Two very different acts are appearing at the Shepherd's Bush Empire this week, but they'll both jog memories for those who enjoyed the music of the 80s

Legwarmers! Yuppies! Big hair! Stone-washed denim! Dallas! Filofaxes! Ah, the eighties. Love them or loathe them, they're back with a vengeance when Belinda Carlisle and The Mission, both of whom enjoyed their heyday in the middle of the decade, appear at Shepherd's Bush Empire this week ,, not together, of course!

Gothic rock gods The Mission, or 'The Mish' to their fans, are first in line. Their gig tonight is the first in the UK since a sell-out comeback gig in November and ties in with the release of their new album, Ever After.

Hits such as Tower of Strength, Deliverance and Beyond the Pale brought Gothic rock into the mainstream when the liberal eighties were allowing all genres of music to enter the charts. Albums Children and Carved in Sand were among the top sellers of the decade.

However, true to mysterious form, The Mission did a disappearing act in the mid nineties. They've now reappeared with a slightly different line-up, remarkably more manageable haircuts and wives and children in tow.

The music still goes on, though. Their recent Resurrection album featured some of the old favourites as well as new material, and the new release, Ever After, is a live album. They've also been touring extensively in such far-flung places as Chile and Argentina.

If that's not your thing, Californian girl Belinda Carlisle is appearing on Saturday.

Hot on the heels of last year's album A Place on Earth, Belinda's touring as a solo artist while juggling a comeback career with the Go-Gos.

The notorious 80s girl band, whose hits included Get Up And Go and Turn To You, enjoyed tremendous popularity until their official split following rumours of drug excess in 1985.

It was Belinda's spruced-up image for her solo career which followed that really made her name in this country. Singles Heaven Is A Place On Earth, Circles in the Sand and Live Your Life Be Free shot to the top of the charts in the late eighties, and Belinda was vying with the likes of Whitney Houston as the most popular female singer.

As well as being a born-again popstar, Belinda, like the boys from The Mission, is also juggling marriage and parenthood. These music legends may have calmed down as far as lifestyle is concerned, but they're determined that their 80s heyday will live on!

The Mission are appearing at Shepherd's Bush Empire tonight (Thursday) and Belinda Carlisle will be performing on Saturday August 12. Call 020 7771 2000 to book.