On TV

DIANE Parr went into hospital to have two teeth removed and an abscess drained. She was given a standard general anaesthetic to make her unconscious, immobile and insensitive to pain. At least, that was the plan. She found herself lying in surgery, awake but completely paralysed. The medical team proceeded without realising she could feel everything. The narrator noted that "for 40 minutes Diane was to endure a slow torture". Fortunately, her natural defences kicked in eventually. "He asked for a scalpel and I passed out," she recalls.

The Bodyshock documentary wasn't the sort of thing you wanted to watch before going into hospital for an operation, especially after learning that anaesthetics is one of medicine's biggest mysteries. Current methods are safer than the old ones of rendering patients unconscious with ether and chloroform, both potentially lethal.

Nowadays, it depends on the anaesthetist mixing the right combination of drugs to knock out patients. As no two people react in the same way, this isn't as easy as it might sound. "It's a little bit like cooking," explained one anaesthetist, "you give a cook exactly the same ingredients as another cook and you get a completely different dish at the end."

Jeanette Liska went into surgery to have a hernia removed. What no-one knew was that the gas canisters used to sedate her were empty. She was paralysed but awake, although unable to open her eyes.

Her description of what it felt like to undergo an operation while conscious wasn't pleasant. She couldn't see but could hear and feel everything, from "my tissue tearing like a piece of paper slowly in half" to smelling her flesh burning as wounds were cauterised.

"I thought my brain was going to explode," she said. At this point, the symptoms of stress in her body were spotted. Unfortunately, she was given something to reduce her heart rate and the operation continued.

She's started a support group for people who experience "awareness" during surgery. Her conclusion, and that of the experts, is that the condition is more prevalent than previously believed. A figure of one in 1,000 affected was mentioned.

There's good news from a doctor in Hull. He's testing a safeguard system that paralyses everything apart from the patient's right arm. If he becomes aware during the operation, he can signal to the medical team.

The drama Faith attempted to put a human face on the 1984-85 miners' strike by interweaving the story of two sisters into the real-life events. One was married to a miner and became active in the women's support group; the other was married to a policeman and having an affair with her sister's miner husband.

These soapy storylines didn't really add anything. Footage reminding us of the real-life personalities involved, along with reconstructions of picket line confrontations, were a much more gripping reminder of the industrial dispute that split not just families but the nation.

Nick Cave, Sage, Gateshead

NICK Cave fans packing Sage at Gateshead were in no doubt that God was in the House. The enigmatic Australian brought three of his Bad Seeds backing band to grace the stage at the North-East's new auditorium.

Cave kicked off with a powerful rendition of West Country Girl, as his stripped-down band made sure it was going to be anything but a subdued evening for the 1,700 sell-out crowd. He can rock with the best of them, but the ace in his hand will always be those brooding piano-led ballads that he has been crafting so well for the past 20-odd years. There were generous helpings from the latest double album, Abattoir Blues/ The Lyre of Orpheus, as well as perfectly delivered favourites from an extensive back catalogue. They included Ship Song, Hallelujah, Henry Lee and God is in the House - or Hoose - as Cave tried the local accent.

The set flashed past all too soon as the main man, on piano, with brilliant support from Warren Ellis on violin/mandolin, Martyn P Casey on bass and drummer Jim Sclavunos, made it a night to remember. Cave bade farewell, shaking hands and waving to the crowd, but he returned for more in the first of two encores amid tumultuous applause, saving the best until last with an unforgettable version of Stagger Lee. Ten minutes of audience demand brought him back for one last offering and he bowed out with a Johnny Cash song. Brilliant.

Gerry Crowe

Paul Weller, Newcastle City Hall

YOU could tell by the number of parkas that Paul Weller was in town. Revered as a music legend, his following is as loyal as it is distinctive, and the City Hall was full to the rafters of die-hard fans. From the outset, the audience was on its feet, and when the man himself appeared on stage, everyone was in raptures. Dressed casually and looking remarkably youthful, Weller seemed every inch the rock star. From the opening song, he proved beyond doubt that he still is.

Belting out plenty of old favourites as well as some of his newer stuff, his voice was as powerful as ever, sounding no different from his Jam days. He strutted with his guitar in front of a psychedelic screen, completely at ease. Whenever he played an oldie, the audience was noisy in its appreciation, needing no encouragement to join in. A particular favourite was That's Entertainment, which had everyone la-ing along.

The number of classics was impressive, illustrating the length and breadth of Weller's career. For some tracks, he was accompanied by a brass section, which really added to the sound. A true musician, Weller switched seamlessly from guitar to piano, laughing it off when, at one point, he tripped and fell.

After almost two hours the band left the stage, making the audience clamour for more. Ever obliging, they returned twice for encores, playing the likes of Broken Stones. A high octane evening.

Sarah Foster