In the early 80s, the punk revolution and the emergence of the consumer synthesiser led to the birth of electronic music. The three bands cited by Nightshift magazine as being most influential are Gary Numan (Tubeway Army), The Human League and OMD but as with all revolutions, the people who start the movement are rarely the ones who develop it. The Human League rapidly imploded with its founding members scattering to form their own bands, taking the essential DNA of electropop with them and evolving it further. Other bands merged the raw, mechanical electronic sound with other musical forms such as jazz, folk, soul, rock and Motown.

Two of the founding members of The Human League, Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh, took their creative ideas on a different path. Whilst The Human League, fronted then by Phil Oakey, stuck to the pure synth sound, Ware and Marsh sought something with a deeper, richer influence. Finding inspiration in the sound of Detroit, Ware laid the foundations for his work as a producer with the British Electrical Foundation. So much history had already passed by, yet the year was still only 1980 when Ware and Marsh invited Glenn Gregory to join them and BEF’s best-known project was born – Heaven 17.

The current Heaven 17 tour, 'Sound with Vision', has taken the band around the UK with a carefully curated retrospective collection and a glimpse into a promised forthcoming studio album as well as a documentary.

Warm-up for Heaven 17 came in the form of electropop godfather Rusty Egan, who played a nostalgic DJ set recreating the sound of the Blitz nightclub, which he hosted along with Steve Strange. Whatever rumours you’ve heard about those early days of New Wave, Egan was most likely there, playing a part in launching the careers of many well-known act,s including Depeche Mode. 

The set list wove a musical tapestry which beautifully illustrated the breadth of the band’s work, from raw New Wave to smooth sophistpop. From the harder, more politically biased ‘Crushed by the Wheels of Industry’ and ‘(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang’ to the smooth, stylish romance of ‘Come Live With Me’ and ‘Let Me Go’ this was a story of a band finding its unique sound and continuing to evolve.

‘We Live So Fast’ kicked off with a wonderful solo acoustic introduction with Gregory on guitar, demonstrating that he has genuine musicianship behind that slick presentation.

Ware’s command of the synth is such that with only one other keyboard player, Flo Sabeva, and two excellent singers, Rachel Meadows and Kelly Barnes, the full sound of the studio recordings in all its synth-Motown fusion glory was recreated. Gregory shared a few stories from the good old days, including one about the recording of the highest charting single ‘Temptation’ with a full orchestra, when money was no object for Virgin. The latest evolution of the song moves beyond even what the band created back then and is certainly the high point of the show, with the two singers creating a powerful introduction with high notes that would make you fear for the safety of your best wine glasses.

No encore was on the set list, but one came anyway. The joy that the band get from connecting with fans is obvious, and it actually seems difficult for them to stop.

Ware and the two singers took a break, leaving Glenn Gregory and Flo Sabeva to perform a slow, delicate version of The Associates’ ‘Party Fears Two’. Gregory’s emotional intensity and lightness of touch made the tragic loss of Billy Mackenzie seem like it was just yesterday. The Institute fell silent to this prayer of a song which showed just what a capable and dextrous singer Gregory can be, something which can come as a surprising contrast to the power and passion behind a song such as ‘Temptation’.

Next, the full band returned to share a tribute to the artist who started it all. According to Ware, without David Bowie, there would be no Heaven 17, no Human League, no Midge Ure or all of the other great artists who built upon his legacy of reinvention and daring experimentation. ‘Let’s Dance’ was a powerful, energetic, fun-packed rendition of a wonderful song which shook the venue to its foundations.

Finally, a return to where it all started – ‘Being Boiled’, which was a Human League song composed by Ware and Marsh and with lyrics then added by Oakey. Interestingly, Gregory was offered Oakey’s role fronting the band, but had moved from Sheffield to London. A full circle moment, with the deep resonant similarities between the voices of Gregory and Oakey making the song a poignant end to a thrilling evening.

Peter Freeth

@genius.photo.pf

Images: Peter Freeth

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