17/03/12: In 2002, one of the last hallmarks of a golden era of 90s Brit-Pop – an era of neon green tank tops, orange combat trousers, metallic puffa jackets, squeaky clean lyrics and hideous studio sets – disbanded.
Last Saturday, the last boys of the 90s generation, and the men that never quite got it out of their system, thronged to relive it all again on the main floor of Heaven – as Steps retraced their… well, steps, on to their first stage after a decade away.
Clearly still a band who knows how it’s done – giving the gay boys first dibs! The collective screams had shattered the sound barriers long before they emerged, mostly from boys and girls enthusiastic as they’d ever been, a few from people trying to avoid being trampled to death in the surging mass.
But when the group emerged, flanked by their tranny hype crew, the welcome cheers etched cracks in the ceiling! The ten years had clearly been kind (especially on you, Lee Latchford-Evans – oh yes!), as they burst out hit after hit, ‘Love’s Got A Hold On My Heart’, ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’, ‘Deeper Shade of Blue’ and their indomitable version of ‘Tragedy’ – yes, with THAT routine.
Timeless hits that turned the upstanding men around me into squealing, routine-wielding super-fans. Like the group’s theatrical presence and pitch-shifting vocal prowess, it appears our appreciation of the band that defined music at a glorious time of bleach blonde curtains is firmly intact. Their upcoming tour looks set to certify that!
Check out more photos from this event and plan your next night out with the ‘QX Gay London’ iPhone app. FREE from the iTunes app store.
Heaven Nightclub, Under The Arches, Villiers Street, London
Words by Yafeu Brown
Photos by Chris Jepson
