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Graham Clark
Music Features Writer
@Maxximum23Clark
11:49 PM 30th August 2013
lifestyle

Opening night at Bingley Music Festival

 
Human League
Human League
This year's three-day festival is a near sell out but a few weekend and day tickets are still available at the gates so it is not too late if you want to join in the fun.

On the main stage on Friday night rockabilly three piece, Katmen may have arrived on stage late due to traffic problems on the A1 but their curtailed set was certainly worth waiting for, Featuring a member of Imelda May's band (Darrel Higham) and former drummer of The Stray Cats Slim Jim Phantom the 3 piece warmed the crowd up with their rockabilly meets The Mavericks type tracks.

Introducing their new single, Ain't That Tough, Higham dedicated the song "to all the members of the audience who remember vinyl" as the single is going to be released on vinyl which seems to be making a comeback.

The band finished off their set with the old Stray Cats hit, Rock This Town. The band had certainly rocked Bingley tonight.

One of the original rude boys Neville Staples now has his own band, The Neville Staple Band who play all the old tracks of his former band, The Specials. Staples certainly kept the party going during his set, of course when you have songs at your disposal such as A Message to Rudy and Ghost Town it does make things a little easier! He still has the energy and he worked the audience into frenzy. Still special and still a force to be reckoned with.

The influence the Human League on the current music scene stretches from La Roux to Calvin Harris. The Yorkshire outfit were an inspired choice to close the first night of the event in this fine Yorkshire setting.

Playing a greatest hits set, lead singer Phil Oakey strolled on to the stage wearing a long coat and sun glasses! Susan Sulley still looks as thin as ever dressed for a night on the town whilst fellow singer Joanne Catherall at times looked like she was just going through the motions. Mirror Man kicked things off whilst Sound of the Crowd still sounds as good as it did back in the day. Of course it was Don't You Want Me Baby that drew the biggest response from the audience, with the track starting off as an instrumental whilst the audience sang the words loudly. Together in Electric Dreams closed their set in what was another electrifying experience from the band.

With 2 more days to go it looks like Bingley is certainly going to be alive over the next two days.