Call Shakin'Stevens a Rock & Roll sex symbol and he'll blush right to the roots of that shock of gleaming, dark hair. The girls scream in ecstasy when he produces that famous pelvic grind on stage. They drool with pleasure when he picks up a favour hurled on stage and uses it to dab his forehead. They go wild if he smiles in their direction and reaches out to touch their hands. It is fan worship on the greatest scale... to these girls Shakin'Stevens is their rock Romeo, the handsome dreamboat for whom they would do anything. Some of them dare any risk just to be within kissing distance of their idol. One girl once dressed up as a singing telegram girl and pret ended she had a special greeting for Shaky, to talk her way into the star's dressing room at the Hammersmith Odeon, in London. Once she had come face to face with the somewhat bemused singer, the girl was helpless with delight. All she did was to shout I made it! All I want to say is Give me a kiss, Shaky She's just one of the shock troop of female fans who continue to conjure up different devices to break through the very necessary security which surrounds a Shakin'Stevens concert.

Even when Shaky is in the privacy of his hotel room he isn't completely safe. One girl tried to bribe a hotel porter with £50... just to discover what his room number was. Another slipped a note under Shaky's bedroom door, giving the sender's room numbe and an invitation to pay her a visit! But! don't think of my self as a sex symbol. The very idea of it seems ridiculous to me. Allright, it's very flattering if the girls think that I am hand- some and sexy... but that's something which! I don't really understand. To me I´m just the way I´ve always been. I don't think that I have changed because of success. I certainly hope not.

It's probably much more true to say that success alters the attitudes that other people have, rather than it changes the person who experiences fame. When I'm out there on stage, under the lights and! Hear the sound of the audience I'm pleased. An exciting audience can make me give my very best performance and I would agree that l feed off their enthusiasm. But the very last thing that's in my mind while I'm on stage is how sexy l should try to make my act. People might not believe this, but I just do what seems to come naturally I always have. If I was a singer who was just promoted on a sexy image then I wouldn't have such a wide ranging audience at my shows.I think it's great that I attract fans of all ages. From toddlers to pensioners. It means that there is something in my music which has an appeal for almost everyone. I couldn't ask for more than that, could I?

The Performer

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It's nearly two hours before Shakin'Stevens is scheduled to bound triumphantly on stage with a selection of songs which will send the packed audience into shrieks of delight.., but already the fans are starting to gather around the stage door, in anticipation of catching a glimpse of their idol. To actually touch him, or to have him stop and speak a few words would be a fantasy beyond the wildest dreams of these besotted followers. When the star's gleaming car turns the corner and drivestowards the concert venue, the waiting faithful go berserk. It's then a frantic scurry as Shaky rushes into the sanctuary of his theatre dressing room. It's there

that he starts the ritual of preparation for another concert performance, and already his adrenalin is starting to bubble. There is chilled white wine and some light snacks ready prepared. Usually he will sip some wine, or a glass of lager, but normally the food will be ignored. The main event is the concert. About 45 minutes before his stage entrance, friends journalists or any other visitors to his dressing room, are politely ushered outside. From then on it is down to the business of Shaky making himself ready for the hordes of fans - seated out there in the theatre. He always attends to his own stage make-up. Carefully checking in the mirror until he is satisfied Chewing gum almost constantly, he'll sing a few notes from various of the numbers that he will perform that night And then it's down to the organisation of his stage costumes. There are a variety of outfits which Shaky favours for each gig... such as the striking salmon pink jacket and black baggy slacks he often wears at the opening of a show. Always, carefully wrapped in layers of tissue paper, is his famous denim suit This jacket and those jeans have seen such use that it seems that sometime the material has got to give way during one of Shaky's strenuous routines. So far the fabric has stood up to all that the Welsh rocker can do. The final check is to see that his white shoes are gleaming with virginal purity before he makes that spectacular entrance. Once on stage, that's when the screaming starts as Shaky's fans of all ages whoop their evident pleasure as he works his way through the numbers that have made him famous. That reaction from the fans gives me a tremendous kick, says Shaky who enjoys nothing more than the live performance. His concerts hold many favourite memories, and one television appearance is especially savoured. That was in 1982 when this shootingstar was honoured to be selected as one of the stars in the line-up of the Children´s Royal Variety Show. It was on that occasion that Shaky was introduced to HRH Princess Margaret... something which he counts as one of the major thrills of his career. On stage and on the small screen, Shaky has become famous for his energetic dance style, which adds so much to his performance of his songs. The way l move on stage is just my way of interpreting the music. I don't do it to deliberately create a sexy image and l have never had a dance lesson in my life. All I do is move the way that comes naturally to me. At the end of two hours in front of the spotlight, Shaky leaves the stage drenched in sweat. Each night means expending the energy that suggests the fitness and physical dedication of an Olympic athlete. Yet Shaky insists that he doesn't put himself trough any specific training -

schedule before he heads off on any concert tour. I don't do any exercise of any sort at all. I suppose that means that I must be a naturally fit person. Either that or I´m simply very fortunate. But l do need plenty of regular sleep. And by that I mean eight hours each night, even when I'm on tour if I didn't get that amount of sleep then I'm sure it would affect my performance on stage, and l could never afford to let that happen. The audience comes to see the sort of Shakin'Stevens concert that they expect... and that means giving everything l've got up there on stage. For me to do anything less than that would mean cheating my audience and selling my self short.                                                    Back to the MainPage