Word gets around
For the hundreds of Stereophonics fans, who had spent hours queuing to see their favourite band, news that their gig might be cancelled because of a simple 'bureaucratic oversight' spelt disaster, but a word from Richard Branson saved the day.
Failure to secure the correct licence in time for the free gig held at a Virgin Megastore, meant that the organisers were faced with the unenviable task of either finding another venue or cancelling the event completely.
But it wasn't just the fans who had travelled from all over the country to the Oxford Street store, and the band backstage, who were left disgruntled by news of the administrative oversight, the Virgin entrepreneur himself also got involved.
Branson was said to have made a few phone calls to Westminster Council, who very helpfully assisted him in finding a temporary solution to the Police objection to the gig, allowing the trio to walk on stage more than an hour late, to roars of approval from the relieved crowd.
'Thank you everyone for turning up. We had a spot of diarrhoea which took time to clean up,' lead singer Kelly Jones said jokingly, before embarking on a half hour gig to promote the group's fifth album Language.Sex.Violence.Other?
The trio, including bassist Richard Jones and new drummer Javier Weyler, played a selection of new songs from their latest album, with last week's number one Dakota getting the loudest cheer, besides Stereophonics classic The Bartender and the Thief which saw the Welsh flags flying high.