After all, since their 1980s heyday, the present has caught up and overtaken the once futuristic-sounding trio, cited by many fresh faces as an influence or inspiration.

"I've moved back into my mum and dad's and can hear them saying 'it's not a bloody hotel you know'," says the singer of the flashbacks caused by the current reconvening of the band that gave the world club classic Temptation and Come Live With Me.

Later this year there will be even more when Heaven 17 join fellow Sheffield 80s flag wavers Human League – the band Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware quit to form production company British Electric Foundation (BEF) and H17 - and ABC for the Steel City Tour.

"It's an idea mooted five or six years ago as 'a good idea'," says singer Glenn.

"We left messages for each other and it just hadn't happened. So this is about the third attempt and I'm really looking forward to it."

Come December 17 they will be playing Sheffield Arena. During their peak the City Hall was as big as it got.

"At the time Sheffield was a little bit behind in musical entertainment. There were not that many places to go and watch or play gigs, either the Wapentake or City Hall."

Current talk of recession also seems to provide an authentic backdrop for the tour. At the time when Glenn, Phil Oakey, Martin Fry were devising new sounds that would hog the charts the economy was on the ropes.

"Because of that and the effect on the small steel industry, knives and forks, all the little factories around Division Street and West Street, you could rent a huge space from some guy happy to get it off his hands for a couple of years.

"The whole thing was really conducive to creative people coming together and making something. Then when everyone got a bit more famous and were working with other people we did not see each other for years."

Now, somewhat ironically perhaps, Glenn and fellow H17 member Martyn live within five minutes of each other in London's pleasant Primrose Hill, about 15 minutes from ABC singer Martin Fry.

In spite of the shared postal district, the Heaven 17 honchos have been involved in various separate projects. For Glenn it is other band Honeyroot and soundtrack work. "Our latest album just came out in Europe. We've got festivals to do. It's going very well and our music is being used in quite a lot of TV drama. I love doing score, music you don't usually get a chance to do."

Among the more famous examples recipients were the last series of Sex And The City and Biker Girls.

"American producers like us at the moment," says Glenn.

He's equally excited about reuniting under the H17 banner, although it seems the elusive Ian Craig Marsh, currently studying at university, will remain out of the picture.

"It doesn't feel odd doing this. And it doesn't seem that long ago. It's like 20 or 30 years but it seems more like 10.

"Between us – Heaven 17, the League and ABC - there are some really great, memorable songs.

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