Go West

When you’re celebrating your 35th anniversary and also a band member’s birthday, it needs to be a special kind of concert to mark the occasion.

And Go West didn’t disappoint with a truly memorable performance at the iconic London Palladium, alongside the Southbank Sinfonia orchestra.

Bringing a whole new magic to their much-loved repertoire, Go West’s collaboration with the orchestra gave the fans all those classic hits, but with a truly memorable richness.

It can only be fitting that after more than 35 years, and so much chart success, Peter Cox and Richard Drummie were able to mark their milestone with such a memorable venue and performance.

First to take to the stage with the orchestra were fellow 80s band Cutting Crew. They opened by giving the audience a taste of their biggest hit - (I Just) Died In Your Arms – with a dramatic slow-tempo orchestral version which set the tone for a special evening.

Accompanied by the majestic strings of the orchestra, lead singer Nick Van Eede’s powerful voice gave the song a hauntingly beautiful appeal.

This was followed by a number of the band’s back catalogue including I’ve Been In Love Before and One From the Mockingbird, and some of their newer material such as Berlin in Winter. They closed their set with a gusto rendition of (I Just) Died In Your Arms, which got everyone on their feet, fully appreciating and enjoying this much-loved song.
Fittingly for the theatre, the orchestra treated the audience to a dramatic teaser of Go West hits as an introduction to the band themselves, creating a memorable musical trailer of what was to come.

Dressed to impress, a sharply-suited Peter Cox and birthday boy Richard Drummie were given a rapturous welcome onto the stage, as they launched into their 1985 hit Don’t Look Down, to the delight of their fans.

Sounding as electric as they always do reassured the audience that the band would be keeping faithful to their original sound but with the added depth and magic of an orchestra.

Fans were not disappointed to hear a diverse selection of tracks such as From Baltimore to Paris (1987 album Dancing on The Couch) to Eye to Eye from their 1985 debut album Go West.

Particularly well-received on the night was the 2008 single Let Love Come which, as Richard told the crowd, didn’t have a chance to become a hit as it didn’t receive any radio airplay – such a shame as it was a hit with the audience on the night.

Another stand-out moment was a cover of Smokey Robinson’s classic Motown hit Tracks of My Tears which was well-suited to Peter’s soulful vocals.

Hit after hit kept the Palladium rocking, with glorious orchestral-backed renditions of all the Go West favourites such as Faithful, Call Me and We Close Our Eyes, another huge crowd-pleaser.

Although it’s normal practice to remain seated in a theatre, protocols were soon forgotten as the music swept the fans onto their feet.

None more so than for the finale, with the Pretty Woman hit King of Wishful Thinking, taking the audience right back to that sun-drenched Californian vibe, so perfectly encapsulated in Go West’s music.

The birthday boy Richard was in top form regaling the audience with a number of funny comments and anecdotes as the duo belted out the soundtrack to their 35 years.

Many of the audience would have made that journey with them, which made being at the London Palladium concert so special. We also hope it was made extra special for Richard who was serenaded with Happy Birthday by the entire theatre of fans.

For the faithful who have celebrated Go West’s amazing musical career for well over three decades, it felt fitting to be able to appreciate this momentous milestone together with the band, in such an extraordinary and truly memorable way.