Heaven 17 Tickets

Heaven 17 Tickets

In the 1980s, the synth-pop beats of Heaven 17 were all over the radio and MTV. Hailed as one of the few British groups from that era to help define the 1980s synth-pop sound, their once incredibly modern music has evolved into a catalogue of classics. Check out their upcoming tour dates and get your Heaven 17 tickets today.

Schedule

Heaven 17 fans will have plenty of chances to see them perform live all over the United Kingdom. Summer dates include The Big Feastival in Kingham, while the fall shows cover venues such as The Garage in London, New Ritz Ballroom in Brighouse and the O2 Academy in Oxford.

Trivia

The band's name is derived from a fictional band in Anthony Burgess' novel A Clockwork Orange. In the book, the band is also named Heaven Seventeen (with the number spelled out.)

Band

Heaven 17 founders, Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware were also members of the popular British pop group The Human League. Creative differences led to Marsh and Ware leaving the band and handing off the reins to lead singer Philip Oakey. It was then that Heaven 17 was formed as part of their production company British Electric Foundation. Ware and Marsh teamed up with singer Glenn Gregory, who was their original choice for lead singer of The Human League. While the group is primarily a trio using synthesisers and drum machines, session musicians include John Wilson on bass and guitar and Nick Plytas on piano. In addition to their own music, Heaven 17 members have worked with many other successful artists including Tina Turner. When Marsh left the band in 2006, Billie Godfrey took over to provide backing vocals both in the studio and for live appearances.

Breakthrough

Heaven 17 was originally meant to be just one of many groups and projects under the British Electric Foundation company. None of the band's singles from their first two albums, the cassette-only Music for Stowaways and Penthouse and Pavement managed to reach the U.K. Singles Top 40 charts. It wasn't until their 1983 single Temptation peaked at number two on the U.K. Singles Chart (their biggest hit ever) did the group finally gain recognition for their work leading to collaborative projects with many other renowned musicians.

Hit Albums

While their first two albums, Music for Stowaways and Penthouse and Pavement barely made a dent with listening audiences, their 1983 album, The Luxury Gap, went platinum and cemented the group's place in music history. The rest of the decade saw How Men Are in 1984, Pleasure One in 1986, and Teddy Bear, Duke & Psycho in 1986. The 1990s were a quiet time with only one album release (Bigger Than America in 1996) while the 2000s produced Before After in 2005 and Naked as Advertised in 2008. Their biggest single is 1983's Temptation but other hits in both the U.K. and the U.S. include Let Me Go, Who'll Stop The Rain and Come Live With Me.

Show Experience

While their music is upbeat and designed to make you move, their lyrics always show a deeper side -- both political and personal. Perhaps that's why their music is as relevant to today's audiences as it was in the 1980s. A Heaven 17 concert will either take you back to your playful youth or introduce you to a classic band that can still make music that matters.