Bananarama performing their Original Line Up Tour at The Royal Concert Hall Nottingham on Friday 24th November 2017.

Images and Review by Kevin Cooper

Last night at the Royal Concert Hall, Bananarama delivered the ultimate blast from the past as this 80s girl band toured as a trio for the first time since they formed in 1981.

With Siobhan Fahey having left the group in 1988, and going on to make artier pop with Shakespears Sister, years of rancour followed with her former band mates, Keren Woodward and Sara Dallin who toured as a duo. Now after slowly rebuilding their friendship, Bananarama are back riding high again.

And whilst most reunions are all about the money, this trio appear to have got back together for the sheer joy of it, as they approached this comeback like a girls night out. With their opener Nathan Jones having the crowd on their feet, they belted out one hit after another accompanied by a four piece band in the background that added a bit of muscle to their lighter songs.

Robert De Niro’s Waiting had everyone singing along and with hardly any fillers, just killer hits like Cruel Summer, Shy Boy and Really Saying Something it was a huge karaoke party. There were their formation twirls, wiggles and catwalk turns and on I Heard A Rumour from their Stock Aitken Waterman phase, they replicated the steps from their 1987 video which was on the screen behind them.

Then came the emotional high point; a cover of Shakespears Sister’s Stay with Woodward and Dallin singing the Marcella Detroit part before Fahey made a grand entrance to deliver her growling verses. They took a breather for the slower Cheers Then before restoring the high energy tempo with I Want You Back as well as a stupendous Venus

Finishing the main set with the sing along Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye, there wasn’t a single person still in their seats. And for the encore they remained standing and singing along to It Ain’t What You Do (It’s The Way That You Do It) which they recorded back in 1981 with The Fun Boy Three. Their enormous 1987 hit Love In The First Degree brought proceedings to a high end, with a packed crowd dancing and singing as they left to go home.

Midge Ure, Bananarama, Martin Fry (ABC) and Tony Hadley performing at The Newark Riverside Festival on Saturday 18th June 2016.

Images and Review by Kevin Cooper

Over 5,000 people at The Newark Festival armed with chairs, blankets and not needed brollies cheered when the former Ultravox frontman, Midge Ure commenced the nights proceedings. Setting the bar very high he treated this crowd to a trip down memory lane, where they remained for the entire evening.

Opening with Hymn, he was quickly into the swing of things with the delightful Fade To Grey and the moving No Regrets. One Small Day, If I Was and Loves Greatest Adventure got this crowd going before the greatest song which never topped the charts, Vienna, resounded around this delightful riverside setting. Finishing his set with crowd favourite, Dancing With Tears In Your Eyes, there weren’t many not singing along with him.

Up next was Bananarama, one of the most successful bands in the world having sold over 30 million records. Since 1992 there have only been the two of them, but they still knew how to whip this crowd up. Cruel Summer showed what they were about, as did Nathan Jones and Shy Boy. Stock, Aitken & Waterman’s I Want You Back upped the tempo, whilst their slight technical difficulties did not stop the crowd from dancing to Love In The First Degree and set closer Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye).

Gone was the gold lamé but now more subtlety attired in an Ozwald Boateng suit, Martin Fry took to the stage. Having trekked through the rainforest ten years ago to the top of Mount Roraima with Richard Drummie (Go West) and Tony Hadley, it was not any surprise to find him on the same bill as his ‘old mucker’ Tony.

Showing that he has still got the voice and the moves, he was rapturously received by this crowd. Opening with Show Me, his set just got better and better. There were a couple of new songs from his latest album, The Lexicon Of Love II, in the form of Viva Love and Ten Below Zero, which were very well received. But it was Fry’s well-loved oldies that delighted this crowd. Favourites like Tears Are Not Enough, When Smokey Sings and The Look Of Love had this nostalgic crowd dancing and singing as though time had stood still.

Bringing a fabulous evening of nostalgic overload to a climax was Spandau Ballet frontman, Tony Hadley, who delivers exactly what it says on the tin; great music, amusing banter and a killer voice. Opening with slow number Feeling Good, he soon had the crowd on their feet with To Cut A Long Story Short and Highly Strung. But it was huge 80’s hits Gold and True that this crowd had come to hear and he did not disappoint. Too soon this enjoyable evening ended, and as this crowd made their way home, there weren’t many not singing their favourite song.