Words and Photos: Steve Watson
Bltiz DJ and ex-Rich Kids/Skids drummer Rusty Egan kicked off proceedings with 75 minute set of retro 80″ tracks with a few new tracks off his new album Romantic with the standout to me being ‘Stranded’ with Tony Hadley. Other notable singles were Joy Divisions love will tear us apart, OMD’s Electricity and Red Frame White Light and finishing off with a new remix version of Fade To Grey with French singer Ronny.
Heaven 17 never let me down. Martyn Ware with a yellow rain coat and sparkly hat enters the stage with the two backing singers and Florence on keyboards. Glen enters with a white jacket quickly discarded as its hot on the stage (still no air con in all the years I’ve been going to the o2).
Hit after hit are played “Let Me Go”, “Come Live With Me” and in banter with the crowd Martyn mentions there’s two other gigs on in Liverpool at the same time: Wetleg at the Mountford Hall and Boomtown Rats at the Olympia. An acoustic/slow version of ‘We Live So Fast’ was soon jettisoned into the fast version. A rumbustious backing vocal of Temptation and a then a three song encore consisting of a very tearful an emotional version of ‘Party Fears Two’ (The Associates), “Let’s Dance” (David Bowie) and the final track being played on the original synthesiser from the single ‘Being Boiled’ by the Human League. There was also a big shout out to audience member Sumo who was attending their 262nd Heaven 17 gig!
Links:
Heaven 17
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heaven17official
Web: https://www.heaven17.com
Rusty Egan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rustyegan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rustyegan
LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/rustyegan