26 . 12 . 2005

Synth City Finale




Before we kick off this festive bumper update it will come as no surprise that December 2005 has been Secrets Online's busiest month ever.
So far this month, the site has attracted 26,635 visits* (with 19,209 reaching this page first) which is 8,000 more visits than this time last year and it goes to show how successful the 2005 Synth City Tour has been.


(* a visit doesn't include multiple returns or refreshes - if you visit the site several times a day - the webstats will only record your visit as a single unique visit over a period of 24 hours so it's a terrific amount of people).


We have some great reviews for you to read plus a very special story with a previously unseen photo taken during the 'lost' recording sessions of 1985....enjoy ;)


First up with thoughts on the final night is Dave Knight:



'Just had to write a quick note to say how fantastic the last gig of the tour was, unfortunately the only one I've caught this time, but wow, Hoboken were superb, bought their CD afterwards and the friendly lads happily signed it and chatted to me and my wife, who loved their set and were again reminded January 9th for 'Beauty Queen' single.. Nice one!

THL's show has just got better and better each year have seen them, and the well-oiled machine went from hit to hit, my throat is horse and my hands are raw from clapping and singing throughout, superb, Phil's voice was great, no flu this time around, and the girls and the rest of the band are brilliant as ever, loved the new lights and projections.
Highlights were Marianne, Mirror Man, Rock n Roll is Dead, All I Ever Wanted and my favorite song ever, Together in Electric Dreams to finish the night with. Phil was very humble as ever and said he was really going to miss being on tour, so
hopefully will be another one this time next year, fingers crossed with a new album this time!!! We can wish!!

Nice one, keep the cool site going!'


Stephanie Bramble loved the final night:



'Saw the gig at the Forum and must agree with you whole-heartedly - I would have paid double for that ticket!!! Awesome!

So impressed was I that I had to drive to Warwick on Wednesday night to see them again (thought it might have been a fanatastic dream!!!) Only to find the dream got better and I was front row infront of Susan and it was amazing! Highlight of my life!

Image © barney britton 2005
house photographer, Carling Academy Newcastle.
www.barneybritton.com




Phil is unbelievably reliable in turning in a superb performance time after time and I still want to be Susan when I grow up (my personal ambition since I first saw and heard the band as a 9 year old in 1982).

Love love love the sex appeal on stage - makes them so unique as there is something for everyone - of course the delectable Phil but have recently found Nick to be an enormous rock hottie - not to mention the boys from Hoboken! Sigh!

Anyway this is the 4th time I have seen these guys and they keep getting better and better!

Love your work on the site - thanks so much for all the hard work

The Human League are better than Santa I say!'


Jeremy Heal emailed us about the penultimate gig in Bristol:



'I've been going to see the mighty League since the Hysteria tour in '84 andI have to say the gig in Bristol is the best show that I've ever seen them put on! Phil's voice was absolutely amazing (when was it not) and the
harmonies that Susan and Joanne provide are just as fantastic as ever.
Good to hear Marianne get a dusting down and Empire State Human....classic!!!
I only wish they could find space for my fave League song, I'm Coming Back from Hysteria, I reckon that could be worked into a good live tune.

(Image © Marc and Sandra Pijnacker: 'We were at The Forum, London, last Monday, coming from Holland. We were both very impressed of the concert. We have the (Dome) DVD, but this was 10 times better. Love your site!!')

Jeremy has also been taking along new THL devotees...

We took our nine year old son, Nick, for the first time and he thought theywere brilliant. I hope they still tour next year in the same format as our six year old daughter wants to go.
A few rock and pop pretenders of today could do with going along, might learn a thing or two about stage craft and presence!

Fab site!'

Sara Hooper from Coventry:



'FANTASTIC - THEY WERE REALLY GREAT AT WARWICK ARTS CENTRE BRINGS BACK MEMORIES OF BEING AT SCHOOL. THEY WERE SO GOOD LIVE AND THEY ALL LOOKED REALLY GREAT THE WHOLE CROWD GOT UP TO DANCE AND SING I HOPE THEY DO ANOTHER TOUR ALL MY OTHER FRIENDS WANT TO COME NEXT TIME ....MY FAVOURITE WAS BEING BOILED REALLY GGGGRRREEEAAATTTTT'



Tom France who kindly drove EMP and myself to The Forum also managed to catch the final two dates:


'A very weary 'Good Afrternoon' after many miles this week in pursuit of Synth Pop perfection. Firstly, both you and Paul should know the trips were not nearly as enjoyable without your good company and musical knowledge. I hope we can do it more often when the next tour comes round (if my
girlfriend allows me, after your great review of the London gig, she now feels there is another woman in my life!)
Bristol was one of the shows to date, but for a few minor glitches that only a hardened THL follower would have noticed.



