Countdown to Forever Young Festival: Era-Defining Acts

OMD

Emerging from the same fertile early ‘80s Liverpool scene as Echo And The Bunnymen, Teardrop Explodes and Dead Or Alive, the synth-pop merchants’ vast back catalogue includes ‘Electricity’ ‘Souvenir’, ‘Joan Of Arc’ and the timeless ‘Enola Gay. Still going strong decades later, Andy McCluskey’s crew remain a vital and exciting live act.

The Christians

Liverpudlian collective The Christians rose to fame when their self-titled debut album climbed to the No.2 spot in the UK charts in 1987. It went on to sell over a million copies, becoming the highest selling debut LP of any artist at Island Records in the ‘80s and ‘90s. 1990’s sophomore outing Colour was crowned No.1, cementing their soul-pop status.

Bad Manners

With iconic frontman Buster Bloodvessel at the helm, Bad Manners were at the forefront of the ‘80s ska revival. After a brief retirement following ‘85’s Mental Notes, they returned bigger and better than ever. These days renowned as an electrifying live act, the band’s thumping grooves and full-on attitude should go a storm at Forever Young.

T’Pau

Celebrated for the stirring, baroque-pop classic ‘China In Your Hand’, over the years, T’Pau have gradually got their due as a wonderfully distinctive and imaginative group. Indeed, Carol Decker was among the finest vocalists of her era, as showcased on a string of memorable singles. They had plenty of strings to their bow too, also incorporating elements of new wave and post-punk into their idiosyncratic mix.

Then Jerico

Led by Mark Shaw, the UK enjoyed half-a-dozen top 40 hits in the late ‘80s, including ‘Muscle Deep’. They remain one of the era’s fan favourites, thanks to Shaw’s impressive vocals and an irrepressible melodic flair.

The Blow Monkeys

The UK sophisti-pop merchants enjoyed plenty of success thanks to their irresistibly smooth sound, which incorporated elements of jazz and R&B, and the raw charisma of lead singer Dr. Robert. Back together full-time since 2008, hits like ‘Digging Your Scene’ have lost none of their allure.

Hue and Cry

Perhaps best known for their ’87 hit ‘Labour Of Love’, the Scottish brother duo have an uncanny knack for memorable choruses. Since the turn of the century, they’ve explored styles from Latin to country, and embarked on different solo projects before reuniting for 2017’s acclaimed album Pocketful Of Stones.

For more, see foreveryoungfestival.ie – and read the full Forever Young special feature in the current issue of Hot Press: