Friday, January 11, 2008

Mates Boutique


This has to be one of the most surreal meetings on Welsh soil ever. Picture the scene: it's Cardiff in 1970, a new boutique called Mates has just opened at 14 Queen Street. To celebrate the happy event a party is held. Among the guests are two bands - the Beach Boys who were playing a gig at the Capitol that night; and naff comedy act the Barron Knights who were doing a week's residency at Club Double Diamond in Caerphilly. The two bands are summoned together for press shots - they have to pretend to be mates. That's Mike Love with the beard on the left and Al Jardine is, I think, in the fur hat. The bearded figure in profile is either Carl or Brian Wilson. Classic.