80s bands re-united and playing live in recent years.

Grandeeod · 17-09-2019 8:50pm #1

For the older crew around these parts.

The 1980s is remembered for great bands who could play live and others who hadn't a clue. It was a decade of two half's with a weird middle. This thread is for memories and videos of 80's acts still threading the boards and appearing live, be it at festivals or stand alone tours. Any appearance from the last 5 years will do.

Are they standing up or do they look and sound like dicks? I'll kick it off with a video of Howard Jones from 2015. Had no real interest in him back then, but did see him live in the National Stadium circa 1986.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_uxHyD04n8

Ray Palmer · 18-09-2019 11:41am

Saw Adam Ant perform a number of times in recent years. He is a very good performer still and his voice is just as good. He has aged and the outfit he wears is a bit of a cheap knock off of his Kings of the Wild Frontier outfit. His original is in the Victoria Albert Museum in London.

Saw the Violent Femmes a few years ago too and I would rush to see them play again.

Oasis1974 · 18-09-2019 12:20pm

Wasn't Shakin Steven's and Adam Ant the same person I thought?

Ray Palmer · 18-09-2019 12:30pm

Oasis1974 wrote: »

Wasn't Shakin Steven's and Adam Ant the same person I thought?

No. One wrote his own music with a band and was originally a punk band. The other was a Elvis impersonator who did covers.

18-09-2019 12:38pm

Not that they ever went away, but Madness were ****ing awesome when they played in Dun Laoghaire earlier this year.

Deebles McBeebles · 18-09-2019 12:50pm

More 70's really but I saw Fleetwood Mac a few years ago with the classic lineup. The tour before Buckingham got kicked again. They were excellent. Worst part of the whole thing was the imbecile in front of me recording half the gig for her Snapchat story.

Mad_maxx · 18-09-2019 12:53pm

Oasis1974 wrote: »

Wasn't Shakin Steven's and Adam Ant the same person I thought?

The mind boggles

Mad_maxx · 18-09-2019 12:53pm

Deebles McBeebles wrote: »

More 70's really but I saw Fleetwood Mac a few years ago with the classic lineup. The tour before Buckingham got kicked again. They were excellent. Worst part of the whole thing was the imbecile in front of me recording half the gig for her Snapchat story.

The mac are legendary performers

topper75 · 18-09-2019 3:21pm

Saw the Stranglers in the Milk Market in Limerick a little while back.

I wouldn't go again. Lots of people in their early 50s standing as though they were at an outdoor mass. Lineup like Rodney's sweeping brush. The Stranglers, mar dhea.
A person can't step in the same river twice I suppose. Their re-mortgages are nothing got to do with me. What's gone is gone. Let it go.

maccored · 18-09-2019 3:22pm

topper75 wrote: »

Saw the Stranglers in the Milk Market in Limerick a little while back.

I wouldn't go again. Lots of people in their early 50s standing as though they were at an outdoor mass. Lineup like Rodney's sweeping brush. The Stranglers, mar dhea.
A person can't step in the same river twice I suppose. Their re-mortgages are nothing got to do with me. What's gone is gone. Let it go.

the stranglers never quit though - they've been playing constantly since 1974

YFlyer · 18-09-2019 3:28pm

topper75 wrote: »

Saw the Stranglers in the Milk Market in Limerick a little while back.

I wouldn't go again. Lots of people in their early 50s standing as though they were at an outdoor mass. Lineup like Rodney's sweeping brush. The Stranglers, mar dhea.
A person can't step in the same river twice I suppose. Their re-mortgages are nothing got to do with me. What's gone is gone. Let it go.

Its Trigger.

Hermann Hesse was a great author.

riclad · 18-09-2019 4:30pm

Every band is different , u2 is still a good band .
A good drummer or guitarist can still sound good even if they are over 50.Not all bands sound good live, many 80,s bands were popular
because they had video,s played on mtv .
Or top of the pop,s .image was as important as musical ability ,
make a good music video, and you will have a hit.
Many bands from the 80,s were great, they all played their instruments, eg u2 , elo, queen, the eagles .
A lot of music in the charts now is simply music composed on laptops and samples .
It does,nt sound quite as good as songs from the 80,s
where all the music was performed on real guitars and drums .
I,m not saying all modern music is bad, it,s made or recorded in a totally different way .
With hardly any real guitars or drum,s played .
A lot of bands from the 80,s are back now, they need to pay the bill,s ,
and they have middle aged fans who are happy to buy tickets to see them live .

