SLIDESHOW: Flashback to the 80s at Clumber Park

Jason Donovan and the Human League were among the acts performing at the Flashback to the 80s concert at Clumber Park at the weekend.
Toyah performs at the Flashback to the 80s event. Photo by Robin Burns.Toyah performs at the Flashback to the 80s event. Photo by Robin Burns.
Toyah performs at the Flashback to the 80s event. Photo by Robin Burns.

Our reporter Wayne Swiffin has written this review of the event.

With their picnics, bottles of wine, cans of lager, umbrellas, fold-up chairs and fancy dress, thousands of people ventured deep into Clumber Park for the Flashback to the 80s concert on Saturday night.

With a line-up boasting Toyah, Jason Donovan, Five Star, Marc Almond and Human League, it promised to transport people back to a different age.

For some, it was getting back to the music of their youth, for others, the music their parents loved. Some looked as though they were from the 1880s. It’s an event that is as much about the music, as it is about the people who go. People watching at its best. From those in fluorescent wigs, ra-ra skirts, and super hero costumes, to those dressed as Freddie Mercury and those wearing nothing but budgie smugglers. (Bit strange that last one, to be honest, although they did seem to get a lot of smiles and people asking to have their photos taken with them).

Many had brought picnics, most had brought alcohol of some nature. By six, some were already vomiting by the trees or the refuse skip. It added to the atmosphere as you ate your salmon and cream cheese bagels, accompanied by a cheeky little Merlot in a plastic glass.

Toyah was superb, belting out a mix of her songs and cover versions, and she compered the night.

Toyah clearly still has it.

Five Star don’t.

As far as I could tell, it was more like one out of Five Star; she gave it a good go to be fair, but kept on shouting Come on Nottingham. She couldn’t hear me shouting back that we were about 23 miles from Nottingham and people were as likely to have come from Sheffield or Spalding as they were Nottingham.

Jason Donovan clearly has talent. A good voice that got the crowd singing and dancing. Songs like Especially for You and the crowd-pleasers from his stint in Joseph and his Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Marc Almond sang some great hits, and his voice does not seem to have changed that much. Got to be be one of the highlights of the night for me.

The Human League were excellent. Not sure if they were the headline act or not, but by that time it was dark, it had been raining, and thoughts were turning to getting out of the park and back to the waiting taxi.

The event is a firm favourite, is well-organised, and a credit to those put it together. Anecdotally, it looked like there were more people there than there were at the same event last year.

The rain and wind and occasional crash of lightning didn’t stop people having a great time.

Well worth looking out for next year’s event.