Can't wait for the Boy

How perfectly queer and AMAZING. The TV production company behind the seminal Queer As Folk, Red, are to begin shooting a 90 minute drama about Boy George! Called Worried About the Boy, it will begin with his leaving suburbia through to global pop stardom. And what's in between will be Malcom McLaren, Marilyn, Steve Strange, Philip Sallon, The Blitz and of course Culture Club. I think I've just fainted.

What's even more interesting is the casting. Burberry's poster boy, newcomer Douglas Booth, will portray George (which will please the Boy himself, no end), Gavin & Stacey's Mathew Horne will play drummer Jon Moss, Hustle's Marc Warren will play Steve Strange and - this is VARE interesting casting - League of Gentlemen's Mark Gatiss will be Malcolm McLaren. Like I said. Can't wait!

Read here at the Guardian for the full lowdown. The BBC press release can be found here.

"Geordie Neil is top of the pops!"

Don't they look YOUNG! Well, it was 24 years ago. Here's a clipping from the Newcastle Evening Chronicle from January 1986 heralding the Pet Shop Boys first number one, West End Girls. Clicky piccy to make it biggy. The band thought the record had finished its climb up the charts: "We all thought it had peaked when it got to No.4 at Christmas, so this is wonderful news". The Geordie connection meant Neil would always feature in the Chronicle thereafter and because he went to the same school as Sting (and me!) his name would forever be connected with The Police front man.

"Lorraine! There's somebody at the door!"

Picture the scene: you're in the kitchen, horsing down a packet of Pringles, crumbs on your stained dressing gown, hair all over the shop and scratching your bum when, "Ding, dong". You go to the door of your Twickenham home and there outside, with cameras and entourage are the Pet Shop Boys. Fluff me!

Lucky Lorraine Sands got the boys in her sitting room reproducing a condensed version of the Pandemonium tour; a miniscule of sound, so to speak. She said: "I've been a massive Pet Shop Boys fan for over 20 years and to have them play a gig right in my front room, for just me and my closest friends, was too good to be true. It was the best day ever."

They played Suburbia, All Over the World, It's a Sin and West End Girls.