T in the Park: Human League join festival line-up

Eighties pop icons The Human League have confirmed an appearance at Scotland’s biggest music festival.

Joanne Catherall, Phil Oakey and Susan Ann Sulley of The Human League. Picture: Getty Images

The electro-pop pioneers have joined Biffy Clyro, Calvin Harris. Arctic Monkeys and Paolo Nutini on the line-up of T in the Park, which is celebrating its 21st birthday this year.

The band confirmed they would be making their debut appearance at the event just days after a social media campaign was launched by fans of Aberdeen Football Club to propel their best-known song to the top of the charts.

They had adapted the famous lyrics to 1981 festive hit “Don’t You Want Me” to “Peter Pawlett Baby” for a chant in honour of the club’s midfield star, who missed the club’s League Cup victory on Sunday because of an injury.

Festival director Geoff Ellis said: “The Human League are a seminal group, with an incredible back catalogue of classic hits. Their hugely influential sound has paved the way for countless artists, including many which have played T in the Park over the years. I’m sure they’ll be a huge hit with the Balado crowd this summer. We can’t wait to see them play the festival for the first time.”

A statement from the band said: “The Human League are thrilled to be playing T in the Park this summer. It has been a long-held ambition of ours to play at this iconic festival and we were delighted to be asked to be part of such a diverse and exciting bill.”

Earlier this week the group issued a statement saying they were “stunned and honoured” to find their song soaring up the iTunes chart.

The Human League, previous headliners at the Wickerman festival in Dumfriesshire, have been booked for T in the Park 12 months after huge crowds turned up to see electro-pop icons Kraftwerk at the event.