VIDEO: Go West guitarist speaks of excitement ahead of Dundee gig
Some of the biggest stars of the ’80s are taking to the stage in Dundee in two weeks’ time for a musical journey through the decade.
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The Liz Hobbs Group’s DunDee’s 80s event takes place at Slessor Gardens on August 24, bringing a whole host of well-known names to the Waterfront, including ABC and Midge Ure.
One of the acts on the bill is pop duo Go West, whose 35-year career has included winning a Brit Award and featuring in the soundtracks to 1985’s Rocky IV and the 1990 blockbuster smash Pretty Woman.
Guitarist Richard Drummie spoke to the Tele about the upcoming gig and says he can’t wait to get on stage.
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“I’m really looking forward to playing in Dundee,” he said. “We know all the other guys on the bill. It’s great to be able to play on stage with old friends.”
With so many hits under their belt, Richard says that fans will hear all the tracks they know and love.
He said: “ We’ll be on stage for roughly an hour. We’re not one of these bands that will use this time to only play songs from their new album. We’ll be playing all of our hits, with a couple of surprises thrown in for good measure.
“We love to be as high-energy as possible and get everyone dancing.”
Pop stars are sometimes known for taking things to excess when touring but Go West have a strict warm-up plan in place.
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“My warm-up is a glass of red wine before bed the night before,” said Richard.
“Peter (Cox, Go West’s vocalist) needs to do a lot more preparation. A good night’s sleep is a must before he does his vocal warm-up and sound check.”
The popularity of music from the decade hasn’t waned in recent years, with events such as Rewind wowing crowds from Dundee and Perthshire.
Peter’s own opinion on music from the decade has changed over the years.
He said: “At the time I didn’t think the ’80s was the best decade for music – I would have said it was the ’70s. However, I think the music is still so popular because songs from that period are genuinely good.
“It’s ironic that the revival of music from the ’80s has lasted at least twice as long as the decade itself.”
The popularity of music from the decade isn’t only with those who attend these events to relive their youth.
Go West have noticed a trend of younger people attending events like DunDee 80s in the aim of seeing bands live that they have discovered themselves.
Richard said: “It’s good to see younger people at gigs. In the past I’ve approached them and said ‘Are you here with your parents?’ and they are almost offended. They’ve told me they are there on their own and that they really enjoyed the show.”
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Dundee is just one stop on Richard’s busy schedule but there’s one thing he’s making time to see.
“I’m definitely going to make sure I get a chance to visit the V&A,” he said. “I’ve heard how amazing it is. It’s a bonus it’s so close to the venue.”
After the gig the band are taking a holiday before their biannual Australian tour.
They are also working on new music and are in the process of creating an orchestral album of all their hits.
Richard said: “The orchestral arrangements make our tracks sound so different. It gives them a poignancy that maybe wasn’t there before.”
Tickets for DunDee 80s are on sale via Ticketmaster with the full line-up including ABC, China Crisis, Hue & Cry and Midge Ure.