TWO iconic bands who won the Eurovision Song Contest in the 70s and 80s will be performing in Stevenage next week. Brotherhood of Man and Bucks Fizz will stage a two-hour concert at the Gordon Craig Theatre. Martin Lee, Nicky Stevens, Sandra Stevens and L

TWO iconic bands who won the Eurovision Song Contest in the 70s and 80s will be performing in Stevenage next week.

Brotherhood of Man and Bucks Fizz will stage a two-hour concert at the Gordon Craig Theatre.

Martin Lee, Nicky Stevens, Sandra Stevens and Lee Sheriden of Brotherhood of Man will perform classic hits such as Angelo, Figaro, and United We Stand, while Bucks Fizz will return to the stage with chart-toppers including Making Your Mind Up which won the contest in 1981.

Collectively the bands have sold more than 40 million records, and have had six number one hits.

Martin said: "We've always worked well with Bucks Fizz and we are big family audience people, so we decided to go on tour."

Martin says Brotherhood of Man have rarely been off the road since they formed 35 years ago.

Not only have they performed at the 1977 royal command performance for the Queen's Silver Jubilee but they have also performed for 120 heads of state.

"We're thankful that every year we're still doing what we love," Martin said.

"Even though the travelling gets tiring after three decades, the audiences are always fantastic."

As a result, the group continue to travel extensively outside the UK and recently returned from Ireland's Eurovision Song Contest.

The group won the contest for the UK in 1976 with Save Your Kisses For Me, which was co-written by Martin, and proved to be one of the best selling records of all time, selling more than five million copies and subsequently topping the charts in 33 countries.

"If someone had said 31 years ago we would have topped the charts we wouldn't have believed them," Martin said.

Even though they were 'grateful' for the success that followed the group say they would not enter the contest again.

Martin said: "It has all changed now. Politics has come into it because of Iraq and countries such as the Baltic states, who vote for each other."

Unlike some of today's bands, Brotherhood of Man have had more than 15 minutes of fame and still manage to wow audiences years later.

At one point the group were on television three times a week.

And although they said it was 'exhausting', Martin said it was 'exciting'.

Martin said: "I think the reason we have been able to continue performing is because we never reached the mega star status and we have always had our feet on the ground.

"But while Eurovision sent us out into orbit, it was a different era then. We had all been singing for a number of years in big bands so we learnt how to entertain people unlike today where people go from their everyday jobs to getting fame on reality shows."

If you want to relive the 1970s and 1980s visit the Gordon Craig on Wednesday April 25.

For tickets priced at £15 each call the box office on 08700 131 030.