Speaking to Reminiscin', Martin reveals what tracks throw his fans into tears and why the future is still bright for ABC.

Decades have flown by and Martin Fry is still flying high. Shiny dapper suits and an influx of lingerie on the stage is only a snippet of Martin's live performances.

Having dazzled the charts with tracks such as, 'The Look of Love' and 'Poison Arrow' its only fair to say Martin has more oomph than ever before. With the Hitmakers Tour in full stride, Reminscin' had to get in touch with Martin Fry and find out what keeps his energy levels high and why ABC still continues to dominate.

What would you say to all the cynics who say ABC are only confined to 80's and not tailored for today's music scene?
Everything is about nostalgia. Nowadays, you see bands like The Killers who have a lot of reference pointing back to the 1980's. Playing live and jumping on a stage in 2006 is a great privilege as well as being able to perform tracks like, 'The Look of Love' and 'Poison Arrow' with newer songs. You can only get away with that if you're still firing. An audience can see through exactly what you're doing, so it feels right.

What does the rest of 2006 hold for ABC?
I am finishing off a tour with Toyah and Howard Jones as well as finishing off a new record. There are a couple of new songs like, 'The Very First Time' and one called '16 Seconds to Choose', so I will probably finish those off for release next year.

What is left for ABC to achieve?
The new record will be a big achievement; I am really looking forward to that. We did a gig at the Hollywood Bowl and there were about 16,000 people there, it felt great, so there is still a lot to achieve.

Why do you believe ABC is still musically active until today?
The reason we can play like this is partly because there is an audience there. I listen to a lot of contemporary music on MySpace and buy them too, when I listen to bands like The Killers, Scissor Sisters or Keane there is a flavour of some of the 80's stuff there. I think the reason why we are still here is because there is still a passion for it.

Are there any ABC songs when preformed that you love seeing the crowd go wild to?
'All Of My Heart' is a very emotional song there is always somebody wiping a tear at that point. Tear of sadness or a tear of joy, I don't know. It is a song full of emotional memories. I think it is good for every band to have a tear jerker.

Your outfits on stage are nothing but spectacular - what do you see as the right outfit to be worn on stage? What should be the requirements?
A suit, a chic suit, a shiny chic suit. I suppose I have always looked cosmopolitan but I like all different things.

How often do you receive fan mail? Do you still have your initial fan base that keep in contact?
The beauty of being a performer for 20 to 25 years is that I get some really deep fan mail from people. Whether they have had a hard time or they introduce me to their son or fans telling me what an ABC song meant to them. People have got married to our songs and got divorce to them too, but that's inevitable that's the career.

What's the most outrageous stunt a fan has pulled on you while on tour or on stage?
There have been a lot of bras and knickers. When we were in Japan back in the old days someone mashed up the car. These days our fans are nice and really, really kind. It's all good.

If you could book a flight tomorrow - where would it be and why?
Delhi. I have just been there. Then I went to Agra and I looked at the Taj Mahal and it's fantastic.

What are your pet hates about travelling?
I really like travelling; I think travelling gives you time to think. I don't like bossy air hostesses when they dump you on the plane; it should be a joy to fly in the air.

Are you a light traveller?
Yeah, I have learnt to be light through necessity; you learn how to travel light.

What country/ies was a blast to perform?
US. I went to Venezuela it was interesting talking to people over there about music. South America is an incredible place but Venezuela was very interesting.

To keep up with your energetic stage performances -what daily routines keep you in check?
Sleep. Being on stage is a kinda work out. The secret is to rest up and carber up when you're not doing it.

If not at work what would your average day involve?
I have a place in France so I drive down there near Bordeaux. I do a bit of surfing and hit the coast. I like going down there in the winter if I am not working just to walkabout on the beach and stuff like that. I like going to cinemas and all the stuff that everybody else does.

Related Link:
> www.abcmartinfry.com
> ABC CD - Amazon.co.uk