Another monster raving loony party

The Diary was surprised to see football agent Eric Hall among the industry executives at the EMI centenary launch.

As usual, there was no mistaking the man behind bad boys Dennis Wise and Dean Holdsworth, because he was the only person wearing a lurid yellow jacket and sporting a Havana cigar. Asked why he was there, he replied: “I used to work at EMI. Cockney Rebel, Kate Bush, Tom Robinson – I discovered them all.”

It was then that it hit us both. We had been talking for several minutes and he had failed to trot out his meaningless catchphrase. Stunned for a few seconds, he dutifully obliged. “In fact EMI was named after me,” he said. “Eric Monster Incorporated.” And with a puff of cigar smoke, he disappeared into the crowd.