The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Pop icons Steps, supported by Blue, performed in front of thousands of adoring fans from Courier Country last night. Picture: Kim Cessford.
Bands put on a super show at Slessor Gardens
Thousands of revellers enjoyed a nostalgia-filled evening in the sunshine as noughties bands Steps and Blue played at Dundee’s Slessor Gardens last night.
The performers visited the city as part of the Summer of Steps tour and delighted fans with a number of their classic hits.
Road closures were in place around the waterfront and the rest of the city centre, with traffic building up around Lochee Road and Blackscroft.
A number of buses, including the number 22 service, had to be rerouted.
However, the area surrounding the concert was relatively traffic-free and everyone appeared to be in good spirits.
One of those attending the concert was 29-year-old Amie Cook, who had bought the tickets as a birthday gift for a friend. She said: “I loved Steps when was younger and so did my friends, so I thought it would be a good present.
“My favourite was Lee and my favourite song was 5,6,7,8 – I still remember the dance moves.”
Lauren McLean, 28, was another Steps fan who wanted to relive her teenage years. She said: “I liked H the most and was also a superfan of Blue so it’s a great nostalgia evening.”
The gig was a first of a series of concerts to be held at the outdoor venue this summer, with Rita Ora, Simple Minds and KT Tunstall to follow.
When I was in my late teens and early twenties, Steps were very much a guilty pleasure for me.
I saw them a few times, but would never admit in public that I enjoyed their music, (although I had most of their albums).
Fast forward 20 years and I have no problem whatsoever admitting I am a fan.
I can’t fault their performance last night, from the opening number of Summer Of Love, to their encore of Tragedy.
They played a great selection of their hits, including a revamped version of their first ever release 5,6,7,8 along with some newer tracks from their most recent album Tears on the Dance Floor.
The audience were on fine form and the amazing atmosphere at the concert had everyone dancing, young and old(er).
The banter with the crowd and in fact with each other was great and they made us feel like they were really grateful to be up on that stage, 20 years after releasing their first single.
Steps, or indeed their production team, have done a sterling job of making their older songs sound as current as if they had just been released this year.
People may mock, but I would defy anyone not to have a good time.