Image © barney britton 2005
house photographer, Carling Academy Newcastle.
www.barneybritton.com





The accoustics seemed to suit the backing tracks rather than the vocals, that said it was a very nice venue. The crowd seemed to take 2/3rds of the gig to warm up although this didn't seem to bother Philip who gave a familiar speech about loving Bristol and how the audience made it all worth while. As usual more than worth the effort of driving to Bristol.

(Image: a rare crowd shot taken at The Forum by Marc Pijnacker)



Warwick was a fitting end to the tour. The arts centre is like a bigger, better and more modern version of the Hexagon-very smart. Hoboken have just got better and better with the final night being the best (Neil and Nick watching on the side lines).
The set will be well reviewed by others no doubt, but it does need saying that THL have never been better with their strongest performances ever this tour and Philips voice sounding more powerful with the passing of each song of the set.

Facination provided one of those spine-tingling moments as the first drum beat signaled a wave of light and some of the best Synth sounds ever produced, (as you know you have to be there to understand). The audience went wild for an encore, with a deafening chant of 'Don't you want me', it was a delight to be there on the final night of the tour.'


And finally...a great email from Liam Donnelly who meet the League way back in 1985 during the lost sessions at Utopia studios:


'

Thanks for maintaining a great League website, you're doing a really fantastic job, I remember the times when I didn't hear ANY League news for
months at a time.

First off - the latest EMP mix is just awesome!!!! I just want more - would love to have a complete Reproduction and Travelogue remix set (not to
mention every other League album). Have you tried working-out to Black Hit of Space EMP mix on your iPod - really gets you going I can tell you! Really these mixes just get better and better and better....

I've attached a photo of Susan for you which you may like to publish at some stage which I took in the Summer of 85, she's reading a book on Streisand (my book), Susan told me that both her and Joanne LOVED the Guilty album.



I took this at Utopia Studios - where HL eventually abandoned these (long and
very expensive) sessions and started over with Jam and Lewis for the album
that eventually became Crash. They seemed to spend a lot of their time playing snooker than recording anything...HL definitely had a 'lost' feeling during this time. I also remember Joanne another day nonchalantly raising her eyes to heaven over Philip POURING over the infamous 'Penthouse' with nude pictures of Madonna...so funny.

I was at the Forum on Monday and despite spending the evening thinking I'd
had my wallet stolen* (imagine no credit cards/cash in the days before Christmas with no presents bought) I still had a fantastic time. I LOVE seeing other people enjoy their music so much too - Joanne looks bloody amazing (and I totally agree with you - THE BEST eyes in Pop); Susan - LOVE her enthusiasm, she always gives it her all and is a real STAR; Philip is uber cool, sexy, sophisticated and stylish and still has one of the strongest voices in pop.

Yay, now all we need is a new album from HL :-)


PS* Wallet turned up in the barbers in Camden the following day....!!!!!
Moral - never have a haircut when you are rushing to a League concert....'


Cheers for that Liam! Just for you - here is a taster from EMP about the new HL mix for Jan 2006...


'...have used the "unplugged" version of (Five word title hidden to keep you all guessing) from the CD single and have updated the track into a more "Secrets"-style version with new intro/outro, some Kraftwerk-ish percussion and have sneaked in a sample from "Love Action" into the mix, which I had to pitch change, but it works really well. The new version seems to be coming together pretty well and quickly (which is always a good sign!).'

Off now to watch Doctor Who: The Christmas Invasion (again!). Best thing shown over Christmas in many a year and David Tennant is going to be just splendid (and how great did Billie look?)

Seasons Greetings to you all!



orac contact - secretsonline@f2s.com

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Help keep the site running and fund hardware/software updates by making a small voluntary donation below:

Secrets Online would like to wish all of it's readers, The Human League and EMP a very merry Christmas.

Your tour reports and photos have been abosolutely first rate and it has been great fun reading them all and adding them to the site.
Once I've watched 'Doctor Who: The Christmas Invasion' (several times) - I will put together a bumper update featuring your comments on the final night of the Synth City Tour that will appear here on Boxing Day.

(Image: Jo & Philip perform Don't You Want Me' on a festive 'Top Of The Pops' in 1981)

orac contact - secretsonline@f2s.com

22 . 12 . 2005

Catching up in Synth City





Warwick last night witnessed the closing date of the unforgettable Synth City Tour and we are still on a high from Monday night at The Forum. Reviews of the finale which seems to have come round far too quickly will appear here over the weekend.


