Step back to the decade of big hits and big hair when 80s Classical comes to Birmingham’s Symphony Hall this month. Featuring original 80s artists performing much-loved anthems live with the backing of a full symphony orchestra, the show sees Nik Kershaw sharing the limelight with Johnny Hates Jazz and Jaki Graham. Nik here explains how performing symphonic versions of his hits has given him a new perspective…

Nik Kershaw, 80s Classical reimagines your music with a full orchestra - how did this symphonic treatment of your work first come about? 

I was first approached about this around five or six years ago, when we started doing 80s Classical at Millennium Square in Leeds, and it quickly became a regular event. I already knew Cliff Masterson, who runs and orchestrates the whole thing, and when he told me about the concept, it just felt like a great opportunity - not to reinvent the songs, but to approach them from a completely different angle.

What do orchestral arrangements bring to 80s pop songs that you can’t achieve in a standard live band? 

There’s something truly magnificent about performing with an orchestra. I’ve loved classical music since I was a kid - I used to listen to it a lot and go to the Proms with my parents, so to now find myself on stage with a full orchestra is a very special experience. It’s quite humbling, really. You realise you’re just one small part of something much bigger.

I imagine some people coming to this concert might never have seen a full orchestra before. They may be fans of mine or the other artists on the bill, and this could be their first experience of hearing that kind of sound live. You never quite know what’s brought people into the auditorium. 

And Birmingham Symphony Hall is a pretty special place to experience that for the first time. I’ve played there several times over the years, including when I was touring with Go West, and it’s just a fantastic venue. The acoustics are incredible - it really is a beautiful space to perform in.

Looking back, what do you think defined the sound and spirit of 80s pop music? 

What stands out to me is just how varied the charts were. You could have someone like Matt Bianco alongside folk, American rock, straight-up pop - pretty much every genre you could think of, all sitting in the top-10 at the same time. It felt incredibly diverse, and I don’t think you see that in quite the same way now.

There was also a deeper connection between audiences and music back then. People really bought records, collected vinyl, and invested themselves in artists. It felt like a more immersive experience. Interestingly, vinyl is making a comeback now, which is great to see - and definitely a positive thing for artists.

You’ll be sharing the stage with Johnny Hates Jazz and Jaki Graham - what’s the dynamic on tour with other iconic 80s artists? 

Well, none of us get on... Only joking! No, it’s great; I get on with everyone. Jaki Graham and the Johnny Hates Jazz guys are all just lovely. What’s interesting is that, over the years - especially since the retro festivals really took off in the mid-2000s - I’ve actually become friends with people I didn’t even meet back in the day, which is quite extraordinary.

Does working with an orchestra change your approach to stage performance? 

There are a couple of arrangements that I’ve worked on with Cliff Masterson where the orchestration is a bit more subtle or more interpretive, and in those cases, I do have to be more conscious of what’s happening around me.

You end up listening and responding to the orchestra in a different way - it becomes more of a conversation. You feed off what the orchestra is doing as well as your own part, and that’s actually a really enjoyable way to perform.
 

Do you notice a difference between how your original fans and younger listeners connect with your music? 

Yes, I think they do connect with it in a different way. Younger audiences are often just discovering the songs as songs - they’re listening to them as pieces of music in their own right... My older fans tend to come with a lot of memory attached. For them, it’s about where they were when they first heard those songs, who they were with and what was going on in their lives at the time. It becomes very nostalgic - it takes them right back.

The decade of the 80s is often remembered for big hair and big anthems - what’s one cliché from back then that you’d be happy to reclaim? 

I don’t know - I’ve got a sense of humour about all of it really. There was definitely a period where I was quite embarrassed by a lot of the 80s stuff - videos, fashion, all of those so-called faux pas. But if I had to pick one thing, I’d say shoulder pads. I think they should make a comeback - if they haven’t already and I’ve just missed it!

They’re actually brilliant. They do a lot for you, especially if you’re not particularly tall like me. They give you a bit of presence - you end up with broader shoulders and a smaller-looking head, which is always a bonus!

What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned about your own songs through orchestral arrangements?

Mostly positive things, really. You get so used to your older songs that you almost stop hearing them - you just think of them as ‘my old tunes’ and move on. But when you hear them with an orchestra, you suddenly think, actually… that’s a pretty good song. You start noticing all these harmonics and layers of harmony that were always there, but they’re brought out in a completely different way by the orchestration. And you realise, those are still my chords, that’s still my melody - it just gets revealed in a new light.

With a band, when we play live, it’s more of a joyful racket, really! It’s about energy and groove and power. But with the orchestra, it shifts the focus - it brings out the melody and the harmony much more clearly, I think.

Do you have any memories or standout moments from past performances in Birmingham?

I’ve got really fond memories of playing in Birmingham over the years. I played the Birmingham Odeon back in the day, and those were fantastic gigs - really great crowds.
More recently I’ve played Birmingham Town Hall, doing some solo acoustic shows, which is a brilliant venue as well. I just remember Birmingham audiences always being really warm and enthusiastic.

And, of course, Birmingham Symphony Hall is just outstanding. The last time I was there was probably about 10 years ago with Go West, so it’s been a while. I’m really looking forward to coming back.

80s Classical shows at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, on Thursday 11 June