Last night the band I adored as an eight year old announced they were bringing out a new single, album and tour all to celebrate twenty years of Steps.
They briefly reformed and toured in 2011. Yes I went. Purely for nostalgic purposes. I sang and danced to all the songs, remembered all the routines just as if I was still eight years old and going to their concerts at Manchester Arena was still an annual thing with my Mum and cousins.
Manchester Arena was also where the band ultimately spilt up. Up until very recently I still had the VHS of that concert. Child me loved it very much and watched it a lot.
I still think the orchestral interlude used in the tour intro was absolute genius. Fifteen years later it’s still in my iTunes and played on a regular basis.
Looking back at these videos now, you can clearly see both Claire Richards and Faye Tozer have tears rolling down their cheeks. In the 2011 reunion documentary they revealed that both Claire and fellow band member H quit not long before the band were due to take the stage for the show.
H and Claire, who I openly admit are my favourite members and still are to this day, went on to form a duo. They released an album. I bought it even went to a show they appeared in at the arena as a duo. Bought a pale pink shirt with their names on from the merchandise stand, I still have it, years later. I still have the H doll, all the Steps tour programmes I bought and for some reason I still have a tin of Steps Spaghetti hoops. ( No I’m not sure why either).
Last year I went to the press night of Priscilla,Queen of the Desert at the Manchester Opera House with a fellow journo, in the interval we went to the press section to network and drink the free drinks they offered. I stood next to H from Steps who was their to support his partner Craig (who was staring in the show )to get my drink.
Did I take the chance to tell who how much eight year old me had adored him and had his poster on my wall, and how I’d loved the album he’d put out with Claire? No eight year old me decided twenty seven year old me should just smile at him as I got my drink and not say a word. I don’t like eight year old me.
Steps released songs that anyone of any age can listen to and connect with as it was fun. I can connect Steps with lots of good memories growing up, that make me look back and think yes that was a great time in my life. Steps were a huge part of my childhood and the eight year old me is secretly hoping for more cheesy dance routines.