HEAVEN 17

THE GARAGE, LONDON

2nd october

If size matters, no one told heaven 17. this gig may not be on the scale of some of their past shows, but glenn gregory and Martyn Ware make sure tonight’s performance is as triumphant, and with the audience at highbury’s intimate garage in fine form the duo (and band) hit their groove right from the get-go.

With no fancy light show to distract, unless you count the syncopated flash of smartphones, this is heaven 17 stripped back to the essentials and sounding bang up to date. the band is currently a honed five-piece, and Ware is joined by berenice Scott (daughter of M’s robin Scott and cover star of his 1979 hit single Pop Muzik) on keys and beats and gregory’s soaring vocals are complemented by rachel Mosleh and billie godfrey.

Ware has long since reclaimed his years as a vital part of the human League’s early line-up, so it’s no surprise that an anthemic version of Being Boiled b-side Circus Of Death opens the show, followed mid-set by Crow And A Baby from 1980’s Travelogue. What follows is a c90’s worth of classics, primarily taken from their first two albums, Penthouse & Pavement and The Luxury Gap. their influence on current bands such as hurts and hot chip is plain to see when they launch into (We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang, neatly segued into the highnrg they play so well, Crushed By The Wheels Of Industry and Geisha Boys.

Come Live With Me, I’m Your Money and Penthouse & Pavement highlight h17’s prowess at writing smouldering pop, as does last year’s single Pray, which sits comfortably amongst their greatest hits. Play To Win is announced by glenn as the band’s favourite song, until Martyn corrects him, saying he meant Let Me Go and that he owed him £50 for the mistake. to make up for the gaffe they play both back to back, electrifying the room.

There was only ever going to be one way to finish off such a dramatic set and that was with a temperature-raising version of their biggest hit, Temptation – the 12” version.

With no time for the audience to draw breath, the group return to the stage. having long extolled david bowie’s influence – and given glenn’s participation in tony Visconti and Woody Woodmansey’s holy holy project – it comes as little surprise when they let loose with two blistering interpretations of two of bowie’s finest, Life On Mars and Boys Keep Swinging, before dusting off the single that began their journey:1978’s throbbing Being Boiled allows them to depart on an ecstatic high. Pete Avery

Chris Youdl

HOT CHIP

BRIXTON ACADEMY, LONDON

22 october

Never mind the world of dance, hot chip are now firmly established as one of the most reliable live acts for the whole of music. aware they’re not the most naturally charismatic performers, they compensate partly with sheer weight of numbers – it’s compelling watching each of the half-dozen band members switch instruments with an accomplishment that would be showy in the hands of, well, showier people. there is also a knowing level of showmanship on offer, with devo-style synchronised moves in Flutes.

Over a decade into their career, de facto frontman alexis taylor remains a compellingly odd presence. Like a funsize Jarvis cocker, taylor is a wonderful contradiction of looking precisely like a pop star shouldn’t while displaying all the conviction, talent and single-mindedness of someone who could never have been anything else. It’s taylor who carries the show’s emotional weight too, his falsetto bringing weight worthy of al green in the powerful Need You Now. however, it’s that song which highlights the set’s glaring problem: live, new album Why Make Sense? doesn’t quite come off. Need You Now and headwrecking opener Huarache Lights apart, its songs are the obvious lulls in an otherwise exemplary ‘best of’ 90 minutes.