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Leicester Mercury December 2004
LEAGUE'S AHEAD OF THEIR RECENT IMITATORS
A nostalgic haze probably propelled 30 and 40-somethings to
see the Human League.
From the opening bars of Mirrorman, however, it was
clear this was not lazy 80s-karaoke.
Phil Oakey and co belted out polished pop that
suddenly sounds relevant again.
The 19-song set spanned their two-decade career, from
early gems such as Being Boiled and Empire State Human to 90s come-back hits
Tell Me When and Heart Like A Wheel.
Phil, crystallised in many memories as a
floppy-fringed, immobile pouter, was reincarnated as a sprightly showman.
He had won us over long before
he revealed he was born in
Leicester and his dad was from Hinckley.
Phil's distinctive, deep tones were complimented, as
ever, by the schoolgirl vocals and dancing of Joanne and Susan, who proved
the passing years are no barrier to glamour.
Classic cuts from Dare and Hysteria gained the
loudest cheers. The superb backing band breathed power and urgency into
classics such as Don't You Want Me.
The League exceeded all expectations with a powerful
performance that left the audience wanting more.
Goldfrapp, Liberty X and others
may have borrowed their sound, but the real thing is much more satisfying.
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