Whilst we took time out to cover Monday's gig (full report below) your emails continued to reach us about the tour and Nikki had some kind words to say about Bristol:

'What an absolutely fantastic show, it was faultless, everybody gave their heart and soul, it was amazing, I took a friend who wasn't particularly a fan but she loved it, my faves were 'The Lebanon' and 'Electric Dreams'.
Congrats to everyone involved, a superb evening!! thank you'

Image © barney britton 2005
house photographer, Carling Academy Newcastle.
www.barneybritton.com





Charlotte Garnett was at the Manchester gig and she came away exceedingly happy:




'I went to see the Human League last night, they were incredible! I am hoarse this morning from screaming at Sex God ‘Timelord of Pop’ Phil Oakey.


The opening was fantastic, the girls were excellent, and Susanne Sulley looked amazing.
The set list was excellent, it was especially good to hear ‘Empire State Human’ and ‘Love Action’, those words “This is Phil talking, I wanna tell you ….” That I sat in my teenage bedroom singing along to so many times, were so fantastic to hear him singing live, as though we had finally had the conversation together some twenty years later.





The crowd were all singing and dancing, well worth the money. Another highlight was singing and dancing like a maniac to ‘Electric Dreams’, when Phil sang ‘We’ll always be together….’ It summed it all up really, because whenever I hear The Human League, we will indeed always be together!

Phil Oakey should be knighted!'

(Image: the League strike a pose at The Forum - captured by Richard Price)


Ian Burnard of York contacted us shortly after the Hull gig on Sunday:


'Superb night, with some older League epics, 'Empire State Human', 'Being Boiled' & 'Marianne' performed brillantly by Phil for us more maturer HL fans!!. Inter mingled with the later classics from the threesome, particular note being 'Lebanon', 'Love Action', 'Mirror Man', 'Human', my fav 'Heart Like A Wheel', & of course the crowds fav 'Don't You Want Me?'. Finally to finish off the encore with a a frenzied singalong to 'Together In Electric Dreams', even though Phil nearly came a cropper climbing on the barrier doing that one!

The girls look as stunning as ever, and the backing band with Nick and co cannot be matched. As Phil termed it, music nowadays is driven by TV inspired karaoke tripe. Long live the League who excell year in, year out.

Phil/Suzie/Jo - 'Dont You Want Me Baby?' = YES WE DO.'


Les Moore had similar praise for the League show in Southport:

'First of all, congrats on a most excellent site!

Just wanted to say what an 'out of this world' experience the HL gig was.
Probably one of the best nights of my life - the music was sensational, as was Phil's voice - I sincerely hope this ISN'T the last tour.
The band have so much to offer, not just to oldies like myself, but also the youngsters (cant believe I said that - where's me walkin stick).
Highlights for me were definitely Empire State/Marianne/Being Boiled, however it was Love action that really seemed to start the crowd off big time.
Just a suggestion, but I think the (gorgeous) gurlz would have been better off doing 'One man in my Heart' while Phil took his leave.

At no time did the songs sound tired or dated and the stage FX were brill.
I've been boring the pants off everyone at work ever since - I have been a big fan since '79 but this was my first gig!

Keep up the excellent work.

Regards/seasons greetings'



Ashley Fry couldn't make it to any of the gigs and was grateful for the tour coverage:

'Discovered your wonderful website. Wish I was in the UK to see the Human League!!

Thanks for all the hard work.

PS. I would LOVE to see more pictures of Joanne, there are so many of Susan but I just love Joanne :)

Thanks for those kind words Ashley, we are Jo fans too and hope you like the pic ;)

Image © barney britton 2005
house photographer, Carling Academy Newcastle.
www.barneybritton.com


Grammy award winning US producer Vinny Vero also couldn't make it to the shows but sent us these kind words:

'I could kick myself for not making a trip to London before Christmas. I so badly wanted to see the League at The Forum. Sounds like you had a wonderful time!

Just got an e-mail from Simon Watson. I sent him the 80s set and a copy of the television show. He thought it was fantastic! And then he shared with me the great highlights from the tour.

I have to say I am so very proud of the League. At a time when they could just be another notalgia act, they continue to tour like they have a new album out. Can't wait until they do!

Merry Christmas. Thanks for everything. Hope to meet one day.'

Happy Crimbo to you too Vinny and we will be in touch ;)

Back to Monday's storming Forum gig and Cali Pollard is a new convert:

'Was never a fan in the 80's but saw HL at St Albans (first gig) and they were brilliant! So much so, returned to the Forum last night where they were even better. Never realised so many of their songs had entered my pschye back in the day. Forum was a much better venue too rather than the municipal hall of St Albans!

