Music

Interview

Interview: Steps prepare for their summer UK tour

We chat to Faye Tozer ahead of their huge outdoor venue tour.

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Celebrating the release of their fifth studio album Tears On The Dancefloor, Steps have returned to the live circuit playing arena shows across the UK. With the aptly titled Party of the Dancefloor tour almost done and dusted, the band are now looking forward to their summer 2018 dates.

The huge events will see Steps take to outdoor venues across the country, bringing their iconic pop tracks to more and more fans. If that wasn’t enough, they’ll also be joined by fellow pop superstars Blue and Aqua on select dates (note that you’ll need to see which of the two are supporting on which date to avoid disappointment).

With the summer tour scheduled to kick off on the 26 May 2018 at the LCI Rail Stadium in Cheltenham, and including stops at Greenwhich Music Time and Kew The Music, we caught up with Faye Tozer to find out more on what fans can expect, and how it is to be back out on the road with new music.

Steps - Scared Of The Dark (Official Video)

What’s it like being back on the road?

Oh my goodness, it’s just been so good. I was just telling the lighting guy it’s been my favourite Steps shows to perform ever. It’s really satisfying. It’s such a quick, fast paced show for us to do. The audience’s reviews have also been incredible; we’ve just been absolutely overwhelmed.

Were you worried about the shows at all?

Because we care about the show and we want people to enjoy it, we were naturally a bit nervous. We also have to compare it to other Steps shows. The last show we did, when we came back and did The Ultimate Tour, that was so massive. We just didn’t know if we could top it. But people have been saying this is our best one yet. Now we have to do the next one even better.

That pressure never dies down.

Absolutely. We just need to keep getting fresh ideas. Creatively this has been really incredible. We don’t get to actually see the show because we are behind all of the effects, looking out onto the audience. When we see it on social media from the audience’s point of view, it does look incredible.

What’s your favourite thing about being out there?

I’m in the job to be a singer and a dancer. I feel really lucky to be in Steps and have that on a huge scale. To have that satisfaction of singing great songs, and going out and having that live performance, and seeing the buzz of the audience – those happy, smiling faces looking back at you having an amazing time – creating that high level of energy is such a buzz. The adrenaline we get off it is just incredible. It’s amazing. Everyone is having a brilliant time.

You sound like you’re really enjoying yourself.

I’m so over the moon. I’m sad that this tour has to finish. I’m going to get proper aftershow blues. It’s going to be a bit of a comedown. But we have things to look forward to, and another brilliant legacy show we’ve left behind.

You’ve got your summer dates ahead, so that’s something to look forward to next year.

Absolutely. That’s going to be completely different. It’s going to be a new show creatively. That’s something for us to really look forward to. How we are going to change and move, adapt this show, and add new things for people to see.

You’re doing big outdoor venues. How did that come about?

Around 2011 we did some smaller racecourse gigs and it was really great. It’s just good to get out there and gig, because that’s what we do. It’s exciting to go to places you can’t reach when you’re doing arena tours. It’s a different setting. Maybe even for a different audience.

We’re doing things like Kew Gardens, which is a bit more civilised and you can sit down with a picnic and a glass of Prosecco. It’s having it in a different surrounding and getting closer to those people.

Did you think when you started Steps back in the ‘90s you’d be at this point?

Absolutely not. We didn’t think we’d be performing 5,6,7,8 twenty years later, but there you go. We absolutely love it. You don’t know what’s around the corner, but it’s going to be a really exciting summer.

What do you think you’ll have to change up for the summer?

It’s going to be adifferent stage setting. We know that people will have seen us on the arena tour, so we really want to change it up. We’re going to take some of the elements of our show and adapt them, but also we’ve been talking about new things. We’ll change the setlist a little bit. People have requested songs from the new album they really want to hear, so we are going to take that into consideration.

You’re enjoying the new songs as well as the classics?

It’s quite interesting watching your audience. We do some of the old songs at the beginning of the show, and it’s amazing to hear everyone singing back to you. Then with the new songs we’re really surprised with how many people know the new music, and are jumping around. It’s been really well received. We thought it might be a quieter moment in the show, but the reaction has been brilliant.

You’re also taking Aqua and Blue on the road with you in the summer.

People are going to have to have a look carefully when buying the tickets to know who they are seeing. We’ll only have both at some shows, but what a lovely line-up.

Is that a reunion for you?

Back in the day we used to do the same gigs. We’ve definitely all been on the same line-ups. I’m personally a bit of a fan, so I’ll be singing along to every song.

Steps: 5, 6, 7, 8:30 meeting

Here are those Steps tour dates:

26 May 2018 – LCI Rail Stadium, Cheltenham*
27 May 2018 – Mowden Park, Darlington**
2 June 2018 – Peterborough Utd FC, Peterborough**
3 June 2018 – Parc Y Scarlets, Llanelli**
9 June 2018 – Kent County Cricket Club, Canterbury*
10 June 2018 – Yeovil Town FC, Yeovil**
16 June 2018 – Colchester Castle, Colchester*
17 June 2018 – Doncaster Rovers FC, Doncaster**
22 June 2018 – Slessor Gardens, Dundee**
23 June 2018 – Bolesworth Castle, Chester*
24 June 2018 – Coventry Rugby Club, Coventry**
29 June 2018 – Scarborough Open Air Theatre, Scarborough
30 June 2018 – South of England Event Centre, Ardingly**
5 July 2018 – Greenwich Music Time, Old Royal Naval College, London
10 July 2018 – Kew The Music, Kew Gardens, London

*w/ Blue
**w/ Aqua & Blue

Tickets for Steps’ summer tour dates are available now through Ticketmaster.co.uk.