This day 43 years ago 28 May 1980, I saw my first gig at The Victoria Hall, Hanley, Stoke on Trent to see the Human League live for the very first time. I'd never seen a band use analogue synthesisers and reel to reel tape machines on stage before, they also displayed art and photography on background screens. It was a show way ahead of its time. Philip Oakey's haircut was also quite a surprise, being very long on one side and short on the other. I saw them again just over a year later when they came to Stafford in December 1981 for a great show at Bingley Hall, just before Christmas, by which time the band had personnel changes and the girls Susan Sulley and Joanne Catherall had joined and the groups sound had started evolve to bring the commercial success we remember. Apparently Phil Oakey misses his hair and now sports a bald look and says it's harder to be fashionable. I'm sure many men may feel the same. I was back at the Victoria Hall a week later in June 1980 to see The Jam with Paul Weller, Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler. I remember drummer Rick threw his drum sticks out at the end of the show resulting in a 'rugby scrum' in front of the stage as punters tried to grab them. Good fun and another great show at the Vicky Hall!
