Nik Kershaw’s debut album Human Racing came out in 1984 and saw him dominating the singles chart with tracks including Wouldn’t It Be Good, I Won’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me and Dancing Girls. Swiftly followed by The Riddle, Nik spent 62 weeks in the charts and was one of the musicians to play Live Aid in July 1985.
After opting out of performing to concentrate on writing and producing, he wrote Chesney Hawkes’ number one hit, The One and Only and has also worked with Elton John, Sia, Gary Barlow and Genesis. Since 1998 he has been creating his own music once more and has also more recently been performing his 80s hits once again, to the delight of his dedicated fan base. He is currently on the road once again with his band (including an Oxford date later this month) and after a summer of festivals, he will be staging The 1984 Tour across the UK and Europe.
What Makes Nik
Happy?
Being around other happy people. That’s the easiest way – I’m very empathic.
Sad?
Well… being around sad people. I don’t really get sad very much anymore. I don’t know if I’m weird in that respect because there’s no quick answer to that one, but I don’t really get sad.
Angry?
Ignorance makes me angry. Intolerance, or the inability to see someone else's point of view makes me angry.
Reflective?
Doing interviews about my past...
Confident?
After a good gig, coming off the stage after having a really amazing response from a crowd. It’s all very superficial but that really works, you know? You can go from being very un-confident an hour and a half previously, to thinking you’re great and everything's wonderful.
Hungry?
The smell of bacon, of course. That’s a given. I’m hungry most of the time; tha’ts the real battle I have with myself. I make sure I work away from home because I’m nowhere near a fridge.
Nik Kershaw will be performing at the O2 Academy in Oxford on 28 June. Nik and his band promise “a distinct lack of dance moves, lasers, pyrotechnics, Jazz hands or anything remotely to do with “showbusiness”. Very little sartorial effort will be made (minimal sequins or spandex). Just expect a great band, playing great songs, up close and in your face. It might get sweaty.” Tickets are available from thegigcartel.com
