BRADFORD 2004 REVIEWS

 

www.remembertheeighties.com November 2004

Dave Butterfield

One day all 80's acts will tour like this..

I'm sure the Human League see themselves as a current band, and with the band reportedly recording again in 2005 who would bet against them pulling another couple of corkers out of their Sheffield bunker. Truth is the vast majority of the audience sees the band as from a time when we had less cares and thinner waistlines! It is however because of the bands belief that they put on such a solid performance. From the opening trio of Mirror Man / Open Your Heart / Tell Me When you know you are in business, Phil looking all Matrix-like in long black coat and shades, the girls frankly looking even better than they did 20 years ago, all on their near trademark brilliant white stage set. All the hits were there, accurately reproduced but there was a major shock during the encore.....

As well as catering to the mainstream, the League always chuck in a couple of slightly more obscure track for the hardcore fans delight, this time around it was a powerful run through Empire State Human and Phil's rather excellent collaboration with the All Seeing I, First Man In Space. Coming back to back they did subdue the audience but a brisk run through the classic Life On Your Own restored the faith.

The Human League have long dabbled with slideshows and this tour is no different, at times seemingly random images accompany the music, however the slides of some disturbing facts relating to the Gulf War and the USA during The Lebanon really hit home and put an entirely different persepective on the song. The sides of the Loveheart sweets was so cutesy, with phrases on them like "Phil Talking" and "Hard Times" maybe there's an interesting merchadise idea for 2005?

Fast forward six years and 1990's Heart Like A Wheel gets a great reception and a very strong performance from Phil, Susan and Joanne, before a double whammy, Sound Of The Crowd / Love Action, still sounding so so good.

(Keep Feeling) Fascination brought guitarist Nick in to do the Jo Callis bits, Nick is part of the permanant touring band and this adds to the tight set up. Clearly they are all enjoying it and how they manage to still put the same effort into Dont You Want Me is beyond me. They do and the crowd too of course go mad but it wasnt the best reception of the night...

The first encore saw Phil centre stage performing the starly hypnotic Being Boiled before the girls joioned him and opening notes to Together In Electric Dreams wafted across the Hall, the crowd gave off a huge cheer, arms were in the air, everyone around me was singing, Phil was grinning. Its amazing how this song has developed a life of its own these last few years. The second encore sent us home with Things That Dreams Are Made Of, and a smile, and thats not just down to Susan's dresses...