Magic of the 1980s to rock town

Some of the greatest music stars of the 1980s will be coming to Shropshire on July 12 for an outdoor concert brimming with nostalgia.

The Shropshire Star is sponsoring the event, and we will be chatting to all the big-name artists over the coming weeks.

Today, Rebecca Lawrence talks to singer Glenn Gregory of Heaven 17 about why he still loves the 1980s, nearly 30 years on.

Performing live is a relatively new experience for Heaven 17 who were a studio-based band in the 1980s and rarely played concerts. But now the group, which formed when Ian Marsh and Martyn Ware split from their earlier group The Human League, is accustomed to performing at all sorts of venues - and often with the rest of the stars from that heyday.

Glenn Gregory, their friend and photographer, was recruited to complete the rest of the group. Their single Temptation reached number two in the UK charts in the summer of 1983 and the band have been together ever since.

"We still play together. We have not recorded together for about three years but we get together and do gigs. It's good fun. It's brilliant actually," Glenn said.

"For us, it's weird because during the heyday we did not play live during that time.

"It was a rebellious stance of music at the time and it was not what it was about.

"We were a studio band who liked recording music and producing people and writing stuff. It was not about performing live.

"It was 17 years after that we first played a live gig on the Erasure tour. The first really live gig was at Manchester arena in a huge stadium with 15,000 people and I went on stage and swore.

"Because of that we still really enjoy it. It's not like it's a chore.

"I think the reason we didn't perform live is because videos were new at the time. Obviously we were completely wrong because it's really great playing live and these days, it's where people make their money.

"I am definitely looking forward to coming to Shrewsbury. When you are playing in a big arena it's nice, but you could have been to the same one 15 times because they are all the same. When you're playing outside, it's really nice - like a little holiday.

"I used to court a Shrewsbury lass. Maybe I will sing her a song. Her name was Rebecca, but I've not seen her for years. Maybe she will pop along."

Glenn said he was looking forward to singing but said he sometimes has trouble remembering the words.

"When you do gigs and there's 15 songs, I'm really bad. A lot of fans mime and if I get the words wrong, the fans all laugh. Sometimes we are singing along and then I might see someone and think 'they look nice' and then I get lost and do not know where I am.

"I have to concentrate. It's because I enjoy it so much and forget what I'm doing and what I'm supposed to be singing. The other members look at me askance. I'm getting better though."

Tickets, priced at £32.50 for adults, £20 for children aged five-15, and free for under fives, are on sale from IML Concerts on (01603) 660444, the Midland Box Office on 0870 320 7000 or online at www.imlconcerts.co.uk

They are also available from the Music Hall in Shrewsbury, the Oswestry Mile End tourist information centre and Oakengates Theatre in Telford.