Ah, a trip back to the decade where even the rubbish stuff in the charts was good. It’s wonderful living in a nation where “The Chicken Song” by Spitting Image can hit the top spot. In between the disco decade and the 90’s where manufactured shite ruled the airwaves, we had the 80s. Filled with half-decent pop as well as many classic rock releases, the NOW albums collected the best sellers and chucked them out (and still do so) at an alarming rate.
So, of course, someone’s decided to pander to us 40-somethings (I think that’s a fair assessment of the age range who those years fondly) and kick off a tour where we can hear many of those tracks live. To add extra authenticity, they’ve just announced the addition of Mark Goodier (London) and Gary Davies (everywhere else) to present the shows. Davies was the one who counted down the Top 40 each week for many years, and Goodier became a Radio 1 household name from 1987.
NOW That’s What I Call The 80s LIVE will see aconcert of throwback fun with the most iconic tracks back-to-back with a power house live show band and sensational singers performing era-defining hits including “Relax”, “Uptown Girl”, “It’s Raining Men”, “Gold”, “Purple Rain”, “I Wanna Dance with Somebody”, “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”, “Living On a Prayer”, “Come On Eileen”, “Africa”, “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go”, “(I’ve Had) the Time of My Life”, “The Final Countdown” and many more.
ing the tour will be Sandy Grigelis, Shellyann, Cedric Neal and Paige Brooklyn Cook.
Musical theatre star and judge from the hit BBC show ‘All Together Now’, Sandy Grigelis’ credits speak for themselves; including starring in the UK tours of Sister Act and Buddy Holly: The Musical and the lead vocalist in ‘Get On The Floor’ with Strictly Come Dancing star AJ Pritchard. He will be ed by the winner of BBC One’s ‘All Together Now’, Swansea’s own Shellyann, whose voice Spice Girls’ legend Geri Horner described as ‘incredible and magical’.
Fellow star of the small screen, Cedric Neal swapped acting for singing and reached the semi-finals on The Voice UK 2019 before makinghis West End debut in the acclaimed West End show ‘Motown The Musical’. Now keen to get back onstage, he will be lighting up the stage each night with his easy charisma and wonderful talent.
The quartet will be completed by Paige Brooklyn Cook, who usually can be found tearing up the London music scene with her pop band Voodoo Radio. Along with a number of theatre credits, she has previously ed popstar Jessie J in her own right.
Tickets for Now That’s What I Call The 80s – LIVE are available via raymondgubbay.co.uk
- De Montfort Hall, Leicester – 15th November 2019
- Symphony Hall, Birmingham – 16th November 2019
- The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester – 17th November 2019
- Usher Hall, Edinburgh – 23rd November 2019
- Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow – 24th November 2019
- Royal Festival Hall, London – 29th November 2019
- St David’s Hall, Cardiff – 1st December 2019
