On a chilly city night, with winter clearly settling in, nothing beats a blazing concert at the iconic venue. Tonight, Heaven 17 will take the storied stage. As the neon marquee glows above the gathering crowd, fans Savor the familiar sight of that radiant sign on the building’s facade – a special moment every time.
The venue is filling up nicely for the sold-out show, with Rusty Regan opening with his Blitz DJ set. On stage, Rusty stands behind a desk illuminated by a neon-blue “Blitz” sign, casting his silhouette across the backdrop.
The Blitz club is a legendary London haunt where the New Romantics gathered to discover new sounds, forge friendships, and form bands. Rusty started the club as a place to play the music he loves, including his favourite David Bowie records. His set tonight is packed with 80s classics – among them Simple Minds – with Rusty giving a shout-out to Brian McGee that really ignites the crowd. The audience dances and sings along to every chorus, and Rusty leaves to a warm, enthusiastic reception from Glasgow.
Once the crew had cleared the stage and set up the gear, it was time for Heaven 17 to step into the spotlight. The atmosphere crackled with electricity as fans eagerly awaited the band’s performance.
As the lights went down, a huge cheer greeted the opening music and the first glimpse of Martyn Ware taking his place behind the keyboards. Dressed in a shiny overcoat and hat, as you’ll see in the photos from the show, he set the tone before Glenn Gregory stepped onto the stage. Wearing a bright white jacket, he waved to the Glasgow crowd, who matched his noise and energy.
Glenn and the band kicked off the set with a brilliant “Crushed by the Wheels of Industry,” and the venue erupted – people jumping, dancing, and singing along. Working the front of the stage, Glenn scanned the crowd, taking in every face. He paused to chat with the audience, saying he’d always dreamt of playing this marvellous venue – a stage they’d somehow never graced, despite having played nearly every other venue in the city over the years.
They go back to their first song, written soon after Martyn left the Human League: (We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang. Glenn whips off his jacket to reveal the title emblazoned in big letters on his T-shirt. The Barrowland turns into one big party, with the crowd fully up for it – singing and dancing to Heaven 17’s songs.
Highlights of the first part of the show included a brilliant “Play to Win,” a new song from a forthcoming album due next year titled “There’s Something About You,” and a rousing “Come Live With Me” – all of which had the crowd singing and dancing. It was clear Glenn and Martyn relished their first-ever performance at the famous venue.
I had the sense they knew it would be a special night – there were men around the venue filming – but maybe that was just me hoping it was being recorded.
The band was on fire tonight, with the Barrowland’s magic casting its famous spell as they tore through the set. Let Me Go lifted the show to another level, and the crowd was in full voice, singing along. You could see the glint in Glenn’s eye as he drew every ounce of energy from the room during Penthouse and Pavement, before launching into the one song that, if you asked anyone to name a Heaven 17 track, they’d mention first: the brilliant Temptation.
Temptation blew the cobwebs from the venue, sounding as fresh today as it did when it first arrived in the ’80s. As the song ended, the emotion on the band’s faces was clear as they stepped offstage before the encore.
The band returned, wings and all, for a special encore – not of their own songs, but as a tribute to the past. They opened with a salute to the late Billy MacKenzie of The Associates, delivering a brilliant Party Fears Two that went down a storm. This was followed by a nod to another icon who graced this famous stage: David Bowie, with Let’s Dance. Heaven 17 turned the venue into a party, bolstered by DJ support from Rusty, and were set to close the night with a song Martyn performed with The Human League, Being Boiled. It was a true wow moment and a fitting end to the show.
As the final notes faded, the sold-out crowd erupted, sending shivers down your spine. We were part of a truly special night of music from Martyn Ware and Glenn Gregory. As the band left the stage, everyone in the venue felt they had just witnessed something extraordinary.
As the band left the stage and the lights came up, fans scrambled for setlists and souvenirs to keep the memories alive. After a night like this, you have to wonder why the band has never played this venue – it’ll keep you guessing. But if you were here tonight, you witnessed a brilliant set and a night to be proud of.
If you get the chance to see the band on this tour, grab a ticket – they’re on fire and having a blast.
Review by Karen Edmond & Photographs by James Edmond Photography
