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www.citylife.co.uk
December 2008
Scott Zverblis
IT doesn’t feel like you’re
living in the present, when the man in front of you has a crazy Flock Of
Seagulls-style hairstyle and the woman passing you in the aisle is wearing a
polka dot bubble skirt and luminous pink leg warmers.
Don’t worry, this isn’t just any old Eighties cabaret night featuring a load
of cheesy one hit wonders; this is the finest Sheffield Steel Tour featuring
Heaven 17, ABC, and the Human League. All of which boast an impressive back
catalogue of well-received Eighties pop songs.
Heaven 17 brought on the first full synthesiser ambush of the evening,
performing all their best known hits: Come Live With Me, Let Me Go, and of
course, their biggest hit Temptation.
Shortly afterwards, ABC frontman, Martin Fry confidently strolled onto the
stage to ecstatic applause.
Firing cupid arrows
Classics such as, When Smokey Sings, Shoot That Poisoned Arrow and Look Of
Love sounded as exciting as ever.
Fry’s hip shaking moves proved a bit of a hit with the ladies, who responded
by firing cupid arrows at him, rather than poisoned ones.
After a brief interval, the curtain dropped to reveal a stunning Blade
Runner-esq set up, with all four members of the Human League’s backing band
on a platform, high above the stage.
Then, singer Phil Oakey appeared from the smoke dressed in a long leather
coat and matrix style shades, and slowly walked down the metallic stairs
onto the neon lit stage, while performing Seconds.
Stunning visuals
Afterwards, original backing singers Joanne Catherall & Susan Ann Sulley
joined Oakey to perform a powerful version of Mirror Man in front of some
truly stunning visuals.
The dark, Kraftwerk meets Joy Division sound earlier on in the set,
initially alienated some of the nostalgia-hungry audience but the band soon
reminded people exactly why they were tonight’s headliners, with three
little electro-pop numbers: Love Action, Don't You Want Me Baby, and Oakey's
solo hit, Together in Electric Dreams.
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