It has been 30 years since The Christians first broke onto the music scene with their hit song Forgotten Town.

With hits like Harvest for the World, Ideal World and Hooverville, The Christians made their mark on the 80s and early 90s with a “blend of Motown and gospel with 80s synth”.

Their first five singles all made the top 40 in the UK charts, their debut album The Christians went double platinum, and their second album Colour knocked Phil Collins off the No 1 spot.

It was a hugely successful time for The Christians, so named as it was the surname of founder members Garry and his brothers Russell and Roger, as well as the middle name of fellow band member Henry Priestman.

Decades on, and to mark their special anniversary, the Liverpudlian band (with a changed line-up) are in the midst of a year packed full of gigs, festivals and tours.

Lead singer Garry Christian, spoke to the Bucks Free Press about the band’s plans this year, what it was like hitting the big time, and how he once wrote lyrics on a mirror when he was impressing a record producer.

This is a very big year for you, your 30th anniversary, what are you doing to mark it?

We’ve been touring, doing dates. Last year we decided to make this year Gig Central, and said that any gigs that came in, we’d go and do them. There are lots of people coming out to see us and that’s great.

You’re performing at Rewind South in Henley, are you looking forward to it?

Absolutely. It’s one of those festivals I love because it’s for the people. They come out in all their 80s refinery, and they’re all crazy and they’re all drunken. And especially if it’s sunny, there’s no better day, is there really? It’s just wonderful. From a stage angle, when you’re looking out, and it’s all those people, it’s just great. We were asked to do Rewind, and we always say yes. Go West (who are on the same line-up) are favourites of ours. We always hang out with Go West.

If you were in the Rewind Festival crowd then, who would you go dressed up as?

Prince maybe, in a wig, a really tall Prince.

You’re touring with Midge Ure and Altered Images later in the year. You’re also doing a gig with The Jacksons. How did that come about?

My partner and manager of the band Emma said to me ”Do you want to support The Jacksons? And I said “Who are The Jacksons?” I thought it was a new group or something (laughs). She said “The Jacksons, The Jacksons 5!” I said “What? You sure?” It’ll be great to meet Jermaine, Tito and the boys.

What do you think made the 80s such a special decade?

Oh well, it was very diverse, you know, from 1980 to 1990. There was so much going on. At the beginning you had the New Romantics and the end of punk. You had Duran Duran and all that, which wasn’t really my cup of tea. We kicked off round about ‘87. We saw a niche in the market, sound likes a cliché but we were doing our thing. We thought we’d mix the harmonies of Motown and gospel with the 80s synth that was going on at the time and we came out with our first single Forgotten Town, and people got onto it, and thought “Wow, this is great”.

What was it like to find success, with your brothers also in the band and playing by your side?

It was amazing. We were locked in the studio first of all. To get the gig at Island Records, one of the guys came up to Liverpool to watch us sing in the front parlour. I remember writing the lyrics into the mirror so that I could remember them, because it was a new song. The guy was sitting in the corner, nodding his head as we were doing our thing, and then we were signed to Island Records! We had no idea, we were just having a laugh really, and the next thing, we’re in a studio and we’re recording an album. It was all very fast. Forgotten Town was our very first single in ‘87. We were together in the same car, going to a rehearsal or something, and it came on the radio “This is the Christians, Forgotten Town,” and it was great. We were whooping and hollering! It then just went ballistic, we were going everywhere, all over Europe, interviews and everything. Suddenly we were pushed into this place that we didn’t really know anything about - the media - and we had to be on it. We had to philosophise about life, and we were like, come on, we’re just a bunch of guys from Liverpool. What we decided, in fact, was to just lie. We just kind of made up stories ‘cos it was too much.

You were one of 13 children weren’t you, were you all musical, and what was their reaction to your success?

We just loved music really. My brother Vic was a music teacher and I remember on my 15th birthday, he bought me a bass guitar, so I played bass in a group called Joe Public. We were never signed or anything, but I played in this kind of jazz fusion group, and that was kind of weird and wonderful. We’d just go round the pubs and clubs of Liverpool. Suddenly we met a guy called Henry and it all kind of gelled. But two of my brothers left, Vic and Mark, because they couldn’t be bothered with the rehearsals, then there was me, Russell and Roger and Henry, so the four of us whacked out these songs, and that was that.

So we were lucky that you swapped from bass player to singer, otherwise we wouldn’t have been treated to your voice?

You know why, it’s because I couldn’t actually play the bass and sing at the same time (laughs). I don’t know how people do that! It’s weird but I couldn’t do it.

When The Christians broke onto the music scene, there were a lot of other successful bands like The Icicle Works and Echo and the Bunnymen. What was the vibe in Liverpool like at the time?

Liverpool has always been a vibrant, musical city, all kinds of disparate groups going on. Still is today. When people got to know us, there was already Echo and the Bunnymen, and all the other guys. We all used to get together on a Sunday and play football together. It was wonderful. There was no jealousy or rivalry, it was like “Well Done!” It was great to be around at that time.

What would you say is the highlight of your 30 year career so far?

Meeting the various people along the way. I wouldn’t like to say one or the other in case of offending anyone. It’s just been a wonderful 30 years. I had no idea back then that this little lad from Liverpool would do anything special in life. I still don’t. I’ve still got that kind of mentality,  feet on the ground, we’re all the same kind of vibe. I was blessed with the fact that I can sing. I remember when I was 11, and I was listening to Ray Charles, The Temptations, and The Beatles, people like that, and thinking I wish I could sing like that. I just wanted to sing, I’ve always wanted to perform from a very early age.  That’s why I pursued it. I didn’t want to work for somebody, I wanted to work for myself, and this was a great option. It’s great to be able to do something I love doing. Not many people get that opportunity. I feel kind of blessed and happy every day.

You give a lot back. You’ve been involved in charity songs like Ferry Cross The Mersey and most recently Big Red Sky. Tell us what that song means to you?

Big Red Sky was a tribute to the victims and the families of the victims of the terrible tragedy of Hillsborough in ‘89. It took 27 years for justice, with the lies and horrors of the truth not being told, and that song just came about for that reason really. It goes down amazingly and people are so reverent about it. It all goes very quiet when we start singing that one.

How would you sum up your last 30 years in the business?

Amazing, fascinating, eye-opening. It’s just been amazing for me. To see people enjoying a concert is the best thing for me, and that’s why I still do it now.

The Christians play Rewind South 80s Music Festival at Temple Islands Meadows in Henley-on-Thames on Sunday, August 20.