Elvis Costello - Mastertapes BBC 10 September

I got a text from Bruce in America. "You can apply for free tickets. BBC Radio 4 is inviting ELVIS COSTELLO on their Mastertapes show."  
The BBC said  in order to be guaranteed entry you needed to submit a question for the audience participation spot.   Eddie suggested, "Elvis, Are you a secret lemonade drinker?" cos his dad, who he talks about a lot on stage, was the man who sang that commercial back in the day. Someone at the BBC thought this was a good question and I got two guaranteed-entry tickets. 

Lovely Liverpool lady, me, Rev Green (we had questions)

In the queue I stood behind Andy Greene from Cheshire. His mate wasn't coming. They'd been at Lords Cricket Ground round the corner because England were doing very well. So he had a spare ticket. I turned round to see a vicar standing solo against the wall. Andy asked him if he wanted the spare. 

"No thanks," he said. "I have a guaranteed ticket cos my question was chosen to be asked."

"Have you got a spare ticket?" I asked him.

"Yes," he said, "Do you want it, Andy?" He asked. 

Andy's ticket wasn't guaranteed so he said he would like that very much.

Turned out the Reverend was Reverend Green. Been to hundreds of Elvis gigs. He was also from Cheshire.

Time came, and we were shown our seats.

It was a very cosy studio. 

Lots of history to the place of course, but then there's the asbestos problem. So they're going to close down and move. 

We were lucky to get Steve Naive joining Elvis on piano. They bantered together and Elvis sang and played and directed him, just like you were eavesdropping in the recording studio with them. 

Which of course, we were. But recording for the radio.

At question time, Elvis was so very generous with his answers. 

Guitars belonging to Elvis

The fact that his dad has made the commercial was already mentioned so I was off the hook. People had flown in from SF, and Germany to be there. There had been a question about his health hanging in the air since he'd come off tour under doctor's directions. He did mention his health scare and how lucky he had been. His humble gratitude was felt in the room. He was emotional. And of course he got up and sang - especially into the old-fashioned standing microphone. He enjoyed that. He sounded great. 

He's been part of the soundtrack to my life and it felt like a real privilege to be in the room with him. 

I'll find out when the show is broadcast and post a reminder to listen. 

Till then ...

Mega-Elvis Fan Rev Green and Andy Greene from Up North

Elvis started to sing, and then explained a bit ... and then sang... this...