The 80's Invasion Tour 2017 - Interview With Pop Star Martika

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Thu 02 Mar 2017 - Sun 19 Mar 2017

American pop star Martika was just a teenager when she soared to fame with songs like Toy Soldiers in the late 1980's and admits it was a whirlwind at a very young age. But despite shying away from fame, the singer, who wrote songs with Prince and has toured with Pat Benatar, is now getting a second chance to enjoy her heyday at the age of 47 as part of the 80's Invasion Tour 2017 .



Weekend Notes caught up with Martika - a one-time protégé of the late, great Prince - to talk about her life and the Invasion Tour that also features 1980's music acts including Paul Young, Toyah and China Crisis.

It tours the UK with 15 gigs during March next year including West Midlands venues of Malvern Theatres and Birmingham Town Hall plus Liverpool, London and Edinburgh.

Recalling her career, Martika says: "I was such a kid when I had sudden success; just a teenager living at home with my parents. So, to get on stage now and feel that the people still remember my music and want to see me sing is amazing."

She adds: "I don't do this very often so it's cool to do some shows. I didn't get to tour extensively back in the day because I had such an intense schedule.The audience now is around the same age as me and I can tell when they're on a date night and having a fun evening, away from the kids."



Martika reveals that she will be singing five songs at each show - her biggest hits of Toy Soldiers, Martika's Kitchen, More Than You Know, I Feel The Earth Move and Love Thy Will Be Done, which she wrote with Prince at his famous music studio and residence Paisley Park in Minnesota.

Martika has been saddened by Prince's death as she spent fond times with the music writer and performer: "I remember recording that song with Prince and going into Paisley Park, that was pretty cool times. When I think of artists I'd like to see from years gone by, I'd have to wait to get to heaven so I could party with Prince... and also Jimi Hendrix." She quickly adds: "But then there's Donna Summer and David Bowie too. Most of my wish list are dead. I guess of those alive, it would be good if The Eurythemics got back together - now that would be good."

Being only 19 when she got into the charts, Martika had worldwide success in 1988 and means that she is by far the youngest act on this 1980's revival tour. When she did a similar version recently in Australia, she tells me how co-starring with Katrina and the Waves made her giddy as she loved the band as a child - and got to tell them so on tour.



Starting her career as a child star on US children's TV show Kids Incorporated she would cover chart hits like Katrina and the Waves and even Paul Young, who she tours with in March.

Despite the early fame, Martika seems content to live a quiet, unassuming life out of the limelight with her musician husband. I ask her if that has been spurned by such a quick rise to fame at an early age. "It was also a strange time as I'd come from television, which was as close to 9-5 in showbusiness as you can get," she says. "So going into a studio every day and then travelling around the world wasn't something I was used to."



Martika continues: "I wasn't prepared for that pace and I was always uncomfortable with the self promotion side of it. I wanted to make records but I didn't want everything else that goes with it. People ask me 'aren't you grateful that you had a Number One hit on your first album?' But I didn't expect it and it was so overwhelming. It was a case of be careful what you wish for as there was a lot of pressure to maintain my career on a world level. I much prefer a slower pace and don't like pressure."



Married for 15 years, Martika describes herself now as a housewife who loves to cook but does occasional creative projects with her husband Michael Mozart. But although this tour is a rare performance by the singer, fans can feel optimistic at her final comment. "This tour is going to be a bit surreal for me," giggles Martika, "But I'm lucky because my hits were at the end of the 1980's and into the early 1990's, so I can get on the '90s tour too!"

So watch this space.

The 80's Invasion - Tour Dates

MARCH 2017

THURS 2nd - RHYL Pavilion - 01745 330000 - Rhyl Pavilion website.

FRI 3rd - LEICESTER - De Montfort Hall - 0116 233 3111 - Demontfort Hall website

SAT 4th - STOKE - The Victoria Hall - 0844 871 7649 - Victoria Hall website

SUN 5th - EDINBURGH Playhouse - 0844 871 3014 - Edinburgh Playhouse website.

TUES 7th - SHREWSBURY - Theatre Severn - 01743 281281 - Theatre Severn website

THURS 9th - CHATHAM - Central Theatre - 01634 338338 - Central Theatre website

FRI 10th - MALVERN Theatres - 01684 892277 - Malvern Theatres website

SAT 11th - BASINGSTOKE - The Anvil - 01256 844244 - Anvil website

SUN 12th - BIRMINGHAM Town Hall - 0121 345 0600 - Birmingham Town Hall website

MON 13th - GUILDFORD GLive - 01483 369 350 - GLive website

WED 15th - AYLESBURY- The Waterside - 0844 871 7607 - Waterside website

THURS 16th - LONDON Indigo2 - 0844 856 0202 - Indigo2 website

FRI 17th - HUDDERSFIELD - Town Hall - 01484 225755 - town hall website

SAT 18th - NEWCASTLE - City Hall - 0191 277 8030 - Newcastle City Hall website

SUN 19th - LIVERPOOL - Philharmonic - 0151 709 3789 - Liverpool Philharmonic website

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!date 02/03/2017 -- 19/03/2017
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