HEAVEN 17 PRESENTS TRAVELOGUE AND REPRODUCTION AT THE ROUNDHOUSE 5.9.21 – A REVIEW

There’s a noticeable trend emerging from bands who were famous in the 1980s of reproducing popular albums live on stage.  The albums that made them, or that have a special place in the listening public’s hearts started for me when I saw Siouxsie Sioux perform my favourite Banshees album, Kaleidoscope at Yoko Ono’s Meltdown Festival at the Royal Festival Hall in London. 

I’ve since been lucky enough to see Marc Almond perform Mother Fist (my favourite of his) and Gary Numan perform Replicas, as part of an event where he performed Pleasure Principle, Telekon and Replicas on three consecutive nights. Also Marc and the Mambas performing songs from their two albums Torment and Toreros and Untitled in 2013, and Kate Bush recreating the Hounds of Love album in her Before the Dawn show at the Hammersmith Apollo (it’ll always be the Odeon to me though!) These were all excellent gigs which were made all the better for them being my favourites, and to hear them being performed live was something I never thought I’d experience in my lifetime.

So, being a huge synth girl and having been a fan of the genre and having written about it over the past 30+ years, imagine my delight when I heard a couple of years ago that the two albums where is all started for me, were being performed by the musicians who wrote and produced the albums back in 1979/1980.   

Travelogue and Reproduction are the first two albums by The Human League, pre-Joanne and Susanne, and consisted of Phil Oakey, Martyn Ware, Philip Adrian Wright and Ian Craig Marsh. Those albums were my constant companion on cassette, listened to over and over on my Walkman as I travelled from where I lived at the time in South Wales, along the highways of the UK up to Lancashire to see family, and Cheshire where we were to eventually to move to. Those albums sealed my love of synth music and despite The Human League splitting soon afterwards to form Human League with Joanne and Susanne, and Heaven 17 with singer Glenn Gregory at the forefront, my love of those albums has remained a constant throughout my life.

There was another reason why last night was a monumental occasion; it was the first gig I’d been to in eighteen months. My previous gig was China Crisis supported by Fiat Lux at the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds on 6^th March 2020.  Like so many others, I’ve had to cancel to my gig-going habit due to the global pandemic and numerous lockdowns, so it was with an element of certain trepidation that I attended.  I was fully ‘tooled up’ with a negative lateral flow test, my NHS COVID passport at the ready and my double jabbed certificate on hand to show anyone who asked for it.  Despite all this, the only checks by the Roundhouse were security ones, a bag check and electronic wand casually waved over selected individuals, of which I was not one.  I still wore my mask though as I moved through the crowds, only removing it when I was stood outside on the terrace chatting to friends, or when we were seated.

The gig itself exceeded my already high and hopeful expectations and opened with the fanfare synths of Almost Medieval from Reproduction, with Wizard of Oz-esque facial images of the band, changing to iconic images throughout, thanks to the skilful graphics of Malcolm Garrett, who made the gig a visual treat with his selection of cult pictures on display.

Reproduction was played in its entirety in album order taking us from one delight to another. Highlights for me were Circus of Death and Morale/You’ve Lost that Loving Feeling which seemed to take on a new and poignant feeling within the walls of the Roundhouse venue, especially when the audience joined in with the ‘Baby!’ and ‘oo-ooh!’ chants.  The feeling of cohesiveness between band and audience couldn’t have been more symbiotic.  There was a genuine love and respect in the room from both parties, that was almost tangible.

Expecting an interval but not getting one, the band launched straight into Travelogue.  There are several tracks on this album that are my personal favourites including Crow and a Baby and the track, Gordon’s Gin and their performances of these didn’t disappoint.  When I was young, I made up my own lyrics to the instrumental track and last night couldn’t help but murmur them to myself, taking me right back to my teenage bedroom some 42 years earlier.  Another highlight was Heaven 17’s take on Being Boiled, which I’ve heard before when I’ve seen the band previously, but had an added element of cohesiveness when heard within the context of the album.

Once Travelogue had been performed, the crowd expected that it was the end of the show but there were a few fantastic added extras in the form of songs from the Holiday 80 EP including personal favourite Marianne.  I’ve never heard it performed live before and in all honesty and never likely to again which is probably why it gave me actual goosebumps and all the feels. 

There were times during the concert that I couldn’t believe I was actually there, witnessing these amazing songs that for me form part of who I am.  The next surprise track they played was Rock ‘n’ Roll, a cover of the now shamed 70s glam rock star, Gary Glitter from the Holiday 80 EP, which again elicited audience participation. 

A track was thrown into the mix which seemed a bit of a curve ball; I Don’t Depend on You which was by The Men, a former incarnation of members of the early Human League.  Whilst a great track, it felt out of place and for me, didn’t sit comfortably with the general feel of the evening.  Too poppy perhaps? 

The encore track was a funky extended version of Heaven 17’s biggest hit, Temptation in which the backing singer’s strong voices came to the fore.  It was the perfect track to end the night on and gave the audience a positive end to a brilliant evening.  Waiting outside to see if I could see numerous friends who I knew were at the concerts, I managed to see a few faces of friends who I haven’t seen in such a long time, which for me was just perfect.  I also managed to miss quite a few friends, which was a shame. Gig going for me isn’t just about the music itself, its also the many, many friendships I’ve formed over the years from attending concerts of the synth genre.  Likeminded souls who share your love of synth music and who have been there, some unwittingly, through significant moments in my brain space.

I don’t know when my next gig will be; I’ve cancelled all my commitments for this year due to my husband being very ill, but we agreed that as last night’s gig meant so much to me, that if he was well enough, I would go, which is what I did.  I’ll live on the memories of last night’s concert for a very long time and remember that ‘high’ gig feeling for the next few days.