Heaven 17 are to perform their much-loved greatest hits and highlights from the last 40 years across the U.K. throughout November and December 2020, including a night at the Liverpool Academy on Hotham Street on Friday 11th December 2020.
Hailing from Sheffield, Synth Pop Masters Heaven 17 are one of the most important British post-punk bands. Taking their name from the Anthony Burgess novel A Clockwork Orange, Heaven 17 grew out of the experimental production outfit the British Electric Foundation, itself an offshoot of the electro-pop outfit Human League. In 1981 Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh left the Human League, recruited vocalist Glenn Gregory and Heaven 17 was born. A critically acclaimed album Penthouse and Pavement followed the same year.
Heaven 17’s 2nd album The Luxury Gap in 1983 was the moment when everything just clicked into place to overwhelming effect. It became an undoubtable pop masterpiece.
Heaven 17 convinced their sceptical record company that Temptation had to be the next single. A duet between Glenn Gregory and Carol Kenyon, this song of lust, brilliantly framed by a musical structure stormed the charts and remains a momentous classic to this day.
Subsequent years included albums Pleasure One, Teddy Bear, Duke & Psycho before a hiatus ensued until 1996 where they burst back onto the airwaves with huge dance smash Hands Up To Heaven. Now a collective between Ware and Gregory with synth player Berenice Scott and soul singers Kelly Barnes and Rachel Mosleh very much part of the live dynamic, Heaven 17’s sly, post-modern critique of modern society has never sounded so resonant, nor been so necessary.
Martyn Ware said, “All of us at H17 HQ are thrilled to announce our forthcoming 40th anniversary celebration tour. Don’t miss it!”
The Band will be covering ten dates next winter performing of their greatest hits and classic tracks throughout their 40-year career. Tickets go on sale Friday 18th October at 10am via www.gigsandtours.com and www.ticketmaster.co.uk.