Was mightily impressed by Hoboken - they were a little raw at St Albans but gave a polished performance at the Forum.

I'm a huge fan of dance and trance (Faithless) and I realise that HL were the forerunners of this music with their synths.

Will be looking out for the next tour!'

Let us know what you thought of the final night and send us your pics and comments to:
secretsonline@f2s.com

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It was a mad dash leaving work at 5pm (earlier on that day I heard from my boss that he used to live in the same street as Philip around about the time of Dare's release - small world!). A local reader of the site named Tom (separated at birth from db) very kindly offered to pick me up and drive us into London from Bracknell where we would then meet the exceedingly talented Paul Boddy AKA EMP.

(Image: Philip last night captured by Richard Price)





All was going perfectly until we discovered that the tube station close to the car park that Tom had pre-booked was closed. Panic set in - we had no idea what time Hoboken were due on stage and we were keen to catch them so a ten minute brisk walk was in order to the nearest tube. Through Notting Hill - past the arts centre home of when Client's Being Boiled where Fletch of Depeche once came over and shook my humble hand.
First tube was painless but once we got to the Northern Line we had to wait 20 minutes for the next one.
Five stops up to Kensington made mildly interesting once we spotted Avid Merrion of Bo'Selector fame just a few seats away.
EMP had a long wait but he had managed to have a few cups of tea (and I was dying for tea at this point - seriously addicted to the stuff - rock and roll!).

The magnificent Forum had an instant buzz about it - close to full with much attention on Hoboken who were already on stage. The three of us grabbed a beer and headed towards the stage to catch arguably the best support act the League have ever had. I've played the album 'Crazy Glue' many times in the week so I was singing along. Crisp live sound, punchy with plenty of bass and the acoustics in The Forum were superb. A taste of things to come.
As Hoboken left to great applause I looked around and there was a real diverse mixture of people. Stylishly dressed young people moving to the front to get close as stage hands behind a thin black curtain could be seen checking the League's stack of analogue keyboards.
Morrissey's 2004 classic 'The First of The Gang' was played over the PA and by this time the was very little space left in the venue and the atmosphere was electric - a great crowd even before the intro of 'Tell Me When' kicked in.
The opening track was accompanied by a complex light show and visually pleasing backdrop made up of hundreds of tiny lights - a stage and light set-up that one would normally associate with a big show from the likes of Madonna. Truly magnificent and utterly unique.
This was the first time I had attended a League gig in London since the 2001 Secrets tour at the SBE and I had forgotten just how passionate a London audience can be but as soon as the League appeared striking a static pose (did anyone capture this on camera?) - this ideal venue erupted and we were all in for a great night.
The level of professionalism on this tour has been outstanding but to watch the carefully orchestrated bank of lights come alive at key moments in the song was at times mesmerizing.



Powerful lights from behind the stage would beam down on the audience during the chorus which the crowd belted out in unison.
The sound was perfect. A deep bass that was clean and travelled right through you with every track still sounding like the future from some yet undiscovered alternate reality.
To echo what many of you have written into the site about - Philip's voice is as it was 25 years ago, stunningly note perfect which can only lead you to believe that he is without doubt a Timelord.
The hits did what was expected of them (so many are forever etched into the national psyche) - the crowd responded in great voice and the League were in their element enjoying every minute of it.







'Heart Like a Wheel' rocked the venue in it's extended form and 'Louise' despite it's slow tempo was greeted with huge cheers.
'Mirror Man' went down particularly well I thought (though I'm biased as it's one of my fave League singles) and the temperature was raised by all of the Dare tracks with 'Fascination' being one of the biggest highlights (Nick producing a very fine vocal which used to be sung by Sir Jo Callis). But as always, it is always a rare pleasure to hear the tracks added as a nod to the old purists like myself.
'Marianne' was simply *fantastic* performed here and sounding so unbelievably modern (this could be a single!). Jo & Sue were perfect on this and if only cameras were here to capture it for another live DVD...
The 2003 Kings Have Long Arms single 'Rock And Roll is Dead' was another highlight for me - a classic track that should be included on any future League compilation and 1979 single 'Empire State Human' was simply majestic - the crowd went mad for this one. For the last encore. EMP and myself moved to the back - after much singing - we needed beer and dancing not too far from us was Erasure's Andy Bell who cheered as the opening bars of 'Electric Dreams' signalled the final moments of a perfect night.
This was quite possibly the best League gig I have had the pleasure to see and if the League do more UK dates next year then they should seriously consider another live DVD. This tour is light years ahead in every department compared to 2003.

