIGHT LAUGH DURING THE SHOW

TICKET