The music of fleetwood mac, the eagle,s , u2, queen still sounds great.
alot of bands from the 80,s were ripped off by record company,s .
So they might as well earn some money to fund their retirement .
Some singers like jeff lynne or phil collins sound as good as they did
30 years ago .

https://www.nme.com/news/music/highest-grossing-world-tours-2019-far-2523268

Many bands make most of their money from touring ,
rather than selling cd,s or songs on itunes, spotify.
i agree it,s strange when you go to a gig, and everyone there is over 50.

Sir Osis of Liver. · 18-09-2019 6:13pm

Oasis1974 wrote: »

Wasn't Shakin Steven's and Adam Ant the same person I thought?

This from someone born in 1974???

Freddie Mercury,wasn't he Boy George?

ToddyDoody · 18-09-2019 6:21pm

A-ha are on their second comeback.

NeinNeinNein · 18-09-2019 6:22pm

Oasis1974 wrote: »

Wasn't Shakin Steven's and Adam Ant the same person I thought?

Don't be silly, he wasn't Adam Ant but he was Alvin Stardust.

souter · 19-09-2019 7:13pm

As a person of a certain vintage, I am enjoying a second wind as a committed gig goer. Originating in the sticks I never had the chance to see the cool bands at the time.
But now... I can see the grey haired legends of my youth close up and personal. For little money. Maybe a bit paunchy but there's none of the dreaded "now from our new album..." - just hit after hit.
In nice small venues, with cheap tickets I have supported the pension arrangements of Undertones, Primal Scream, PiL, jesus and mary chain etc etc. And tomorrow it's Jah Wobble at the Grand Social.
Bring it on/

JohnnyFlash · 19-09-2019 7:21pm

Toto. The best €49.95 you’ll ever spend.

Ursus Horribilis · 19-09-2019 9:09pm

I saw ABC in the Olympia a couple of years ago and that was a great gig. You couldn't call them a reunited band though because ABC has been Martin Fry for a long time now.

Grandeeod · 19-09-2019 9:43pm

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

Toto. The best €49.95 you’ll ever spend.

WTF! They are still going too!

RikkFlair · 19-09-2019 11:03pm

The Stone Roses most recent gig in 2017 was their last, they've split up again.

Gregor Samsa · 19-09-2019 11:20pm

Ray Palmer wrote: »

No. One wrote his own music with a band and was originally a punk band. The other was a Elvis impersonator who did covers.

Don’t know if this is actually true or not, but I was once told that Shakey wrote his own B-sides, so he would get writing royalties from all his singles he sold even though they were covers. Seemingly made good money that way.

80s/90s Belgian EBM legends Front 242 are playing in the UK soon. They are one of the few bands I really regret never seeing live.

stateofflux · 19-09-2019 11:25pm

topper75 wrote: »

Saw the Stranglers in the Milk Market in Limerick a little while back.

I wouldn't go again. Lots of people in their early 50s standing as though they were at an outdoor mass. Lineup like Rodney's sweeping brush. The Stranglers, mar dhea.
A person can't step in the same river twice I suppose. Their re-mortgages are nothing got to do with me. What's gone is gone. Let it go.

I saw them last year in the olympia...just to cross it off the list... even though there are only 2 original members left from the classic lineup it was ok.

Those people in their early fifties are actually in their 70's and have arthritis of the knees

19-09-2019 11:29pm

I think it's kind of tragic..
Whatever happened to breaking up after 5 years and the guitarist dying of a heroin overdose?..
Rock and roll is dead..the ageing nostalgia they're selling in it's place isn't it anyway..lads in their 70s with bad tattoos entertaining lads in their 60s..
I suppose music meant something back then, and they're selling the nostalgia to the aged fans, and their 'legend' status to the youth, because, really, everyone likes every band now..
But shur I suppose once the dopes keep buying the tickets they'll keep doing it..

NewbridgeIR · 19-09-2019 11:33pm

Ray Palmer wrote: »

No. One wrote his own music with a band and was originally a punk band. The other was a Elvis impersonator who did covers.

A sweeping dismissal. Shaky has plenty self-penned compositions on his albums. And the disc of 12" remixes on his Epic Masters box is deadly.

NewbridgeIR · 19-09-2019 11:36pm

Grandeeod wrote: »

I'll kick it off with a video of Howard Jones from 2015. Had no real interest in him back then, but did see him live in the National Stadium circa 1986.

Howard Jones - like Nik Kershaw and Paul Young - saw sales dip with their third albums in 1986. All three played Live Aid. HJ never stopped though - 13 LPs in total, another new one this year.

nkl12xtw5goz70 · 20-09-2019 12:01am

The top 10 highest grossing world tours of 2019 so far include Elton John, Metallica, Fleetwood Mac, KISS, Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, and Cher.

