Rocking back in time
Eighties pop idols get together on stage to prove they are still class acts 

Doctor Who must have been at the Armadillo last night as the Here and Now Tour rolled into town. The venue became a Tardis, taking its Glasgow audience back in time to the 1980s with a cavalcade of artists and songs from the decade when the New Romantics ruled the charts. Spandau Ballet, Belinda Carlisle, Toyah, Go West's Peter Cox and ABC were only a few of the names taking part in a marathon three-hour show. And a packed Clyde Auditorium audience screamed, danced and whooped its way through every minute. 

For some fans, memories of school discos, Rubik's cube and mascara came flooding back. For others, this was an evening to learn why their parents made such a fuss about the old hits. Belinda Carlisle clearly relished being back on stage as she poured her heart into upbeat renditions of some of her top 10 smashes including memorable versions of Leave A Light On For Me and Heaven Is A Place On Earth. Go West also seemed to savour the opportunity to turn the clock back with a wonderful rendition of The King Of Wishful Thinking from the movie Pretty Woman. 

Though slightly more mature than in his heyday, ex-Spandau Ballet frontman Tony Hadley was the undoubted star of the show. Somehow he managed to demonstrate that he still possessed the ability to induce swoons among his female fans as he performed a series of hits like Gold, and Through the Barricades. But only one man retained the dandified New Romantic image of yesteryear. Martin Fry of ABC proudly charged onstage, resplendent in purple lame suit, white shirt and matching tie. And despite the somewhat dodgy looking 80s outfit he quickly won the crowd over with hits like The Look of Love and Poison Arrow. "You seem to know the words," he laughed, as the crowd hijacked yet another hit by singing in unison. He really shouldn't have been surprised ... the audience had had 20 years to learn them.
(Jonathan Rennie)

Toyah was by far the best performer on Sunday. She seemed to enjoy being there with a big audience and showing off her fantastic look.

The friends I was with - none of whom are Toyah fans - thought that Toyah was either the best or second to ABC and should have been on much later perhaps taking Spandau Ballet's place. Who knows, maybe if she does it again, the organisers will place her where she ought to be.

(Alec Kelly - Toyah fan)
 
 
 
 

Old pop idols show they are still up for it.

Who said nostalgia was a thing of the past?

       Imagine a whole section of your LP collection - remember those? - brought to life on stage. That's Here And Now 2002.

       Punk singer-cum-actress Toyah, now best known as the voice of the Teletubbies, was in a rebellious mood.

       Wearing a dangerous looking metal bra, she shouted: "I promise you I'm not going to swear - but I am going to show you my bottom." 

       She did, flashing her bum under a black mini-skirt. Not a bad posterior for a 43 year old, it has to be said. By the time she vacated the stage to make way for Go West - Peter Cox and Richard Drummie - the crowd were on their feet and ready to dance.

And the song-writing duo didn't disappoint with an energetic set that included Call Me, King Of Wishful Thinking and their biggest UK hit, We close Or Eyes.

Next up was synthesiser guru Howard Jones, shorn of his spiky locks but still bleached futuristic white. He turned out to be the surprise of the night, transforming his hits into tunes that wouldn't seem out of place in today's charts.

New Song, What Is Love and Like To Get To Know You Well were brought bang up to date with some thumping bass and a bit of scratching, courtesy of an on-stage DJ.

Martin Fry of ABC is always a class act and gave a typically stylish performance of classics like When Smokey Sings and All Of My Heart before changing into a gold lame suit for The Look Of Love.

But it was the boys from Spandau Ballet - Tony Hadley, Steve Norman and John Keeble - who set the place alight. All the favourites were there - To Cut A Long Story Short, I'll Fly For You and True.

Prima donna Belinda Carlisle provided the only low point of the night. She threw a strop when the photographers dared to take some pictures of her in action - as they had done with all the other acts.

Sorry Bel, didn't realise that being on stage in front of a few thousand people was supposed to be a private affair.
(By Lesley Roberts)
 

David Fleming (9-05-02)

Now that "Here & Now 2002"is well and truly over (or so I thought until this week's announcement that there will be a 9th show in the Isle Of Man, with a slightly different bill, on 2nd June) I thought I'd jot down my thoughts:

I had been looking forward to 28th April for months and when the day finally arrived I felt both happy, excited and slightly apprehensive. The last time I'd saw Toyah perform live was at King Tuts Wah Wah Hut on 31st October 1993 and nine years is definitely a long time, not only in politics but in music and pretty much everything else too, could she still weave that Willcox magic?

I have to admit that aside from Toyah I hadn't particularly been a fan of any of the other bands, though did think China Crisis, ABC and Belinda Carlisle had a few hummable tunes dotted through their careers. So, it was really only Toyah I was looking forward to seeing in the Armadillo shaped Clyde Auditorium.

China Crisis were already playing by the time we got to our seats and though I think "Wishful Thinking" is still a great tune I wasn't really paying much attention as I knew Toyah would be onstage next.

Then suddenly, and as if from nowhere, Toyah WAS onstage, and "Here And Now" felt like a real gig! She launched straight into "Good Morning Universe", her voice sounding possibly the best I've ever heard it live, and appearing completely comfortable and at ease onstage in front of thousands of people for the first time in many years. Through the next three songs; "Thunder In The Mountains", "It's A Mystery" (rounded off with the 'Lottery' versions "wooaah yeaaaah!") and "I Want To Be Free" Toyah ensured that everyone here tonight, those who came to see her and those who didn't, would remember her performance for many years to come.

She covered the whole stage, sang her socks off (though not the much talked about and photographed micro skirt or bronze armour) and managed to get even the most ardent of twenty/thirtysomething Go West and Spandau fans up onto their feet for "I Want To Be Free".

The rest of the gig was, for me at least, a huge anti climax. I've never liked Go West.  I own Belinda Carlisle's "Runaway Horses" album and have always thought she was okay but live I found her disappointing, she can't recreate the 'wall of sound' vocals that are on the records, and made things worse by moaning about people taking her photo! Howard Jones and ABC surprised me as I did find myself singing along to most of what they played, especially ABC's "All Of My Heart" and Hojo's "Like To Get To Know You Well". Ah the memories.

Finally ex-Spandau Ballet hit the stage. Though I was never a SB fan I did like a few of their early songs; "To Cut A Long Story Short", "Instinction" and "Communication", but found myself getting bored after a while and when the end came it was something of a relief. The reason I'd been there was long gone anyway...

When I was growing up Toyah was like some sort of distant goddess who mutated into another 'person' for every new record and made teenage life interesting for me. In these cynical Global Village noughties, when everything is just a mouse click away, Toyah isn't distant or even goddess-like but simply a woman who seems extremely comfortable in her own skin. A woman who lives to work and entertain. A woman who was, criminally, given far too early and short a set on this tour and still managed to easily outshine everyone else involved. A woman who proves that true creative musical talent will always win the day. A woman who "appears to be a singer again" - Amen to that!