Sometime late morning August 24 1986 Cardiacs took over the stage at the Reading Rock Festival, a performance recorded and released as the somewhat legendary Rude Bootleg.

Amongst the couple of hundred people paying attention were me and my friend Bart:

Well, you’ll have to take my word for it, that’s us getting tuned in to the quirk.

Many years later my friend Pete got married at Polhawn Fort in Rame. I was Best Man, Cardiacs leader, Tim Smith, was Maid of Honour. They say you should never meet your heroes for fear of disappointment but he really was a gentleman.

As Google announces its new operating structure it’s probably time for you to buy some Cardiacs music from the original Alphabet Business Concern.