#Ian H Watkins

[everythingfandom12]

[sassystarlightjellyfish]

[erasure-picnic]

You may have thought the PSB vs. Erasure series was over - but there’s more! I collected some tidbits that either couldn’t fit in the original series, or that I’d found after the last post. So here’s part 5!

After Erasure released their debut album, Clarke was asked in an interview if he thought the radio wouldn't play Erasure because their genre (synthpop) wasn't in fashion anymore. He disagreed, citing PSB as an example of a synthpop band who were doing well. Source: Melody Maker, May 31, 1986.

In August 1991, PSB did a stint as radio DJs on BBC Radio One, playing a surprisingly wide variety of artists. There were only two artists they wouldn’t play: Deacon Blue…and Erasure. (However, one of the songs they played–a 20-minute megamix by 808 State–sampled “Just Can’t Get Enough”, a song written by Vince Clarke!) Source: Literally, Nov. 1991.

Speaking to Outrage in 1992, Bell called PSB “snooty” and said they censored their interviews in the UK. Source: Outrage [Australia], Jan. 1992.

In 1994, Neil Tennant claimed that PSB weren't a 'perv' pop duo– “that’s more like Erasure.” (A decade earlier, in his career at Smash Hits, Tennant had coined the term ‘pervy synth duo’ to refer to Eurythmics.) Source: Vox, Jan. 1, 1994.

Bell described PSB as "swishy and camp" in a 1995 interview. Source: ICON, Dec. 1995.

In 2000, the unofficial Erasure site erasure.org reported that the “official” Erasure website, erasure.co.uk, was redirecting to the PSB website. However, it wasn’t the official site. The domain owner for erasure.co.uk had failed to sell the domain to the Erasure Information Service (EIS) for £10,000. After being rejected, he stole the designs and content from the EIS and reproduced them on his own site. When the EIS asked him to properly source his content, he decided to redirect his page to PSB’s site instead.

Ian “H” Watkins from the band Steps once told Neil Tennant that his brother had seen one of their gigs in Wales. Eventually, he realized it was Erasure. Tennant was “not impressed”. Source: NME, Nov. 2020.

In 2019, Bell went back on his word–he told journalist Steve Pafford that Erasure and PSB WERE rivals! Source: Stevepafford.com, Jun. 5, 2020.

[thelondonwhisperer]

Greggs Festive Rewind Party takes us “bake to the 00s”

The Greggs Festive Rewind party at Protein Studios took us “bake to the 00s” thanks to Claire Richard’s and H (Ian Watkins) from Steps and Rylan and Hunsnet 🪩

Free drinks, giveaways, 360 cameras and plenty of Greggs food was given away at the event, which started at a respectable 4.30pm and lasted 2.5 hours. The Big Brother winner Jordan Sangha and his partner/BB runner up Henry Southan were spotted at the event too 👀

Greggs know how to put on a Christmas party that’s for sure! 🎄💃🕺

[qudachuk]

Years after deferring a place at art school, Ian 'H' Watkins returns to his first love.

[12blogmk]

Dubai: Steps refuse concert over sexuality clause

Ian ‘H’ Watkins says a clause in the contract said there was to be no mention of sexuality.

[maniraja1]

Dubai: Steps refuse concert over sexuality clause

Ian ‘H’ Watkins says a clause in the contract said there was to be no mention of sexuality.

[omega-floof]

@softomegaposting One example per genre:

Knot Rock: Don’t stand so close to me (The Police)

Omega Pop: Any Dream Will Do (Jason Donovan, Stephen Gately, Ian “H” Watkins, Joe McElderry, to name a few)

Omega Punk: literally anything by The Clash

Soft Rock: That’s my Goal (Shayne Ward)

Nova Dancehall: Edelweiss (*insert someone who would dare remake Edelweiss with modern production style here*)

Knot Country: Aaron Lewis’ whole solo catalogue, Brad Paisley’s too

Pub Rock: Blurred Lines (Robin Thicke)

Novelty Pop/Rock: Barbie Girl (Aqua)

Omegaverse Music

Knot Rock- Alpha centric sex music about sexual relations with Omegas with hazy consent rules, mostly popular in the 1970s and 1980s but had chart success into the 1990s

Omega pop- fluffy, sugary, love and platitudes, bubblegum pop music made to appeal to unmated Omegas and beta females, popular from the late 90s onwards

Omega punk- heavy, hard hitting, tied heavily to Omega Rights Movements, although fairly recent affairs, the oldest bands being from the 80s, the songs are some of the few that emphasise consistent consent and the Omega POV

Soft Rock- a more alpha centric version of the progressive and fluffy songs of the 2000s, popularised by the “in the Heat of the Game” movies

Nova Dancehall- a more traditional reaction to Omega punk by traditionalist Omegas and more rarely Alphas

Knot Country- rough, rocky, but far more traditional in sound and message than Omega punk, Soft Rock, or even Knot Rock in some cases

Pub Rock- like Nova Dancehall, but for Alphas specifically, and older, being from the 70s originally, but revived in the 90s as a reaction to Omega punk and pop, but also as a kinder gentler Knot Rock

Novelty pop Rock- silly nonsense to entertain pups and Omegas, really popular in America in the 1950s and 60s, but mega popular elsewhere in the world throughout time, some getting more than one hit in certain places (like James Blunt’s creepy ass IRL, or Snow Patrol or the Proclaimers, who both got far more mileage than expected in their native UK than in the US, or even Bobby Darin, hit machine in America, forgotten everywhere else)

[everythingfandom12]

[sassystarlightjellyfish]

[ssour-ccandy]

Deeper Shade of Blue (1999)

[scrutonator]

Disappointed in the lack of Steps content on Tumblr, I’m reliving my childhood and I wanna force it on my followers in the form of gif sets of their music videos

[gship87]

Steps ‘Platinum Collection’ out August 19.

[qudachuk]

Ian 'H' Watkins says a clause in the contract said there was to be no mention of sexuality.

[jmrgby1988]

Just casually meeting my faves again today, no big deal