‘It’s such a privilege to go for 40 years and still be recording new music,’ says Keren Woodward, one half of 2023’s Bananarama.
‘And such a privilege to be here singing for people like you.’
It seems like more than a minute since Bananarama were dancing in Arsenal offside trap-like formation; three across with synchronized arm movements and frizzy bobs catching the spotlights
Now down to two, with Sarah Dallin completing the evergreen act at the opening night of the Leamington Spa edition of Pub in the Park, they wasted no time whisking the crowd back to the ’80s.
Propelled by a thudding backbeat, the vocals made up in catchy school days optimism what they lacked in range, and it was the bubblegum pop era that got the weekend party started in earnest by the River Leam.
The duo opened with ‘Nathan Jones’, starting their set at Tom Kerridge’s outdoor pub bash with a Walkman-era ode to love as rain clouds and a brief spell of drizzle retreated from over Victoria Park.
‘Forever Young’, released by the twosome in 2022, then represented one of the few songs from the new era in last night’s set.
The track was one of the odd ones out in a set culled largely from hits in the era before Siobhan Fahey departed the band.
The night’s headliners dived straight back into the early years with what Dallin described as an ‘oldie but goodie’ in the shape of ‘It Ain’t What You Do…’ originally recorded alongside Fun Boy Three.
From there, it was pretty much ’80s ‘shapes and synths’ all the way.
The twosome’s still-synchronised arms, heel taps, and place-swaps seemed to dial up a notch mid-set for 1982’s ‘He Was Really Sayin’ Something’, which they introduced as their first ever single.
As they harmonized for the ‘bob bob shoo be doo wah’ refrain, only the big hair and fashion dungarees were missing. Backed with the thudding drumbeat and keys, the duo continued the uptempo momentum with the worldwide smash hit, ‘Venus’. Stock Aitken Waterman pop it may be, but they reprised in faithful form, resisting the vogue among pop veterans to add extended instrumental sections to their crate classics.With a dusting of casual chat between songs, they wrapped up with a mass singalong of ‘Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye).’
No encore or heartfelt goodnights here, but they left an impression of Now That’s What I Call the ’80s…revisited.
By Yunzy
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Much Ado Warwickshire 