The Human League holds a special place in my heart. As a child, my very first 7” single was “Don’t you want me.” From an early age, I was captivated by The Human League and the genre of electronic music.
Despite achieving numerous successful singles and albums, they have now gained recognition for their extensive touring and have re-established themselves as a highly successful live band over the past two decades.
I’ve had the pleasure of seeing them perform seven times. They’ve played at smaller venues like Leicester, Wolverhampton, and even Hampton Court. However, this time, unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get a seat near the front.
This performance took place at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham, marking a significant arena tour for THL this year. It serves as a testament to their enduring popularity.
The support was Sophie Ellis-Bextor and T’pau.
Unfortunately, due to the bad weather and a lot of other events still happening in Brum, we arrived too late to see T’Pau. It would have been good to see Carol Decker sing live and churn out some of her hits. Sophie was amazing, entertaining to watch, and had incredible vocals. She definitely warmed up the audience and I’m sure some of her fans came to just see her at the show. As we were at the back, it would have been great to see Sophie on video screens. She performed for 45 minutes and I would definitely want to see her again. she is on her own tour next year!
Once The Human League began performing, the staging and set were simply amazing. We wondered if they could they pull this off in an arena and would there be any video screens to showcase the artists? Thankfully, the staging was spectacular, and a grand arena entrance awaited with THL on a platform that lowered to the stage. The stage was equally impressive, featuring the band which was raised with video visuals of the act and AI-generated images that accompanied the music.
While they were good, I would have preferred to have seen less of their first album or very early material. However, I understand that some fans might have enjoyed those tracks that are perhaps not performed as frequently. Certainly the whole set was received well by the audience.
The Utilita Arena, though spacious and offering decent-sized seating, reminded me of why we generally avoid it. It’s simply too inconvenient to get to. And let’s face it, the Resorts World Arena (now BP Pulse Arena) is still the best option and easier to access and park being in its own massive grounds.
An enjoyable evening and a big thank you to my wife who organised this as a birthday present which was earlier in the year.
Until the next time, thank you THL.
Set lists below.
T’Pau set list
https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/tpau/2024/utilita-arena-birmingham-birmingham-england-135f3121.html
Sophie Ellis-Bextor set list
Human League set list
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