Nik Kershaw takes adoring crowd back to the 1980s in Wolverhampton gig

1984 was a great year. For example Everton won the FA Cup – these days they are grateful to win a game.

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For the one and only Nik Kershaw it was unbelievable - he spent a total of 62 weeks on the chart in the calendar year, with two top ten albums, the iconic The Riddle and and Human Racing which he performed in their entirety at The Wulfrun at The Halls on Friday. Oh and he appeared on Top of the Pops and two covers of Smash Hits – remember them?

Nik Kershaw played his two entire successful albums from 1984 for fans in Wolverhampton - Picture Amanda Adams

Most of the crowd he entertained did and there were plenty of dancing girls and probably a few wide boys in their as he went through the albums track by track with a 20 minute break in between.

He threw in a few stories as well, including about appearing on Top of the Pops and how he and Mark King collaborated on one of the album tracks having previously never met.

There was also a short applause for producer of both albums Steve King who sadly died this year without which Kershaw said 'They wouldn't have been made.'

Nik Kershaw performed at Wulfrun Hall at The Halls with his band - Picture Amanda Adams

But thank goodness they were, and hits like The Riddle, Wide Boy, Don Quixote and Human Racing were mixed in seamlessly with album tracks like Shame on You, Easy and Drum Talk.

Nik Kershaw sounded as good as ever as he played two platinum selling albums from 1984 in full - Picture Amanda Adams

Kershaw joked at the start that by playing all of the two albums there would be songs you might not want to hear but at least no new ones .

It was clear though the crowd were familiar with all the tracks, both albums having sold 300,000 discs in the UK alone, going platinum and earning him a spot on Live Aid the following year.

Last time I saw him it was in 2010 in the opening week of the Slade Rooms when he appeared by himself with just an acoustic guitar on stage.

This time it was with an accomplished band consisting of a lead guitarist, bass player, drummer and of course a keyboard player and it was like being transformed to the 1980s again, the small venue lending itself to a great atmosphere.

Nik Kershaw and his band on stage at Wulfrun Hall - The Halls. Picture: Amanda Adams

He saved Wouldn't it be Good and I Won't let the Sun Go Down on me for the latter stages of the second set and finished off the encore with 'The One and Only' which he wrote for Chesney Hawkes to have a big hit with in the early 90s.

Nik Kershaw was certainly a big hit with the Wolverhampton crowd after all these years.

Paul Jenkins