No Candles in the
Wind . . . From The Kent Messenger, Sep 4 1998
Backstage at the concert, everything was remarkably calm as the clock
ticked ever closer to Shirley Bassey time.
Support act Billy Nutt was singing away on stage while technicians moved
around quietly making sure everything went smoothly.
Bodyguards ran around shouting into their walkie-talkies. "People are
lighting candles at the back, can you stop them please," was just one of
the messages transmitted.
In contrast to the glitz and glamour of what the audience could see,
Backstage was a maze of speakers, pipes and ladders.
Then the call comes from the stage: "Ladies and gentlemen of the orchestra,
please take your places." As they do, a Range Rover drives past and Shirley
Bassey, looking happy but nervous, is led up a ramp to wait in the wings.