ONE of the biggest pop groups of the 1980s is heading to the BIC tomorrow night, as they continue their latest AU tour.

The Human League, fronted by Phil Oakey, formed in the late 1970s and is best known for their hit song Don’t You Want Me?

The 25th best-selling single in UK chart history can be found on Dare, the band’s hugely successful, genre-defining 1981 album.

Fast forward 33 years and Human League are now a three-piece consisting of Oakey and the singers he met in a Sheffield club in 1980, Susan Ann Sulley and Joanne Catherall.

It seems the band now find themselves in a very different position.

Speaking to the slightly gruff yet affable frontman Phil Oakey, it soon becomes apparent that their Alternative Universe tour may all be down to a fear of modern technology.

“There’s a big daft idea behind the Alternative Universe tour.

“We could be living in a world where people hadn’t invented samplers and digital recording and still the world would be full of people making records with synthesizers and sounding like us.

“Oh and Annie Lennox would be the Queen!” says Phil, 59.

It’s a slightly Luddite mentality, but you have to appreciate that Human League paid their dues while pioneering synth pop music in the early 80s.

“It’s not really a greatest hits tour, we just want to reinforce that we were a synth band.

“When we started out we saw that as an alternative to the guitar-based music which was more or less universal at the time. We had big fights with people at record companies and things,” adds Phil.

“I love synths,” he enthuses.

“Flashing lights, rotary dials and faders, that’s my thing.

“When everyone started playing music on laptops I lost interest completely, and could never get on with the programmes you needed.”

It becomes clear that this latest tour has a strong agenda for reminding the public why they fell in love with the band in the first place.

“Things get vague as time goes by. I’m not sure if people remember us as a synth band these days or as a slightly weaker English version of Abba.

“The synth thing means a lot to us, but I’m not sure if it means a lot to anyone else.

“There’s quite a lot of the synth sound about. You could say current bands like Bastille and Churches are going in that direction. It’s a matter of interpretation. I’m pleased to be alive more than anything, so I don’t pick holes in what people do and analyse it.”

They may have been making music for over three decades, but it was only relatively recently that the band started to enjoy the experience.

“It was our fault for taking it seriously. Time passes by and you realise it all wasn’t as important as you thought it was.

“We were a bit humourless; I think because I think we knew we were out of our depth.

“The core of the band were not musicians and we didn’t believe we would have career in music.

“We suddenly realised we had big expectations coming at us.

“Luckily we kept finding really good people to work with.”

With time has come confidence and Phil is relishing the live date in Bournemouth. I like the touring life and would be happy to tour for six months of the year. I love all of it and Dorset is my favourite county.

“My parents retired to Southbourne and one day I’ll try and move there too.”

n Human League appear at the BIC tomorrow night.

For tickets call 0844 576 3000, or visit bic.co.uk