It’s funny when people say you act older than your years when you’re young. For some, it’s through acting more mature than their peers, for me, it’s my taste in music. And going to Capesthorne Hall for an 80’s party really made my day. Out of the hundreds of people who went, I’m sure there were a few true 80’s children, myself included.

The evening started off with Limahl, the ex-frontman of Kajagoogoo. After singing the two songs he is well known for, the synth serenade ‘Too Shy’ and the electric expedition ‘Neverending Story’, Limahl treated us to his version of some of his favourite 80’s tracks, including Duran Duran’s ‘Rio’ and Nik Kershaw’s ‘I Won’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me’.

Once he had finished, Limahl tested the audience’s knowledge of songs, seeing how far back in time we could go by singing the first line of a song and we would sing the next bit. First came Smokie’s ‘Living Next door To Alice’, then Manfred Mann’s ‘Do Wah Diddy’ and finally Boney M’s ‘Brown Girl In The Ring’. I decided that two out of three wasn’t bad for a seventeen year old. Finally he pulled out a picture of himself in the eighties, in all his two-toned glory and commented on how funny his hair was back then. After showering the audience with pictures and a few CDs, Limahl was applauded off the stage.

Next was Tony Hadley from Spandau Ballet, along with Peter Cox and Richard Drummie, otherwise known as Go West. The two acts alternated in performing their songs, Tony’s being Spandau Ballets well known hits, ‘Gold’, ‘True’ and ‘Through The Barricades’, most of the audience knowing at least one of them. While Go West’s included ‘We Close Our Eyes’, ‘King Of Wishful Thinking’ (best known for its part in the film ‘Pretty Woman) and ‘Don’t Look Down’ which you just can’t help but dance to. Finally Tony and Peter collaborated for a rendition of ‘Walking In Memphis’.

The Human League were the last act for the evening and thankfully the wet weather had held off. Unfortunately during the first song, ‘Love Action’, the bands electronic equipment started to play up. “We’ve been touring since 1977.” Said frontman Phil Oakley, “This is the worst breakdown we’ve ever had.” In spite of the bands apology and attempts to get the equipment working again, some of the crowd started to get rowdy but despite the temporary lapse in the atmosphere, everyone was happy once the computers started to work again. The rest of their set consisted of ‘Tell Me When’, ‘Don’t You Want Me Baby’ and ‘Electric Dreams’ which left everyone in high spirits, ready for the laser finale.

This was the second outdoor concert I have been to and it was an amazing atmosphere to be part of. The weather behaved, as did the majority of the crowd. The bands came back in style and were brilliant to watch.