The Rolling Stones are still touring, led by 76-year-old Mick Jagger.

Makes you wonder why musicians old enough to be pensioners are drawing bigger crowds than younger acts.

Zaph · 20-09-2019 9:47am

If only Talking Heads would copy the rest and re-form then I'd be a very happy man. But seeing as three of them no longer really speak to David Byrne, unfortunately that's about as likely as me winning the Euromillions tonight.

RayCon · 20-09-2019 9:54am

Unfortunately XTC stopped touring in the 80's .... now there's a band I'd love to see live.

YFlyer · 20-09-2019 6:14pm

Aegir wrote: »

Not that they ever went away, but Madness were ****ing awesome when they played in Dun Laoghaire earlier this year.

I went with some friends to their gig in Limerick. Great night.

NewbridgeIR · 20-09-2019 6:39pm

RayCon wrote: »

Unfortunately XTC stopped touring in the 80's .... now there's a band I'd love to see live.

I met an accountant at some networking event a few years back. Pushing 60, pleasant enough. For some reason the conversation turned to concerts and he casually dropped in that he saw XTC on all three nights in McGonagles back in 1978. He also saw The Jam in the Top Hat the same month.

Grandeeod · 20-09-2019 8:02pm

Jimmy Somerville - WTF?

Has a very distinctive singing voice. After the Communards, he was barely scarping a living in clubs singing along to backing tracks for many years. I'm sure I remember a poster advertising his gig in the George in the late 90s.

These days he's reformed himself with a big backing band and playing festivals with a Bronski Beat and Communards back catalogue. Then he has the cheek to finish the set with a cover from ACDC.:eek: Bands are bands for a reason. Nice guy Jimmy is just a cabaret act.

Holly Johnson - similar crap. Finishes his current set with......Power of Love and Relax is popped into the middle. Tom Bailey - digging it out, but his song writing abilities can't over shadow that one man without an act doesn't cut it. Thompson Twins in case you're wondering. Human League - Jaysus! This lad has had more come backs that retrograde ejaculation. Saw them (as in him and the two girls) back at a very early EP or even the first.

Anyway, for a real treat in line with the thread title, the Forever Young Festival a few months back, sums up lots of sad stuff. A few exceptions, but in general
a cabaret with the original lead singer.

PsychoPete · 20-09-2019 8:13pm

Allyson Obnoxious Radial wrote: »

The top 10 highest grossing world tours of 2019 so far include Elton John, Metallica, Fleetwood Mac, KISS, Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, and Cher.

The Rolling Stones are still touring, led by 76-year-old Mick Jagger.

Makes you wonder why musicians old enough to be pensioners are drawing bigger crowds than younger acts.

I assumed its because that music is still favoured by people and that nostalgia ? I'm in my mid twenties and pretty much all the music I listen too is from the 70s,80s and 90s. I missed seeing all those bands from those decades in their prime so if they doing tours now than I'm in favour of that

Marcusm · 20-09-2019 8:22pm

ToddyDoody wrote: »

A-ha are on their second comeback.

They are retouring their debut Hunting High & Liw album. Back in 2009/10 they had gigs in Oslo and the Albert Hall for 25th anniversary of release. I was at the London gig. They were great. Happy to see they’ve made a tour out of it and I don’t think it’s quite the same as some of the kitsch/camp 80s stuff.

CalamariFritti · 20-09-2019 9:01pm

Ursus Horribilis wrote: »

I saw ABC in the Olympia a couple of years ago and that was a great gig. You couldn't call them a reunited band though because ABC has been Martin Fry for a long time now.

Like with many bands the lineup has changed over the years, but ABC has always been mostly a Martin Fry show. Lead singer and song-writer anyway.

nkl12xtw5goz70 · 20-09-2019 9:50pm

PsychoPete wrote: »

I assumed its because that music is still favoured by people and that nostalgia ? I'm in my mid twenties and pretty much all the music I listen too is from the 70s,80s and 90s. I missed seeing all those bands from those decades in their prime so if they doing tours now than I'm in favour of that

Nostalgia may motivate older people, but I still see young Irish people all the time wearing AC/DC, Iron Maiden, and Metallica T-shirts, even though Angus Young is old enough to be their grandfather. Many fans of the Stones and Beatles weren't even alive when those bands were in their heyday.

I think there's a recognition on some level that it's just better music than what is current today. Many people would struggle to name even one good rock band formed in the last decade -- compare that to the 60s or 70s.

