For a band that famously didn’t play gigs back in
the day Heaven 17 (now just Glenn Gregory and Martyn Ware) have certainly made
up for it recently, in fact this is probably their third Birmingham gig in as
many years. With a new album currently in production (their first in 12 years)
it probably won’t be too long before they’re back again either. I’m not complaining,
after all they were responsible for one of the early 80s biggest and best hits courtesy
of Temptation plus a dozen or so other bone fide synth and soul classics.
Whereas previous tours have tended to focus on a particular album this one’s an
unashamed trawl through pretty much everything that Martyn Ware’s done which,
of course, opens up some of his previous bands material (the early incarnation
of The Human League) too. It’s the first time they’ve played the Town Hall, a
venue I’ve grown to love again after a few dodgy experiences (mainly due to the
audiences to be fair to the old place) and I was pondering whether it would be
a seated or non seated gig. It was seated. This was perhaps an odd choice given
the nature of the music (not sure if the band decides this or not, I’m guessing
they do) and after a few tracks a fair number of people stood up anyway. Still,
seating arrangements aside there was a decent turnout by the time the band came
onstage (no support act so it was a very early start...a missed opportunity really, local bands Racing or Greg Bird and Flamingo Flame would've been great supports).
The Town Hall’s a magnificent space which is both its
strength and occasionally Achilles heel. Being an electronic band Heaven 17 perhaps
lacks the oomph and range of instruments that would best suit such a huge awe inspiring room and for
the first few numbers in particular the sound was a touch ‘tinny’, especially up in ‘the gods’. Whoever was doing the sound clearly got on top of things
as best they could however and by the time the workers’ revolt anthem Crushed
By The Wheels of Industry rolled along things were noticeably better. It has to be said
that Glenn and Martyn perhaps aren’t helping themselves though. The addition of
guitar and drums for instance would really fatten up the overall sound, especially
when they’re playing bigger venues like this one. Just a thought chaps. Play To
Win saw most of the crowd of 40...50...60-somethings leap to their feet (as
best they/we could...dodgy hips and all) and many remained upright for the rest
of the set. Speaking of which it was a pretty diverse selection with
everything from Dive (off the band’s last album Bigger Than America) to The
Black Hit Of Space (from The Human League’s second album Travelogue...a mere 34
years ago) getting an airing. The latter still sounds incredibly futuristic,
like Dr Who (the proper Dr Who...Tom Baker...not one of these modern imposters) in an indie disco on some far away planet, and Glenn does a decent
job of replicating Phil Oakey’s suitably otherworldly and ominous delivery. Returning to
Heaven 17’s back catalogue the homage to ‘mutually assured destruction’ (a cold
war tactic that basically meant if one side launched a missile strike at you
then you’d bomb them off the face of the earth too...kaboom...goodbye planet
earth) Let's All Make A Bomb makes a mockery of anyone who says that music from the 80s was insubstantial fluff (step
forward Danny Baker on a recent TV show), clearly they ain’t listening to lyrics like
this. Next up Come Live With Me remains one of my favourite Heaven 17 songs, partially because
when it first came out I was 12 or 13 and the thought of being 17 (the age of
one of the characters in the song) let alone 37 (the age of the other) was
terribly exciting.
Now that both ages are but a distant memory it works the
other way, taking on more of a poignant feel (even if the theme of
the song is basically an older man nobbing a young girl...ahem...hmmmm...not
used the word nobbing since I was 12 either). It was all the more poignant
looking down on the sea of bald heads bobbing gently to the music. Lordy, when
did we all get so old? As if to ram home that very point the next track plunged
even further back in time courtesy of a cover of You’ve Lost That Loving
Feeling with Martyn stepping out from behind his theramin and keyboard to belt out
the song with Glenn (The Rightsynth Brothers anyone?). “He’s my Valentine”
quipped Glenn giving Martyn a cheeky peck as the song ended. Awwwwwww bless ‘em.
We Live So Fast (surely a template for techno?) rattled
along at a fair old pace before the sparse monotone of I’m Your Money (one of Heaven
17’s earliest songs and a strangely prescient track given the later 80s ‘loadsamoney’
culture) and a perfectly serviceable glam and synth cover of Bowie’s Boys Keep
Swinging.
Ever wanted to know Glenn’s and Martyn’s favourite
Heaven 17 song? Have a guess. Nope. Guess again. Nope...wrong! It’s actually
Let Me Go. An oddly low key choice in many ways but again another fine example
of how sophisticated 80s pop could be, both lyrically and musically. If you’ve
ever experienced a break up or divorce I can imagine it’s pretty devastating.
Still tonight’s for the loved up so the crowd happily claps along to arguably
one of the band’s bleakest tracks. Temptation ends the main set and it’s now
such an iconic tune that it struggles to avoid going a bit karaoke in places. I’ve
said it once and I’ll say it again (and no offence to the two female vocalists
tonight who were excellent) but this song really needs Carol Kenyon’s voice. There’s
something unique about her vocal on the original that I always miss whenever I
hear it live. Also, and I could be in the minority here, I could do without all the
remixing and fiddling about on this song. Why mess with perfection? Resist
the...er...temptation next time, that’s what I say.
After the traditional off again and on again nonsense
the endlessly effervescent Glenn bounds back out with a “Let’s keep in the
party mood...c’mon!” and launches into Penthouse and Pavement. Again this is
another number that would benefit hugely from more live instruments. Where’s
the funky guitarist that was so crucial on the original?
Okay, so it costs more to have one but it would be soooooo worth it. There’s a club called Only After Dark in Brum that’s devoted to all
things 80s and its named after an old Human League cover of a Mick Ronson
track. Clearly a number of Only After Dark-ers are here tonight and this rarely
played number (I think the band’s only ever played it a handful of times) get’s
a huge whoop of appreciation.
Things ended where they began with the first song
Martyn and Phil Oakey ever wrote together, Being Boiled (“Listen to the voice
of Buddha, Saying stop your sericulture”...you don’t get that kind of lyric
from One Direction eh?). It’s yet another one of those songs that sounds like
it’s been beamed back from the future...albeit it via Sheffield. The past never
sounded so futuristic.
That was that. It was all over remarkably quickly...and
early. Given the cost of the tickets (£22) and the fact that the band’s got
such a huge back catalogue a set lasting 1hour and 10 minutes seems a little
tight. No one seemed particularly bothered by that though, besides we could all
get home to our Horlicks before 10pm. ‘Going forward’ (as wanky politicians
and failing Chief Executives always say) I’d like to see Heaven 17 play more
club gigs. If they’re going to stick with the modest two keyboard set up this really
suits smaller venues better and, with a new album in the pipeline, it might be
nice to try to connect with a younger audience too. After all most of their
existing fans ain’t 17 anymore...
