The Jazz Café
is in the heart of Camden. I love
Camden. It’s my spiritual home. It’s not
quite what it used to be, it has become very commercial and touristy. Pose with a punk for a pound anyone? No? But
it still is one of the last places to go to find unique and unusual finds. Kings Road and Carnaby Street have both lost
their uniqueness, so for me Camden is still desperately clinging onto what it
once was, fighting the corporate brands. Why is there a ‘GAP’ in Camden? GAP screams of
corporate and conservative clothing. Camden
should be about celebrating diversity and individuality. And I was very happy to be back there. We headed to our usual small café for a drink
– and who should I bump into? But my German Heaven 17 friend, Thomas and his
friends from Frankfurt. It’s a very
small world in the Heaven 17 world.
We headed
into the Jazz Café for the sound check and bumped into Martyn outside. (As you
do). It’s lovely to see familiar faces who
share a genuine love of Martyn’s and Glenn’s music. I had not been into the Jazz Café before; it
was a very small venue. I just knew this
was going to be a special night. I love intimate venues that make you feel it’s
a performance just for you. I have
outgrown huge fields, surrounded by drunken people and portaloos. This was much more my style.
Suddenly
there was a big bang and something blew. Although we had lights – something bad had
happened to the soundboard. (Don’t ask
me what – I’m not technical). So sound
check was delayed while technical types tried to fix it. Glenn joked that it might be an acoustic set
tonight and started to strum ‘Ziggy Stardust’ on his guitar. Glenn and Martyn seemed unfazed and very
professional about the whole situation. It got to 45 minutes before the doors were due
to open before they could test the sound levels for the gig.
We were asked
to leave and come in again so that we could be ‘counted’ and as I went outside
of the venue, who should I bump into but more of my Heaven 17 family. We were only outside for a few minutes when we
were back inside again.
I headed
upstairs and met more Heaven 17 fans. This
really was a gathering of people who genuinely love Heaven 17. I was told by someone that they think I am Heaven
17’s number one fan. But I cannot say
that as that honour goes to Steve, also known as Sumo, who goes to every single
Heaven 17 gig and has done for many years. But I still took it as a compliment. It is true that I love Heaven 17. Ever since (We don’t need this) Fascist Groove
Thang I have loved them. If I have to
explain it, then you just don’t get it. But some of you reading this will know
and understand. I love the lyrics – they
are meaningful and tell a story. (Example: Let’s all make a bomb). I love the tunes – clear upbeat synths, which
is especially obvious at the start of Geisha Boys and Temple Girls. And I love the relationship between Glenn and
Martyn. Their friendship and warmth is very
apparent on stage and it really makes them great to see live.
So back to
Saturday night, we started to get excited as the lights went down and the black
hit of space sounded in our ears. Glenn
told us that tonight’s show was being recorded, so we can all buy a copy of
this and know we were a part of a very special night.
The fab songs
continued with a mixture of songs from different albums. One of my personal favourites of the night was
‘I’m gonna make you fall in love with me’.
I am also always happy to hear ‘A Crow and a Baby’. The lyrics make me laugh (mushrooms growing
from your back) and I will get shot down for saying so but I always preferred
it to being boiled. Glenn said he had no
idea what it was about. Martyn told him the
crow and the baby was a metaphor. Glenn said thanks – that make it so much
clearer!
The show was
a long set and us lucky fans were given a fantastic range of songs of Heaven
17, early Human League and the odd Bowie. Glenn does such justice to Boys Keep Swinging.
I am a huge Bowie fan and would normally
avoid any Bowie covers, but Glenn and Martyn are also huge Bowie fans and
giving it the Heaven 17 treatment, it is just perfect. Of course if you want more of this you can see
Glenn sing more Bowie in the upcoming Holy Holy gigs this June.
The set list
was designed to be different from Friday’s set list. I had been gutted to know that ‘Sunset Now’, ‘Contenders’
and ‘And that’s no lie’ was played yesterday so alas was not on the set list
for Saturday. However, this taught me a
valuable lesson. Next year I’m booking
both nights!
Set List:
The black hit of space
I’m your money
FGT
Pray
Let’s all make a bomb
Geisha Boys
I don’t depend on you
Play to win
Height of the fighting
Illumination
Come live with me
We live so fast
A crow and a baby
Loving feeling
IGMYFILWM
Crushed by the wheels
Let me go
P&P
Temptation
Encore:
Marianne
Boys Keep Swinging
Being Boiled
After the gig had
finished, we hung out at the upstairs bar chatting to Heaven 17 and waiting for
the 80s vs 90s disco to start. Now this
is where I had a watershed moment once the disco started. I realised that the majority of people there
were an average age of 21. And some were
dressed up in fancy dress clothes. Not
in a kind homage way – more a taking the mickey way. I saw a queen of hearts and mad hatter, Mario and
a mushroom and a 90s boy with baseball cap flipped up and tracksuit. Now you know I love Only After Dark night club.
Yes it’s a club and I love dressing up
there. But this felt different and I
felt like a fish out of water. These
people weren’t even born when the 80s music was around. It is time to retire from ever thinking I
would want to club again. Thank goodness
for OAD. My music. My genre. My peer group. And I love it there. Long may it reign!
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