We were all still buzzing as the crowd slowly left the venue and it was a made rush to catch up with old faces and say hello (Tour programme designer Stig and other half with cool accents, Steve, Ian and a whole host of forum members from the past). Hoboken took time out for a quick chat. We thanked them for being such a terrific support act and EMP handed over a rare EMP promo as a gift to them.

Neil Sutton came over to join us a few minutes later and we spoke about how well the tour had gone, Neil explained that the recent gig in Dubai took the band by surprise - a huge crowd who knew all the songs. I pulled over Paul who gave Neil an EMP promo.
Drummer Rob Barton who has done such a great job on this tour then came over and was equally as humble and friendly as Neil revealing that his girlfriend had been reading Secrets Online and relaying all the readers tour reviews to him whilst he was on the road.
Guitarist Nick Burke than said a warm hello and I introduced him to Paul and we spoke about the mixes which Nick had heard in the League's studio and he was very appreciative of them.

As we drove into London Tom mentioned about how Joanne had been his favourate from a very early age and would always be at Jo's side of the stage at gigs.
I had no idea that we would get to meet anyone from the band so it was a real delight to introduce both Tom and Paul to Jo who is quite simply lovely, very chatty, a lot of fun, 1920's chic and dressed in black.
I told Jo how the leather look really worked and that she should wear it all the time to which she responded in mock shock: 'Leather? Leather? P-V-C not leather!'





A very special moment was when Philip shook my hand. I wished him a Happy Christmas and thanks him for tonight's gig and he replied: 'Thank you for all the work you've done, We really do appreciate it' and that was a really nice moment.
That was followed by a few quick words with sound supremo db who looked very happy. All the EMP promos had been snapped up by this point so a new copy will be on it's way to db very shortly.




I must give a huge thank you to Simon Watson of Sidewinder Management for sorting out everything. It really was more than we were expecting. Thanks also to Ireland's Joe (The Snake) - great to meet you finally.

Enough of me - what did Richard Price who took some nifty pictures think of the Forum gig?

'What a great night and a great atmospere and a stonking perfomance from The League They've just got better each time I've seen them on this tour, I'd say It was the best show so far.'


I'm a bit behind with your emails after last night but the best of the recent comments will appear here shortly and If you are lucky enough to be attending the final gig of the tour - send us your thoughts to:

secretsonline@f2s.com

Secrets Online Guestbook
Secrets Online at Myspace.com - come join us!







18 . 12 . 2005




Manchester

The League brought their acclaimed live act to the Manchester Carling Apollo last night and within a few hours of the show closing the reviews reached us & some of you were in no doubt as to how memorable this tour has been. Long time fan Nick Ralph kindly sent us these comments:

'Went to the Manchester gig tonight and have to say I’ve been absolutely blown away. I’ve seen every tour since the Octopus tour (despite having been a fan long before that), and this by far stood out.

(Image © Gary Lornie 05)

Phil’s voice was exceptional, a lot more sure and resonant than I have seen at previous concerts. The girls and other musicians were also flawless. An inspired choice of tracks – loved hearing “Love Is All That Matters” live, an often-overlooked fantastic single.

The projections and multicoloured lighting were also amazing. I took 6 friends with me who are not really big fans and they all thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Thanks for a fantastic night!'


Paul Clarke was also equally impressed by the current Synth City Tour:

'Went to Manchester last night, I have lost count of how many times I have seen the League but can honestly say yesterday was the best ever. By far the most polished performance, musically, vocally, superb set list and stage set up. The girls looked great in sexy outfits and I hope I look as good as Phil when I'm 50.

Opening track Tell Me When was brilliant, all the Dare era tracks brought the house down and three Mk1 League tracks for us purists. Empire State Human will always be a classic, Being Boiled as an encore was faultless, but to hear one of my all time faves Marianne made the evening. It's a shame that fans brought up on Dare etc don't appreciate these songs fully.

Other highlights were Fascination and All I Ever Wanted, with Nick and DB on backing vocals. Weak points (if any) were Sin City and Love is all that Matters, both great songs but lacking a little something, the latter certainly needs Phils voice to beef it up.

They MUST keep playing live like this because I'm certain everybody at every gig has had a fantastic time. Somebody please please give them a record deal and promote a new album properly!!!!!!!! Going to see Duran Duran tonite with some hardcore Duranies, knowing full well it will be NOWHERE near as good.

Electronically yours


PS Merry Christmas & Happy New Year'



Roll on The Forum! ;)


Thought of The Day: How did Liverpool lose that match??
Update constructed with the Hoboken album 'Crazy Glue'.

