ABC...

Last night Paul, Simon, Stu and I went to see ABC perform all the songs from their 1982 debut album, The Lexicon of Love, at London's Royal Albert Hall, accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra - conducted by Anne Dudley who arranged and played on the original album.

The first half started off with a collection of ABC's hits; That Was Then but This Is Now, S.O.S., (How to Be a) Millionaire, Be Near Me, Ocean Blue, King Without a Crown, One Better World (Sterling Void should sue), The Very First Time (the only newy of the night and of course When Smokey Sings.

After the interval they performed The Lexicon of Love album start to finish. This part was introduced by Trevor Horn, the album's producer who gave a rather touching speech about all the people involved on the record and how it was his favourite album ever.

The sound in the RAH was excellent. Martin Fry's voice was pitch perfect and I swear you could hear every single intrument and every single word of those amazing lyrics. And as if 'twere needed, the orchestration brought the album quite vividly to life.

We absolutely loved it. And needless to say they got a standing ovation.

If you want to hear it yourself, it's been recorded by the BBC and will be on BBC Radio 2 this Saturday at 10pm.