Originally published by The Birmingham Mail. November 2008.

When three of the great pop acts of the 80’s decide to share the same bill and perform some of the decade’s more memorable hits, you can be assured of a great night out and some very pleasant memories.

Heaven 17 was given the almighty task of opening the evening coming on stage with all guns blazing with (We Don’t Need This (Facist Groove Thang, from their debut album Penthouse and Pavement. Truly some great songs followed, including Geisha Boys and Temple Girls, Let Me Go and their big hit Temptation.

Heaven 17 was a hard act to follow but the guys in ABC did a sterling job, keeping the fans on their feet with the likes of When Smokey Sings and The Look Of Love.

The Human League’s Phil Oakey entered to thunderous applause from the jam-packed Civic Hall and opened their set with Seconds before joined on stage by Suzanne Sulley and Joanne Catherall for a supberb rendition of Mirror Man.

They stole the night in terms of fan reaction, especially as they finished off their main set with the 1981 smash hit, Don’t You Want Me.

Ian D. Hall