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17 . 12 . 2005





'Electro-pop trailblazers still hold sway'





Edinburghnews.com have posted a very favourable review of Tuesday's gig at the Usher Hall beginning with the accurate (but often forgotten) quote by David Bowie:

'BACK in 1979, David Bowie praised a little known experimental pop act, saying: "Listening to the Human League is like listening to 1980." He was right, of course. The Human League broke into the mainstream just a few months later on a wave of synthesizers and electronic beats, and they went on to become one of the biggest and most influential bands of the 80s.'

To read the rest of this review, simply click on the image of Phil captured by Gary Lornie at Brighton
© 2005. Gary is a professional photographer whose work has appeared in NME, Uncut and Q magazine to name just a few and you can view more of his pics that include live shots of Editors, Echo & The Bunnymen and the mighty Depeche Mode by clicking here.


(With thanks to Mark Parker)

This morning we received heated words from 30 year old 'Mands' who attended the Brighton gig whom we can safely say was hugely impressed by Timelord of Pop - Sir Philip Oakey (younger readers look away now):

'It was the first time, my gang saw the Human league in concert last night, and my goodness did we have the most awesome evening. I noticed some people in the audience were like frozen chimps, but we werent! We were a little disappointed that we were at the back, next time we would like to be nearer, as after show finished we all said we'd love to see them again! The stage was beyond imagining, we loved the words in the lights, the vibrations on our feet from the speakers , and of course Phil's sex factor phoarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrness!
I certainly wouldnt mind him singing me 'Hard Times' in bed! My god that man is pure SEX on LEGS!
Hope Human League do another UK tour, we all would love to see them again!
BUT FRONT ROWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!'

Mands, Lou and Tim



The League are in Manchester tonight and if you're going - have a great time & let us know what you think - secretsonline@f2s.com


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16 . 12 . 2005

Brighton

David Davis is buzzing after catching the League in Brighton last night and he's kindly allowed us to feature an editied version of his review that first appeared over at www.feline1.co.uk:

' Well, just back from seeing The Human League at the Brighton Dome, and it was GREAT!

Lovely venue (lovely decor, lovely acoustics, lovely big stage), The League are on in no time, smashing stage set (the usual minimalist whilst synth stands and drum pods and even white mics and monitors), loads of spot lights, and a huge grid of twinkling pattern-controlled backlights and video-projection-drapes.

Phil Oakey looks frankly amazing as he's now over 50 but would pass for his late 30s! :The girls engage in their usual Sheffield glamour Neil Sutton (who's actually written most of their songs since about 1989) is on boards of keyness, whilst "David Beevers", their faithful "studio tech", werks his laptop and rig at the back.

Basically, the set is the best I've ever heard them sound - although a backbone of each track always seems to be coming off the laptop, pretty much all the sounds are pretty good and meaty, gone are the days of late 80s/early 90s digital blandness (thank you sweet baby jesus!)
Moreover, Sutton and Burke are always playing stuff live, with Sutton noticeably quite often taking the trouble to play two different parts on different keyboards live on several songs, rather than just let the backing track handle it.
Burke's guitar sounds fantastic, especially some of his lead work.
Phil Oakey's voice is also very strong - its lost none of its rich warm baritone end, and he also cranks up to those high notes in "Human" perfectly well.


The set included the following gems:

'- THE LEBANON (guitar cranked up)
- LOUISE (Sutton on supersynthtrumpetsolo ;-)
-MARIANNE!!!!! unleashed from the "Holiday 80" EP, this is a splendid version of this old analogue classic, Phil Oakey handling Martyn Ware's old vocal parts very well, with Beevers and the Gurls filling in the rest.
-SOUND OF THE CROWD (well, the phasey Roland Jupiter 4 sears at the end and never as good as the record, but it's still pretty good)
-EMPIRE STATE HUMAN - a good solid version, with much guitar antics in the middle, then Oakey bizarrely coming out to perform a synth duel with a Moog Liberation strapped round his neck! Sadly this only lasts about 60 seconds, he shoulda played more stuff on it, it sounded clawws!

