Human League
Utilita Arena in Birmingham Touring until Saturday
Rating: 
In September the first two Human League albums were performed in full by their splinter group, the ever-classy Heaven 17. Phil Oakey, The Human League, was politely declined.
Now you see why: he was planning something similar for his masterpiece, the band’s 1981 album Dare.
This synth-pop icon has not lost its shine forty years later.
Phil Oakey (above, center) stentorian vocals were balanced by Susan Ann Sulley’s warm tones (left) or Joanne Catherall’s (right).
Two other Smash Hits legends are included in the bill: Tom Bailey from Thompson Twins (still punchy after all those years) and Clare Grogan (still sassy). Both get a standing ovation – no mean feat for support acts.
With a set inspired by M. C. Escher, The Human League takes the visuals to another level with a stunning set design. Dare is given top billing and he fully deserves it.
It was a very short album that had only a few tracks. This album made a band that once existed a legend into something big.
It’s almost like the synths have become an afterthought: Love Action and Open Your Heart, two great pop songs that are infused with intelligence from Sheffield music.
Oakey is 66 and has since lost his hair. But he still retains that weirdness that pop star need. It’s his party and he’ll come as Dr No if he wants to.
His stentorian vocals are balanced by the warmer tones of Susan Ann Sulley and Joanne Catherall – the women who saved Oakey from being too blokey.
Dare was so radio-friendly that the biggest hit of all, Don’t You Want Me, was only its fourth and final single.
It was the final track of side two, which is a great help for this show.
It was purpose-built to allow 10,000 people to perform, and it lives up the title of The Sound Of The Crowd’s first single.