Whether you previously knew of Andie Airfix’s artwork for Metallica and Def Leppard was irrelevant, this was an engaging hour with a man whose career reads like a history of graphic design over the past 50 years.
There was a badly behaved slideshow to remind you of Andie’s work plus some stories involving rock gods such as Bowie, Lou Reed, Led Zep and The Stones.
Andie was relaxed and articulate, supping red wine and editing the script as he went to fit the time. Some of the detail to make the album covers and merchandise was explained as Andie travelled from New Romantic analogue to the digital rebranding of Metallica.
Paul McCartney’s eyebrows, Pete Burns the Scouser bruiser, Andie’s three weeks in London with Warhol’s diva Holly Woodlawn: all made entertaining anecdotes despite Andie’s quietly spoken delivery.
In contrast, the animated Herbie Flowers stormed the stage and recounted the story behind his bass line on Walk On The Wild Side. This was apparently to Andie’s utter astonishment, even though a bass guitar was already onstage.
As entertaining as Herbie was, perhaps the never to materialise Q&A would have been the better way to go. Is Andie Airfix his real name? Now we will never know.
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