Human League perform Newark

You would think a band which has sold out California’s Hollywood Bowl twice and is often hailed as one of the pioneers of electronic music would think nothing of a gig at Newark Festival.
By The Newsroom
Published 15th Apr 2014, 10:46 BST

But festivals are where bands have to earn their applause because the audience members have not necessarily come to see just them, said Susan Sully, of the Human League.

Susan, one of three vocalists for the legendary Sheffield band, said fans and festival-goers could expect all the memorable hits on the day but it was always hard to tell which song would go down best.

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She said: “In America they love Heart Like A Wheel but in South America they love Human.

“We try not to do Human at festivals because it is slow and everyone wants to be jumping about but our manager always says ‘put Human in.’

“Festivals are a bit different because you have to make people want to watch you - which can be quite scary.”

For many, the band’s most memorable song is Don’t You Want Me, and it saw a revival last month when it reached number four in the iTunes singles chart.

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The classic 1980s song was spurred on thanks to an Aberdeen FC fans campaign inspired by their terrace chant, Peter Pawlett Baby.

Said Susan: “It was nothing to do with us. I got the news by text one night from our keyboard player. It was the biggest surprise to us - very odd.”

Newark Festival runs from Friday 20th – Sunday 22nd June.

The Human League will be performing on Saturday while Friday will feature a performance from boyband Union J.

The Sunday will see the return of the family day at the Riverside Park with live music and activities for all ages to enjoy. The final day of the festival will be free to enter.

Tickets start at £25 and are available online at www.newarkfestival.co.uk.

Related topics:Hollywood BowlCaliforniaSheffield