(Philip at Sheffield image © Alex Storer)

The Oakey nicks off to change into a suit,
and the girls come on and sing "LOVE IS ALL THAT MATTERS" (from Crash) - bit weedy, but nice enough to hear it
- Phil returns for HUMAN
- LOVE ACTION! (he believes! he believes!)
- OPEN YOUR HEART (clawws - again, played pretty "live", with burke on bass and Sutton playing 2 synth parts at once)
-MIRROR MAN (replete with 60s skank guitar and lead guitar fuzz melody - great)
-FASCINATION (everyone takes turns at singing)
-DON'T YOU WANT ME!
-BEING BOILED (where they flirt with quasi-fascist imagery, all Nazi marches!)
TOGETHER IN ELECTRIC DREAMS

I mean what a great set! I'm hoarse from singing along! The band looked great! They sounded (pretty) great "A-"
Set-wise, I could've easily listened to half an hour more, there's plenty of awesome old songs it would be great to hear besides "Marianne" but we can't have everything, I suppose.....

I hope Phil Oakey's intimations that this might be their last tour playing all these old songs don't come true :-(
These great songs need to be heard and played live and the Human League's current line-up are doing a bloody good job of it! Hurrah! Yay! and indeed Bravo!'

Secrets Online and EMP's next gig will be one of the key dates at London's The Forum next Monday.

Tracks of The Week: Newborn: Depeche Mode b-side - Hotel Iisboa - Hoboken - listen to their set closing track here. Hoboken's new single - the gloriously catchy 'Beauty Queen' can now be pre-ordered over at Amazon by clicking on this link.



orac - contact - secretsonline@f2s.com

14 . 12 . 2005

Online interview with Philip



The website news.scotsman.com has a candid interview with Philip in which he looks back at the League's career plus one or two speculative thoughts regarding the future.

On the subject of touring Philip is quoted as saying: 'My aim over the last three years has been to make us the best live group there has ever been - but I don't think anyone will ever accept that because we're not rock," and what then follows is the most interesting quote which could mean any number of things - such as a change of direction: '...I feel like we've gone as far as we can with our current format and that this will be the last time that we do this.'


Those who may think that Philip's comments sound like an era drawing to a close should take heart from what the Timelord of Pop reveals next in the interview: 'At the moment we are a pop band that plays all the songs and now I want us to push it somewhere else and bring the mainstream towards us.'

To read this fascinating interview in full please click here.





If you are attending the second leg of the Synth City tour than we would love to hear from you. Send your comments about the League and superb support act Hoboken to: secretsonline@f2s.com

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Edinburgh - 2.23am

I was just about to hit the sack but after quickly checking the site's email account, I felt I had to include this excellent review of the latest League gig in Edinburgh from Mark Parker:

'Wow what can I say about The Human League that already hasn't been said, this was my first HL Gig and at a mere 42 years young have to say without the best and LOUDEST concert I have been to. Support act Hoboken brilliant and album and single going to be brought as soon as there's money in my bank account, Phil and the girls turned out a very polished performance and the backing band just blew me away.



They have had so many hits that I guess it was inevitable that some had to be dropped, 'One Man In My Heart' amongst others but then so many hits they couldn't play them all. Still not too worry I spent £25 on a beanie hat and the Dome DVD so I'll get to see OMIMH on that, Encore was very cool with 'Being Boiled' to a backdrop of genes and Hitler and the excellent 'Electric Dreams' while although not really a Human League tune was much appreciated by the Edinburgh crowd.

'Rock And Roll Is Dead' I thought was a nice touch as a two finger salute to the music industry that we now have to put up with, think maybe the audience missed the point but still The Human League Fantastic live and bring it on again next year to Edinburgh I'm sold.

Best Wishes to the band and Secrets Online for continued success and um one question when is the new album being released as I want a copy.'






Southampton

It was a bitterly cold night on the south coast of England on the night that one of Robbie William's favourate bands came to town with an intricate array of multi- coloured stage set lights that formed hypnotising colours of black and red, stylish back projections of commuters strolling to work and the occasional bold word.




The set list is also probably one of the most inspired to date. Secrets Online will go into more detail when we attend a second gig but for now let's hear what a few of you thought including Vic Lamb who sent us these comments:




'What a fantastic night!! It's taken me 20 years to get to see one of my best bands and they didn't let me down, Sue and Jo looked gorgeous, Phil was at his best! Nice to see all age groups in there too'






Sarah Tarrant: 'Really enjoyed the twenty songs that 'the League' performed. Personal highlights for me were 'Tell Me When', 'Heart Like A Wheel', 'Marianne' and my personal favourite 'All I Ever Wanted', the last of which really had me dancing on the spot!
I will definately be going again next year!!!

Paul Soper: 'Was also at Southampton on Sunday and likewise was most impressed by Hoboken.
League were brilliant as usual, highlights hearing Marianne and the brilliant Empire State Human.
I disagree with some people in that I would always have 'Being Boiled'. Song I would drop….'Louise' (This has always been my least fave league track). Songs I would love to hear…..'Do or Die' and maybe 'You Lost That Loving Feeling' which the League covered on 'Reproduction'.