Grandeeod · 20-09-2019 9:58pm

Allyson Obnoxious Radial wrote: »

Nostalgia may motivate older people, but I still see young Irish people all the time wearing AC/DC, Iron Maiden, and Metallica T-shirts, even though Angus Young is old enough to be their grandfather. Many fans of the Stones and Beatles weren't even alive when those bands were in their heyday.

I think there's a recognition on some level that it's just better music than what is current today. Many people would struggle to name even one good rock band formed in the last decade -- compare that to the 60s or 70s.

A lot of music these days is gone to fook. Auto tuned rubbish. You can actually recognize the specific auto tuned effect in many songs across many artists. Especially male vocalists. Similar sound. Similar vocals. Different acts.

I sad it earlier. A band is a band. In the 1980s, Big Country apparently recorded their songs in the studio, LIVE!

Rothko · 20-09-2019 11:11pm

Allyson Obnoxious Radial wrote: »

The top 10 highest grossing world tours of 2019 so far include Elton John, Metallica, Fleetwood Mac, KISS, Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, and Cher.

The Rolling Stones are still touring, led by 76-year-old Mick Jagger.

Makes you wonder why musicians old enough to be pensioners are drawing bigger crowds than younger acts.

It's because they all have a huge back catalogue of very famous songs that everyone knows. Plus, there's the other factor that they mightn't be around for much longer so a lot of people will go to see them as it might be their last chance to do so.

coffeepls · 21-09-2019 12:34am

I saw simple minds in the Olympia there the other year - absolutely brilliant night out. Granted they weren’t in the same league as when I saw them in croker in ‘87 (I think).
I saw tears for fears earlier this year in the 3arena - that was a shock - I was honestly never much of a fan, and unfortunately arrived late to only hear the end of the support act, Alison Moyet. Omg can that woman still sing. Regret not catching all her act.
Anyway - tears for fears - wow - never expected them to sound so good. Incredible. I had seen Duran Duran some years before that, and bless their cotton socks, they were ‘ok’. I didn’t have high expectations for tears for fears. How wrong was I. They can still hit all their notes... so well.

bodhrandude · 21-09-2019 2:34am

RayCon wrote: »

Unfortunately XTC stopped touring in the 80's .... now there's a band I'd love to see live.

Andy Partridge had a breakdown I think and stopped touring for a long time, but apparently these days he still tours a little, so there might be hope yet, if so hopefully an EP appearance in the future.

DEFTLEFTHAND · 21-09-2019 4:15am

I was at the Feile in Thurles earlier on.

It is kind of sad to see old Irish bands and acts well past their sell by date tbh.

Alot of the stuff tonight was cat in fairness , aside from the Horslips.

Their sound is timeless.

Ray Palmer · 21-09-2019 11:33am

NewbridgeIR wrote: »

Ray Palmer wrote: »

No. One wrote his own music with a band and was originally a punk band. The other was a Elvis impersonator who did covers.

A sweeping dismissal. Shaky has plenty self-penned compositions on his albums. And the disc of 12" remixes on his Epic Masters box is deadly.

Name a self penned hit by him. Every hit by Adam Ant was at least the co writer. To even compare Stevens to Ant is an insult. Ant designed his own outfits, album covers, music video and wrote most of all his recordings with the exception of the odd cover. Stephens rehashed old hits and copied his look,dancing and was heavily managed. Effectively he was a product made by someone else.
To confuse the two is crazy

NewbridgeIR · 21-09-2019 11:54am

Ray Palmer wrote: »

Name a self penned hit by him. Every hit by Adam Ant was at least the co writer. To even compare Stevens to Ant is an insult. Ant designed his own outfits, album covers, music video and wrote most of all his recordings with the exception of the odd cover. Stephens rehashed old hits and copied his look,dancing and was heavily managed. Effectively he was a product made by someone else.
To confuse the two is crazy

I didn't compare them - that was another poster.

Self-penned hits - Oh Julie (#1) and Teardrops (#5). There's also quite a few album tracks and B-Sides written by him.

I agree that I enjoy Adam Ant records more (Kings Of The Wild Frontier is one of my favourite albums of the '80s and I had no hesitation in forking out for this). He's also brilliant live but I do like Shakin' Stevens as well, particularly the less rock'n'roll material.

davidglanza · 21-09-2019 12:43pm

Guns n roses

Hoboo · 21-09-2019 12:49pm

Rothko wrote: »

It's because they all have a huge back catalogue of very famous songs that everyone knows. Plus, there's the other factor that they mightn't be around for much longer so a lot of people will go to see them as it might be their last chance to do so.

Headcount is one part, the other is price. Some of the ticket prices are insane. Supply demand yada yada, it's gouging.

