Post #84110 by Formikahini on Thu, Apr 1, 2004 6:09 PM

On 2004-03-31 21:16, Mau Mau wrote:

On 2004-03-30 15:48, Formikahini wrote:

I worked briefly for their fan club (when I lived in London in '84). Honest.

I have the beads from Nick Begg's - the bass player's - hair.

I am not kidding.

It takes a brave woman to admit that, Formikahini. Very brave!
Ok, so here's the real story.

I was living for the summer with my friends Dave and Emily. He was roadying (sp?) for "Kaja" at the time. (Mind you, he's done Wham, Gang of Four, Anti-Nowhere League, Scorpions, Bon Jovi - it's a living). Emily, keeping it in the family, worked for the fan club, and I helped her out a couple of times. This involved answering fan mail. This was very funny, no - sad, no - funny.

The letters are addressed: "For (e.g.) Nick Beggs only," with additional "Only to be read by Nick Beggs," "Only for Nick", etc. all over the envelope. Riiiiip! I would heartlessly tear open those suckers, with no regard for privacy, and begin reading (we did read every single letter):

Dear Nick,

I don't know if you'll remember me, but I was at your show in Manchester. I was sitting in the 4th row to your left, wearing the blue jumper [sweater], and I was standing next to my sister, who was screaming your name the whole time. Do you remember? I hope you do, anyway.....

They were ALL like this. We gathered the info and sent them a form letter offering to let them join the Kajagoogoo fan club. That's it. Note: letters from girls with real issues and accusations, problems, etc, we would pass onto the boys, who would indeed read them and often answer them personally. OK, not THAT often.

One of Emily's jobs was scooping up stuffed animals after shows. Really. In England at pre-teen pop idol shows in those days (still, Trader Woody, Tiki Chris, and Kon Helmsby? Did you throw them at The Spice Girls?). She would collect them all and then distribute them to charities for needy children. There was an abundance of stuffed lions that year, due to some "Lion" song that was a hit.

Another job of hers was to care for the screaming/passing out girls at the shows. A dozen or two girls would regularly become hysterical, "pass out" (yeah right), and have to brought backstage, where naturally each hoped she would be nursed back to health by Nick or Limahl himself. He would then in turn fall madly in love with her, because he then realized how much she truly loved him. Uh huh. (Sorry. Nick's wife-to-be was a MAJOR hottie, and Limahl, well, shopped on the other side of the aisle.)

The clincher? The score. Kaja: 1 or 2 dozen pass-outs.

The "Duranies": One hundred or so.

That was how they measured who was more popular!! Record sales Schmecord sales!

Epilogue: Nick let his hair out of the famous beaded things in back. Emily gave me a handful, knowing I'd think it hilarious .... and maybe sell them some day!

Wonder what they'd go for on eBay now...