Top of the Pops 17th October 1991

Reviewed by Chris Arnsby

"Kickstarting tonight’s Top of the Pops, back with a vengeance is Slade and Radio Wall Of Sound.”

[33] SLADE: Radio Wall of Sound. That opening pan across the studio is lovely. Rod Litherland’s lights send beams through the studio smoke and the circular lighting rig at the centre of the ceiling glides over the camera like one of the UFOs from Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

I didn’t know Slade had such a long career although I do remember their last comeback, in 1984. After that they released six singles between January 1985 and August 1987; the most successful being Mysterious Mizster Jones which peaked at [50] in March 1985. Their Wikipedia page is amazing. It ups and downs like a roller coaster. Early years; Glam rock, success and peak; Decline in popularity; Stateside; Wilderness years; Comeback and heavy metal following; American breakthrough; Second decline in popularity; Brief comeback and break-up; and there’s still time for a final section called Aftermath and Later Years. Right now, in 1991, we are in Brief comeback and break-up.

VisionQuest Episodes 1 & 2 review

 

VisionQuest, like its narrative forerunners, WandaVision and Agatha All Along, dips in and out of reality and asks us to believe in a digital world as well as a real one. With AI suddenly front and centre in the news it makes the show even more timely than the previous chapters.  For those who may be less up to date with the lore relating to this most unusual character, the first episode of this new miniseries provides a succinct update, with clips, that tells you what you need to know. It’s an essential introduction to what might otherwise be a somewhat baffling show. Even with this opening montage some may still struggle with all the whys and wherefores and the fact that, for all the sharp action scenes, there’s a lot of philosophical musing about life and existence in the dialogue. Dig in though and there is treasure to be found…

 

Lady review

 

In Samuel Abrahams’ debut feature a documentary crew turn up at the palatial stately home Ravenhyde Hall to make a film about the life of its enigmatic owner Lady Isabella. Yet it soon transpires that things are not as they seem and the director becomes drawn into the eccentric aristocrat’s self-absorbed world. I’d been wanting to see this for a while but it had a limited theatrical release and is now on Amazon Prime. If you watch it don’t assume that the knockabout trailer or opening segment is all Lady has to offer. The material may well be presented in typical fly on the wall style – wobbly cameras, fourth wall breaks etc – but there is a heart to the story that only becomes apparent later on. It’s sometimes a little overwrought in its methods yet also unpredictable, imaginative and ultimately moving.

 

Spoilers after the break

 

Top of the Pops 11th October 1991

 Reviewed by Chris Arnsby

“It’s Top of the Pops. Everyone’s live and firing as interaction. From Brighton, DJ Carl Cox, I Want You Forever.”

 [24] DJ CARL COX: I Want You (Forever). I know I have cloth ears. I cannot work out what Tony Dortie says in the opening voice over. What’s written above is my best attempt at transcribing what is said.

Carl Cox has brought along a couple of friends, one of whom is Kelly Overett and in November 2024 she posted this on Facebook:

“The very first time I appeared on TV. On Top of the Pops dancing for Carl Cox in 1991. 33 years ago! To dance on TOTP in this era, we joined the Musicians Union and were paid £240 (yep, that’s a lot of money) BUT if you were an Equity member you earned £500 for doing the same thing. I was a council estate kid raised with little to nothing. I think I was the first rave dancer (and maybe the only rave dancer) to ever have an Equity card, which i got whilst in SL2 and we did TOTP’s several times.”

I’m slightly embarrassed to admit I’m not sure which dancer is Kelly, I think she’s the one wearing the black headband.

Liverpool Comic Con Photo Post

Some pictures from last weekend's event, just a small number of the dozens of guests and happenings going on around the arena and conference centre or as its somewhat randomly named Liverpool Experience Campus which just sounds like a University though its actually an arena and conference centre. If you want to book for next time, due to be held in April 2027, tickets are already available from the website
 www.comic conventionliverpool.co.uk  

 

Lanterns Episodes 5 to 8 reviews

 

Episode Five- Lights Out

This episode is the best yet at balancing the series’ more thoughtful scenes with it’s action ones. As the town comes under threat from the aliens searching for the Manhunter and Hal leaves John for dead, emotions are running high. The 2007 opening flashback depicts Kerry’s arrival in town, pursued by killers and shows how Zoe helped her- for a price. It’s a fitting beginning to an episode where several characters have to make an important choice as to what to do. If the sometimes tongue tied dialogue makes it harder to work out what people’s motivations are then this episode suggests everyone is looking after themselves.

Spoilers after the break...

Top of the Pops 3rd October 1991

Reviewed by Chris Arnsby

“Welcome to a fresh new look Top of the Pops from our new studio in Elstree. To open our show tonight, Erasure.”

 [4] ERASURE: Love To Hate You. That uncredited voice over doesn’t have the impact it needs. I don’t have the vocabulary to describe the sound quality so I’ll use the word muffled. I think it is being recorded in the studio where it has been played through speakers. This stops it booming like the wrath of god, which is what is needed. I guess the mix of studio audio is being carefully balanced to take into account Erasure’s backing track.

I am also not sure the opening shot sells the new studio. It’s clearly massive. You couldn’t pull off a crane shot like that in TC3 but a huge space needs a huge crowd to go with it, and obviously the BBC doesn’t want to wrangle a huge crowd of twentysomethings on the first night. This means my first impression of the new studio is of a space that is cavernous but a bit empty.

Goodbye to our local WH Smiths

 

My local branch of what used to be WH Smith is shortly closing after being made to wait months to hear it is on the list of closures drawn pup by Modella, the company who `rescued` the firm. Modella’s past record is of making such deals then downsizing the estate before ultimately winding up the physical business leaving either an online presence only or nothing but empty units. There is no reason to believe the same will not happen to the business latterly known as TG Jones. Yet for each shop closure there is a story, a history beyond the unfortunate fate of those working there and whatever has led down this final path. And this shop is almost the last one left of those I remember from decades ago. Its impending closure will be a sad day because I have so many memories of the place.