By Hilary Porter

JULY 8 2017 is now etched in my mind as a date I can only be in one place ....Southampton Common.

After watching The Human League at the BIC this week I feel I am already counting off the days until I can see them again!

The synth-pop legends are headlining Let's Rock in the city next summer and it is going to be a cracker!

I can't believe it is 35 years since they were number one with 'Don't You Want Me Baby'. Last Friday a packed BIC crowd were singing along to this and so many huge hits including Love Action, Open Your Heart, Fascination, Mirror Man, Things That Dreams Are Made Of and Together in Electric Dreams, whilst pop ballads Human and Louise sounded great too.

Philip Oakey's distinctive vocals are stronger than ever and with girl backing singers - Joanne Catherall and Susan Anne Sully and their superb musicians every song sounded incredible.

It was an epic production and the band even commented on their Facebook page before the show: "Bournemouth BIC tonight so the first time we can fit our full set and production into a venue, it's going to be a busy day."

Backdrop screens lit the stage with everything from sombre reds one minute to a dazzling array of colours the next and the projected images captured the era with Rubik's cubes and Packman games during Soundtrack To A Generation.

The band clearly loved performing as much as we enjoyed seeing them as they later commented on Facebook: "Thank you Bournemouth for a great, great evening."

An excellent line-up of 80's chart-toppers has been confirmed for Let's Rock now. The full line-up is: The Human League, Tony Hadley, Howard Jones, Belinda Carlisle, Nick Heyward, Kid Creole and The Coconuts, Imagination, Hue & Cry, Chesney Hawkes, Hazel O'Connor, Katrina and Living in a Box!

This will be the fourth Let's Rock Festival for Southampton and it's going to be a retro-blast!

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