Grandeeod · 21-09-2019 5:28pm

coffeepls wrote: »

I saw simple minds in the Olympia there the other year - absolutely brilliant night out. Granted they weren’t in the same league as when I saw them in croker in ‘87 (I think).
I saw tears for fears earlier this year in the 3arena - that was a shock - I was honestly never much of a fan, and unfortunately arrived late to only hear the end of the support act, Alison Moyet. Omg can that woman still sing. Regret not catching all her act.
Anyway - tears for fears - wow - never expected them to sound so good. Incredible. I had seen Duran Duran some years before that, and bless their cotton socks, they were ‘ok’. I didn’t have high expectations for tears for fears. How wrong was I. They can still hit all their notes... so well.

Simple Minds in Croker was '86 and then the RDS Arena in '89. Great times and they do still put on a great show, but the interest in them has dropped considerably. Losing Michael McNeill on keyboards didn't help. A pity.

Tears for Fears have made a storming comeback and are recording and touring big venues. Duran Duran never broke up, and over the last 12 years have been touring with 4 of the original 5 members. Headlined the EP in 2017. Despite the pre festival negativity, they brought the house down according to reviews. Alison Moyet is awesome. I think what stopped her being a megastar was being involved with Yazoo and her subsequent solo recording career which was far removed from her time in Yazoo.

Grandeeod · 21-09-2019 5:36pm

I was never into Adam Ant during the early part of his career, but I applaud his contribution to music. Just when he started to appeal to me he was gone from the scene. This is actually my favourite song from him, including the same titled album. Mid 90s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLVlOyFmNIo

These days he has returned to the act that made him famous in the first place. Ant music just didn't do it for me though. But a top man anyway.

dubstarr · 22-09-2019 11:06am

Grandeeod wrote: »

Simple Minds in Croker was '86 and then the RDS Arena in '89. Great times and they do still put on a great show, but the interest in them has dropped considerably. Losing Michael McNeill on keyboards didn't help. A pity.

Tears for Fears have made a storming comeback and are recording and touring big venues. Duran Duran never broke up, and over the last 12 years have been touring with 4 of the original 5 members. Headlined the EP in 2017. Despite the pre festival negativity, they brought the house down according to reviews. Alison Moyet is awesome. I think what stopped her being a megastar was being involved with Yazoo and her subsequent solo recording career which was far removed from her time in Yazoo.

Alison Moyet refused to sing any pop songs,she didnt want to be a puppet.She wanted to sing her own music.Which is a pity cause she could have been huge,really big in America,

Ray Palmer · 22-09-2019 11:27am

Grandeeod wrote: »

I was never into Adam Ant during the early part of his career, but I applaud his contribution to music. Just when he started to appeal to me he was gone from the scene. This is actually my favourite song from him, including the same titled album. Mid 90s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLVlOyFmNIo

.
These days he has returned to the act that made him famous in the first place. Ant music just didn't do it for me though. But a top man anyway.

That song is about Heather Graham his ex girlfriend. He has had some severe mental health issues but is producing new music

Dravokivich · 22-09-2019 11:47am

Allyson Obnoxious Radial wrote: »

Nostalgia may motivate older people, but I still see young Irish people all the time wearing AC/DC, Iron Maiden, and Metallica T-shirts, even though Angus Young is old enough to be their grandfather. Many fans of the Stones and Beatles weren't even alive when those bands were in their heyday.

I think there's a recognition on some level that it's just better music than what is current today. Many people would struggle to name even one good rock band formed in the last decade -- compare that to the 60s or 70s.

Those shirts are regularly sold in the likes of Penny's. You see them becuase people like the look of them.

Oasis1974 · 22-09-2019 12:10pm

Dravokivich wrote: »

Allyson Obnoxious Radial wrote: »

Nostalgia may motivate older people, but I still see young Irish people all the time wearing AC/DC, Iron Maiden, and Metallica T-shirts, even though Angus Young is old enough to be their grandfather. Many fans of the Stones and Beatles weren't even alive when those bands were in their heyday.

I think there's a recognition on some level that it's just better music than what is current today. Many people would struggle to name even one good rock band formed in the last decade -- compare that to the 60s or 70s.

Those shirts are regularly sold in the likes of Penny's. You see them becuase people like the look of them.

Imagine having no money for proper clothes and buying t-shirts with ****ty bands that you don't know who they even are lol.

Dravokivich · 22-09-2019 12:26pm

Oasis1974 wrote: »

Imagine having no money for proper clothes and buying t-shirts with ****ty bands that you don't know who they even are lol.

My sister has done it, by getting her son Metallica shirts becuase she liked the look of the skull design.

80s bands re-united and playing live in recent years.

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