Heaven 17 Announce UK Tour of Seminal Penthouse and Pavement Album & Tickets
Monday, 10 May 2010
Written by Nigel Sachdev
80's electronica pioneers Heaven 17 have announced the 'Penthouse And Pavement' 30th Anniversary UK Tour taking place this November.
The critically acclaimed British electronic band will perform their seminal 1981 album 'Penthouse And Pavement' live in its entirety at club venues across the UK.
The band, featuring original founding members Glenn Gregory (lead vocals) and Martyn Ware (synthesizers, vocals), start their UK tour at the Edinburgh HMV Picture House on Monday 22nd November. The special concerts follow the ultimate super-luxury edition of 'Penthouse And Pavement', released by EMI in the autumn.
Penthouse And Pavement was the debut album by Heaven 17 and considered as one of the first concept albums of the 1980s.
The first single, '(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang', demonstrates the left-wing outlook of the lyrics, criticising Britain at the beginning of the 1980s under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and the rise of the Yuppie.
Other themes explored included nuclear war, religious extremism and American influence in the world.
Unlike the seemingly 'cold' music of other electronic bands, Heaven 17 drew on funk and R&B to create pop-friendly, danceable hooks. Whilst the singles charted poorly, the album charted at No. 14 and remained in the Top 75 for 76 weeks. It was certified Gold (100,000 copies) by the British Phonographic Institution in October 1982. 'Penthouse and Pavement' is featured in the book '1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die'.
Back to the gigs, the band will also feature Billie Godfrey (backing vocals), Asa Bennett (guitar), Joel Farland (electronic percussion) and Julian Crampton (bass guitar).
Lighting designer Pip Rhodes will coordinate a live digital visual show featuring some of the biggest names and most talented up-and-coming artists from the worlds of digital and graphic design, fine art and film, including Chris Bird (United Visual Artists), graphic designer Malcolm Garrett, Mike Faulkner (D-Fuse), famous artist Tim Head, Ian Anderson (Designers Republic), plus many more.
The event will be curated from the moment the audience enters the venue. The LED wall will showcase the visual artists interpretations of BEF compositions from the same period, including tracks from the BEF albums - 'Music For Stowaways' and 'Music Of Quality And Distinction Vol. 1'.
All artists have been allowed to express their interpretations freely with no prior guidance from Heaven 17. The artists contributing to this 'group show' will be credited - this will be a world-first multimedia show - part art installation and part concert - the evening will culminate with the performance of 'Penthouse And Pavement' in its entirety.
HEAVEN 17'S 2010 UK TOUR DATES :
Monday 22nd November - Edinburgh HMV Picture House
Tuesday 23rd November - Glasgow O2 ABC
Thursday 25th November - Manchester Ritz
Friday 26th November - Birmingham HMV Institute
Sunday 28th November - London HMV Forum
Monday 29th November - Oxford 02 Academy
Tuesday 30th November - Brighton Corn Exchange
Wednesday 1st December - Bristol O2 Academy
Haven 17 Tickets are onsale to the public from Wednesday May 12th at 10am.
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The first single, '(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang', demonstrates the left-wing outlook of the lyrics, criticising Britain at the beginning of the 1980s under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and the rise of the Yuppie.
