Yes she really did!

GUEST POST from Milford Haven boy Nigel Bowen (Biffo to his butties):

It was August 1984. I’d picked up my decidedly average O-level results a few days earlier and was riding on the wave of anti-Thatcherism sweeping the country.

A month earlier I had seen Crass, Flux of Pink Indians and Annie Anxiety blasting out their anarcho punk sermons at The Colosseum in Aberdare.

Such sights and sounds for a lad (turning 16 the next day) to take in. This gig at The Paget Rooms in Penarth was another benefit gig in support of the striking miners.

The Crass gig was to be their last but Flux headlined in Penarth along with several other bands, including Chumbawamba and Kukl.

The latter were an obscure, experimental Icelandic outfit that included Bjork and Einar from the wonderful, yet-to-be formed Sugarcubes.

The fact that I now work round the corner from the Paget Rooms still tickles me. 29 years ago I was a young, wannabe anarchist, 100 odd miles away from home, standing in front of the stage chanting ‘Fuck Off Thatcher’.

I was also quite fancying the young, short, black-haired girl in the support band who looked about my age. Turns out she’s a couple of years older.

So yeah…. Bjork played the Paget Rooms in Penarth along with the band that brought you ‘Tub Thumping’. Plus my mate got on stage and sang ‘Tube Disasters’ with Flux. Them were the days!

* Pics and text courtesy of Nigel Bowen.

Adrian writes: The sybarites’ paradise of the Paj has hosted a strange array of acts – Welsh rockers Man recorded a live album there released in 1972 (complete with spelling mistake on the cover – it was called ‘Live at the Padget Rooms’).

I only ever saw a local band – Wikid Stiltz – featuring Ronan Vibert, now an actor, in the early 80s. My bid to watch Dr Feelgood there earlier this year was scuppered by turning up 24 hours late for the gig.

Post below if you can add to the list of unexpected artists who have featured at the venue.