Scott Walker in Cardiff

Talking of the great Scott Walker, you have to admire the man's chutzpah. In 1968 in the interval between his two solo shows at the Capitol, Cardiff, he informed reporters that local hero Tom Jones was "overrated". And so was Engelbert Humperdinck. Neither singer, he reckoned, was worthy of being compared to the great Sinatra.

He went on to state that his current tour had been a mistake. Girls had been screaming during the first house in Cardiff and this had irritated him. He didn't want the screamers. He thought his songs were more suitable for an adult crowd. He then declared melodramatically that this would be his last tour.

It wasn't of course. In 1973, fact fans, he did an entire week of shows at the Mount St Albans Country Club at Catsash, near Newport!

From what I've read about Walker he seemed to have a bit of an obsession with Tom Jones, regarding him as his greatest rival in pop. I'm not at all sure if this was reciprocated. Walker's comments certainly caused a storm in south Wales at the time with irate Tom Jones fans slagging him off in the local press.

Scott Walker wasn't bothered though - naturally, he had no regrets.