COCKNEY Rebel Steve Harley has a treat lined up for his many fans.

Following a ‘one-off’ concert with Steve and the current incarnation of Cockney Rebel playing the first two Rebel albums – The Human Menagerie and Psychomodo in their entirety, plus the singles from that era – with a full orchestra and choir, he will be repeating the show at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall.

Steve tells me that he has a special reason for selecting Manchester as the venue for this special show.

“I believe it is the one of the finest concert halls in Britain, maybe Europe,” he said.

“I actually wanted to play the ‘one off’ show in Manchester, but it wasn’t available at the time.”

There is also a reason for the concert to be performed on a Saturday, as Steve explains.

“It’s a special event for fans around the world; there are people coming from Australia, America, Canada and Singapore. It’s wonderful.”

“The reason the show had to be a Saturday was because of all these people coming from so far away and they’d have to stop over.”

And so far the ticket sales have been extraordinary with only a couple of hundred tickets left available out of a possible two thousand.

“It’s phenomenal, I’m very touched,” says a humble Steve.

The man behind the hits Judy Teen, Mr Raffles and, of course, his ‘pension’ Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me) had the original germ of the idea some time ago.

“I’ve though about it for ten years, ever since keyboard player James Lascelles came to work for me.”

“He knew the albums and when he was learning to play them he said that it would be an interesting project to play them as originally recorded.”

Steve continues: “Both the albums are heavily orchestrated and Andrew Powell, the original arranger is onboard to do the orchestral arrangements.”

Although the idea was a decade ago, it was only really last year when things started moving.

“Some hard-core fans suggested it and it became a major thread on my website, then I spoke to James again and Barry Wickens from the band and they are supporting me so much in this.”

As previously mentioned, Steve will also be performing the singles of that era, which, of course, means his breakthrough UK hit Judy Teen.

“We’ll do Judy Teen, even though it wasn’t on any of the albums. It was recorded as a stop-gap between the two.”

The original show, which was staged in Birmingham in November, 2012, was extremely successful, as Steve tell me.

“It was beyond special,” he smiles. “It sold out five months before the show.”

And he holds that night in high esteem.

“It’s well up in my top career memories,” he said. “And in 40 years, there have been a lot.”

“Trying to emulate the originals meant the world to me.”

“It was a great feeling.”

“I’m employing a top-notch company to do the sound, and we make as good a sound as anyone.”

The show was filmed and recorded, and the CD and DVD of the show are available.

And Steve is astounded at the reception of the repeat shows.

“It’s amazing,” he says.

“The Manchester show was 95 per cent sold out six or seven months ahead. It’s fantastic that people want to see it again.”

“I’m amazed at such loyalty.” He says of his army of fans, many of whom were in Birmingham in 2012 and will be in Manchester in April.

Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel – along with the Orchestra of the Swan and their Chamber Choir – will be performing at Manchester's Bridgewater Hall on Saturday.