Live review – The Human League, Tom Bailey and Blancmange at Summer Sessions

The Human League, Tom Bailey and Blancmange at Summer Sessions, Bedford Park, 10 July
★★★★★

“I don’t think we’ve ever been to Bedford before,” admits Susan Sulley near the start of The Human League’s 70-minute extravaganza, with the same air of uncertainty as someone being urged to try polenta for the first time. “To be honest, we’re staying quite far away.”

If Sulley doesn’t sound like she’s exactly trying to win over the locals, her reticence belies a show which sends Bedford’s residents absolutely wild for their guests. The League’s summer tour schedule for the UK is a relatively sedate handful of regional outdoor shows. If that suggests they’re slowing down, forget it.

Philip Oakey in particular is a whirlwind. He has as many costume changes as Kylie, and the energy to match, running to the left of the stage to declaim “Now should we part?” before hurtling to the right to announce “Or stay awhile?” during Louise. It’s a toss-up between an all-black ensemble or white kimono with matching giant moonboots for Oakey’s most stylish look, but his stern appearance is happily undercut by how delighted he is to be here. He smiles throughout and appears on the verge of doing a knee slide at any moment.

Electric Dreams

It helps that the crowd are equally giddy at witnessing The Human League walk among for the first time. It’s an absolutely no messing about set, a mid-show Soundtrack To A Generation and Seconds as obscure as it gets.

There’s still no Human. Its absence in recent tours is clearly pointed about…something or other… but who cares when there’s so many other bangers, performed with love? Sulley and Joanne Catherall do the requisite arm movements and look they’re having almost as much fun as Oakey, especially when One Man In My Heart allows them to take centre-stage while the frontman gets changed into a turquoise suit for a mighty Love Action.

It’s not quite as routinely poptastic as you’d expect – following Don’t You Want Me with Being Boiled is a rogue choice, but only the guitar solo in the closing Together In Electric Dreams strikes a duff note. You’re The Human League, you don’t need that sort of rockist behaviour, thanks.

Wasp Attack

A more purist futurist note had been struck by Blancmange in their opening set. Neil Arthur has the luxury of being aware that most people only know three Blancmange songs.

He duly delivers Living On The Ceiling and Don’t Tell Me with panache, though Blind Vision had seen Arthur have to abandon the second verse through laughing too much. “I was being set on by a wasp,” he reveals through his laughter.

Elsewhere, Blancmange are free to do newer songs, the hilarious ranting list What’s The Time? clearly gigantic if it had been released in 1983. Not that Arthur seems to care at its commercial neglect, as he leaves us by stating: “I hope you all have a fantastic evening. We will.”

Spectacular Performance

Arthur would doubtless have enjoyed Tom Bailey’s showmanship. He still seems to be making up for time away from pop, but Bailey has been back performing Thompson Twins songs for a decade now and he’s bloody great at it.

In white suit and Hawaiian shirt, Bailey is clearly A Proper Popstar now he’s back and he puts similar effort into making the music just as cheery. A cover of Psycho Killer is admittedly unnecessary – Bailey could have thrown Lies or a pre-trio moment in instead – but with bassist Alice Offley superbly singing Alannah Currie’s parts, it’s a spectacular performance of spectacular songs.

Hold Me Now will remain unbeaten for the event’s biggest singalong, but Bedford is treated to three timeless marvels determined to give it everything. Hopefully the League are persuaded to a return visit soon.

Featured image credit:  Cuffe & Taylor

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