Live Nation have announced details of the Hit Factory Live – Christmas Cracker and our very own Dean ‘Midas’ Maynard found out more…
Hit Factory Live Christmas Cracker
Set to be the ultimate Christmas party this once in a lifetime concert will take place at London’s O2 arena on December 21, with tickets going on sale at 9am on Friday 19 October.
The show on the 21st December will celebrate the legendary Stock Aitken Waterman songwriting and production team, the phenomenal success of Pete Waterman’s PWL label and, above all, the irresistible pop that came to define an era in British music history. Once called ‘The Sound of a Bright Young Britain’, it undoubtedly now stands as the soundtrack to a generation, with sales of over 500 million units worldwide.
Stock Aitken Waterman scored an unrivalled run of global hits in the 80s and 90s and are now acknowledged as one of the most successful songwriting and producing partnerships of all time. 2012 also marks the 25th anniversary of PWL Records, the legendary label originally set up as home for many Hit Factory artists.
Pete Waterman said: ‘Hit Factory Live – Christmas Cracker will be the biggest and best celebration of SAW and PWL ever. This will be the perfect party to commemorate our 25th anniversary. We were devastated when Hyde Park’s Hit Factory Live had to be cancelled but now the party is back on with an epic line-up of our classic artists!”.
Set to perform at this unique event are the classic artists from the PWL Hit Factory who will be performing on the same bill for the very first time. Steps, the multi-million selling group responsible for hits including ‘One For Sorrow’, ‘Tragedy’, ‘Deeper Shade of Blue’ and ‘Stomp’, have had an incredible 12 months. They reformed last year and have since played a sold out a twenty-date UK arena tour and had their very own TV documentary.
Rick Astley’s international success secures his place in the Hit Factory Live – Christmas Cracker line-up. Rick holds the record as the first British male artist to have his first eight solo singles reach the UK Top 10 ‘ including the global No. 1 ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’, ‘Whenever You Need Somebody’ and ‘Together Forever’. Entertainment megastar Jason Donovan takes his place on the bill following massive success with SAW in the late 80s. His hits include the No. 1s ‘Too Many Broken Hearts’, ‘Sealed with A Kiss’ and the bestselling SAW single ever with UK sales of over a million ‘ ‘Especially For You’, an unforgettable duet with Neighbours co-star Kylie Minogue.
With such classic hits such as ‘Venus’, ‘Love In the First Degree’ and ‘I Want You Back’, the UK’s most-charted girl group Bananarama are an essential addition to the Hit Factory Christmas Cracker bill. Dead Or Alive, fronted by the inimitable Pete Burns, also join the line-up, their timeless single ‘You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)’ was the first No. 1 for SAW in 1985.
Also appearing are Pepsi & Shirlie, Princess, Sinitta, Hazell Dean, Sonia, 2 Unlimited, Lonnie Gordon and Brother Beyond. With such signature smash hits between them as ‘Heartache’, ‘Say I’m Your Number One’, ‘Toy Boy’, ‘Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go)’, ‘You’ll Never Stop Me Loving You’, ‘No Limit’, ‘Happenin’ All Over Again’ and ‘The Harder I Try’.
I loved SAW and I honestly think, the current music world is missing their unique brand of catchy, sing along, pop music. The Hit Factory Live – Christmas Cracker will be a truly unmissable spectacular and one of the highlights of the festive season…I will see you there.
