SARA Dallin, Karen Woodward and Siobhan Fahey are canny old birds. They know their audience, can spot (and write) the most infectious of songs and moreover know how to throw a jolly fabulous party.

Within ten seconds of their opening number, Nathan Jones, the entire Barbican audience were on their feet. They would remain standing, or more correctly dancing in a uniquely Bananarama fashion, for the whole evening.

As the song goes, Bananarama you have been gone too long. For this tour marks the first time the original three-piece group has toured in 30 years. Fahey’s return to the most charting all-female group of all time added a degree of gravitas to what was essentially a great disco party experience.

The hits came thick and fast: Robert De Niro’s Waiting, Rough Justice, Cruel Summer, Shy Boy, Boy Trouble, giving but a taste of how rich and glorious the Banana catalogue still sounds.

For good measure, the Steve Jones-produced Aie A Mwana was incorporated into the hi-tech, glitzy and effervescent production. Especially for York, a Twitter melt-down encouraged the ‘Nanas to slip Trick Of The Night into proceedings. In a witty manner, the projected images portrayed Bananarama as marionette puppets during Cheers Then. Nothing could be further than the truth. These women are fierce, shrewd, hugely entertaining, and still look fabulous in their skin-tight sparkly outfits and killer heels.

Getting on with business, Sara and Karen deputised for Marcella Detroit as Siobhan took centre stage for a chilling yet celebratory rendition of the Shakespears Sister hit Stay. Inevitably, the Stock, Aitken & Waterman productions were kept back, tantalising the insatiable audience. I Can’t Help It, I Want You Back, Venus and the perennial Na Na Hey Hey Goodbye closed the set, before encores of It Ain’t What You Do (It's The Way That You Do It) and the still utterly brilliant Love In The First Degree.