80s icon Nik Kershaw talks ahead of Bilston gig

He didn’t even like being in front of the cameras - but a baptism of fire (in the form of learning how to be a pop star while in the public eye) soon meant he was not only a highly-successful star, but a self-confessed ‘dismissive’ one at that.

“Nowadays, just being a celebrity is a thing - and anyone with a smartphone can do it,” said Nik, now aged 59.

“But I don’t really think I fully understood what I was getting into.

“I wanted to be on stage, playing music. But suddenly being public property; no one can prepare you for that.

“I wasn’t the world’s best dancer either, so I didn’t much like being in front of the cameras.

“It was just something I had to learn. But I had to learn it in public.”

Nik’s career first took off with the release of 1983 single I Won’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me. His breakthrough single was, however, Wouldn’t It Be Good - released in 1984 - which reached number 4 in the UK charts.

Numerous hits followed, but it wasn’t just songs he had written for himself that went down a storm; as in 1991 Chesney Hawkes reached number one in the UK with Nik’s The One And Only.

Nowadays, Chesney is in fact one of Nik’s closest friends - with Nik saying he’s ‘up there with the best’ he’s ever worked with.

While in the height of his fame, Nik also toured with music legend Elton John - and witnessed some of the star’s renowned diva moments.

“At the time, Elton was doing a lot of drugs and drinking a lot of alcohol. He wasn’t in a stable relationship at the time either. He wasn’t in a great place,” said Nik.

“He actually stopped taking drugs about five years after all of this.

“I remember walking past his dressing room when we were in Vienna, about to go in and talk to him, when a plate of sushi came flying out the door.

“I thought ‘maybe I’ll leave it’.

“Another time, I was on tour with him in Europe. One night in San Sebastián in Spain, I went on stage to do my thing in front of some 6,000 people.

“I came off and Elton all of a sudden decided he wasn’t going out on stage, and that he was going to have a hissy fit.

“So everybody was running around like maniacs and in the end he said ‘oh, all right then’.

“We then played five or six shows at the Wembley Arena. I did my bit, then Elton came on.

“After a few minutes someone shouted something rude about Watford FC - of which Elton used to be chairman - and he just got up and walked off stage.

“He just wasn’t having that at all.

“There were about 12,000 witnesses to that one.”

Despite the star’s reputation, however, Nik said Elton approaching him to attend one of his gigs was ‘very humbling’ - and he has nothing but positive things to say about the star nowadays.

The Your Song icon is even said to have described Nik as ‘the best songwriter of a generation’ - something which Nik jokingly puts down to Elton’s former drug taking.

“I don’t know if that was myth or legend. I’m pretty sure he did say it, but he was taking lots of drugs at the time, so perhaps that’s why,” laughed Nik.

“The first record I ever bought was Your Song.

“I remember him approaching me. He went to the trouble of contacting me through my PR agent and invited me to a gig.

“It was just amazing. Him being as big a star as he was, to take the time to someone who was really amazing. A very humbling experience.”

Looking back at his own experience with drugs, Nik says he is incredibly lucky to have avoided a narcotics problem; especially considering he has an addictive personality, he says.

“Back in the day, you didn’t need to be a musician to be doing drugs - it was everywhere,” added Nik.

“Cocaine use was rife.

“I tried it and I didn’t like it. It just kept me awake - I just didn’t get it.

“And I’m very lucky for that, as I have an addictive personality. I sat down and watched the entire Breaking Bad boxset in three days.

“I was also very lucky that I was surrounded by fairly responsible people. If they did use drugs, they certainly kept quiet about it.”

Talking about the music industry itself, Nik also says he is fortunate not to have fallen victim to underhanded techniques, which have left so many artists out of pocket.

“So many people are ripped off in the music industry,” said Nik.

“When you get to that stage, it can be frustrating and take a long time, but it’s important to get it right.

“Nowadays, I wouldn’t even know where to get started.

“Some people want fame so badly, they will do anything to get it.

“I would just say, be careful and think about what you are doing.”

Nik is set to play two Midland shows in the near future: an intimate show at Bilston’s Robin 2 on September 24 and Step Back! The 80s Concert at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry on October 14.

As an artist still releasing material, Nik says he was initially reluctant to perform at such increasingly popular 80s shows as this - as he feared it may take away from his new music.

“Initially, I was reluctant to these 80s shows - and a lot of people from the same era have the same problem,” explained Nik.

“Most of us are still making music and writing songs. And whenever you try to promote something new, you just get ambushed with stuff from the past, like ‘wasn’t your hair big’ and ‘what was it like to play Live Aid?’. I came to resent all that - and there’s a fear that by doing these shows, it can make all that worse. No one takes the new stuff seriously.

“Then you realise that actually, it makes no difference. Anyone who wants to listen to your new stuff will do. And these shows can open doors - while on stage there, you can be promoting your new stuff.

“When I started doing them, they actually turned out to be a lot of fun.

“Working with the other 80s stars? They’re all horrible. I can’t stand any of them.

“More recently I’ve been touring a lot with Go West; we get on stage together a lot and mess up each others’ songs.

“It’s a hell of a lot of fun. There’s less pressure as well, as it’s not all about you.”

But in the end, whether his new material does well or not, Nik says he’s just happy fans still want to hear him play.

“I’m so grateful that I’m still here and people still want to hear me perform - that’s amazing,” said Nik.

“I enjoy performing and making music more than ever now, because it’s far more relaxing and I’ve gotten a bit of perspective over the years.

“I was in my own little bubble when I was younger.

“You just don’t see it happening. It kind of creeps up on you. People start carrying your bags for you - and, to begin with, you want do it yourself - then you get used to it.

“But I began to expect it. I’m sure I was very dismissive of some people - and I apologise now to all of them.

“It’s not until people stop carrying your bags that you think back, and think ‘oh dear’.

“Nowadays, if I can make someone smile, then that’s great. But there are so many more important things; like family.”

Looking ahead to his Bilston show, Nik says fans can expect an array of songs, as well as ‘a lot of chat’.

“I’ll be singing some hits, as well as lots of different songs from my career,” said Nik.

“These are my shows, so I know the crowd has specifically come out to see me, so they’ll have more of a handle on my work.

“There’s also be a lot of chat and I’ll be talking plenty of nonsense. It’ll be very informal.

“Last time I did these shows, I took questions - maybe that will happen this time.”