We totally agree with you about 'You've Lost That Loving Feeling' Paul.

Last week we featured some comments about earlier Synth City gigs from younger fans and a few days ago, 14 year old Heather Wilson sent us an email telling us what she thought of the recent gig in Sheffield:




'Wow! I had a great time at Sheffield City Hall! The League were brilliant and their voices sounded the same as they did years ago and Susan looked about 20 with her long blonde hair. It was amazing. Everyone was stood up and dancing and their wasnt one person in the heaving place not joining in with their songs. After all, Human League did come from Sheffield!
Songs included 'Lebanon', 'Sound of the Crowd', 'Louise', and 'Voice of Buddha'.

It was a real treat. My favourite songs were 'Open your heart', 'Empire State Human' and of course 'Electric Dreams', which they finished with at the end after the whole place cheered to get them back onstage.
The electric guitarist did brilliant. I think I know the Human League songs better than acts today! Im definately going back next time.'

High praise indeed and many thanks for that Heather, we are delighted that you enjoyed the concert. I'm sure that Susan and guitarist Nick will also be pleased by your comments ;)

(Sue & Nick at Southampton image © Richard Price)

In other news, the latest issue of influential UK dance magazine Mixmag has awarded the Virgin/EMI League compilation 'Original Mixes & Rarities' 4/5. Grab a copy of this CD by clicking on the album image top right.
(with thanks to Sartori)

(With thanks to Simon Watson - Sidewinder Management)

13 . 12 . 2005




Hoboken

Time is tight at the moment but I feel that I must give a very special headlining mention to the League's support act of 2005 - Hoboken.
After hearing from many of you who had attended the gigs so far who had been impressed by the opening act, I really felt that I needed to be at Southampton on time to catch Hoboken's full set even though I wasn't quite sure what to expect.

Two songs in and I was already won over - and so were the audience who gave generous amounts of applause which led the charismatic Hoboken frontman Jonathan Carr to quip: 'You do realise that we're not The Human League don't you?' And from there on they got even better.

Rarely do I find myself singing the chorus of a song I've only just heard seconds earlier but I did it on Sunday night down in Southampton to this band of four smartly dressed Scottish musicians who were also evidently enjoying themselves and so deserved the applause they got. Extra mention too for the drummer - as intense as New Order's Stephen Morris with timing to match but still finding moments to smile at the crowd's reaction.
During each electro instrumental break, the lead singer (with a voice that evokes the power and charm of Neil Hannon AKA The Divine Comedy) would walk off stage - drink mineral water then return in time for the chorus - great stuff and I'm going to order a copy of their album.
If you haven't heard them yet - take a look at their official site here and watch the video to the forthcoming single 'Beauty Queen' which is due for release in record shops on January 9th.

Hats off to db for getting them on the tour and we will certainly be keeping a close eye on Hoboken in 2006.

Many of you were also correct about the current quality of the League themselves - more on them a bit later.


Hope that you are all enjoying the new EMP mix....

orac



12 . 12 . 2005

The Black Hit of Space - EMP Spacial Dub - free download!



If there is one thing that has evelated this site over the past year and kept it going along with the much appreciated feedback from you the reader - it's the EMP mixes.

We saw Paul last night and we listened to his new mix in the car and once again it pushes all the right musical buttons. EMP have given the wonderfully bonkers Travelogue album track 'The Black Hit of Space' a welcome modern twist with frantic drum & bass patterns mixed with acidic synth layers.

In short - it is pure brilliance and we are very honoured to feature the work of someone so talented.
To download this extended mix - please click here.

(File size: 9.2MB)

Legal Notice: This mix is provided for non-commercial use only to promote The Human League and is copyright protected by the holders Virgin EMI. Please avoid bootlegs (particularly those on Ebay) that include mixes from this site.
The original version of 'The Black Hit of Space'' was written by The Human League & can be found on 'Travelogue'.

Please support the Human League and purchase official products pictured opposite.

Win a promo EMP CD

One final Secrets competition - do you fancy an EMP remastered CD (pictured top right) that includes all the EMP mixes featured on this site over the past year?

We have just one copy left to give away - the CD showcases the new 'Black Hit' mix, 'I Love You Too Much', 'Human', 'Electric Dreams', 'Shameless', 'I Don't Depend on You' and 'Being Boiled'.

To enter this sonically fantastic comp - send your name to secretsonline@f2s.com

Closing date: 31/12/05


(With thanks to Tom & Paul)

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For first leg Synth City Tour reviews - please click here.