Haircut 100 to tour North America for first time 40 years with Howard Jones, ABC

This is very exciting news. Three of my favorite pop/new wave acts from the Eighties - two of which I've interviewed in the past (Jones, Heyward). A must-see for fans of First Wave music. Read on for details...

Howard Jones and ABC will be hitting stages across North America this summer with special guest Haircut 100. The tour is made extra special by the return of Haircut 100, who will be playing to North American audiences for the first time in 40+ years with their original band line-up. Click here for a message/mini-performance from Howard Jones. See below for the confirmed itinerary, with more dates to be added.

Of the jaunt, Howard Jones commented, “I’m very excited to be hitting the road with my friends ABC and Haircut 100. Our audiences can look forward to some seriously top tunes night after night! Bring your celebratory selves to the party.” 

ABC frontman Martin Fry stated, “ABC in the USA. Very excited to hit the road alongside Howard Jones and Haircut 100 for an electrifying summer tour across the USA! Get ready for an unforgettable musical journey as we bring the hits to stages nationwide. Let's make memories and rock the house together!" 

Haircut 100’s Nick Heyward added, “Ever since our last tour in 1982 we’ve been pining to play in North America again, so this is a dream come true for us. Come down early and get your dancing shoes on, because there’s a lot of catching up to do.”

Howard Jones will be joined onstage by his longtime backing band: Nick Beggs (bass), Robin Boult (guitar), Dan Clarke (keyboards) and Robbie Bronnimann (keyboards and tech).

ABC’s Martin Fry will be supported by members of his UK/US touring bands including Toshi Yanagi (guitar), Andy Carr (bass), Jimmy Keegan (drums), and Rob Hughes (saxophone). 

Haircut 100 will feature original/founding members Nick Heyward (lead vocals/guitars), Graham Jones (guitars), Les Nemes (bass) and five additional players rounding out the show with brass and percussion.

Electronic music pioneer Howard Jones has been a constant presence on the international touring scene for the past four decades, playing live in a number of different configurations including intimate solo shows and dates with his full high-tech band set-up. He first burst upon the contemporary music scene in 1983, with his very English songwriting and pioneering synthesizers with “New Song”. His first two albums HUMAN’S LIB and DREAM INTO ACTION were worldwide hits. HUMAN’S LIB reached #1 in 1984 in the UK and featured the hits “New Song,” and “What Is Love?” In 1985, Jones released the follow-up, DREAM INTO ACTION, which quickly became a Top Ten Platinum album in the United States and featured the smashes: “Things Can Only Get Better,” “Life In One Day,” “No One Is To Blame,” and “Like To Get To Know You Well.”

Howard Jones has sold upwards of 10 million albums worldwide and continues to make new music and tour the world. Jones has performed on NBC’s top-rated morning and nighttime shows respectively, Today and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. His ubiquitous hits can be heard in such high-profile television series and films such as “Stranger Things,” “Breaking Bad,” “Watchmen,” “The Carrie Diaries”, “Superstore” and “Bumblebee”. Howard Jones’ most recent album is DIALOGUE, which was released in September, 2022. DIALOGUE is the third album in a trilogy of electronic releases from Jones with multi-media project ENGAGE coming out in 2015 and studio album TRANSFORM out in 2019. DIALOGUE garnered serious coverage in outlets such as Spin, Stereogum and more.

ABC has enjoyed a glittering career to date. They are one of a number of groups who came along and kick-started the 80s with their own brand of pop for a “new decade”. On its release in May, 1982, their debut album THE LEXICON OF LOVE crashed straight into the UK album charts at number one. Showcasing the soulful voice of lead singer Martin Fry with such hit songs as “Poison Arrow” and “The Look Of Love” and produced by the legendary Trevor Horn, it was voted by many as the best British album of the decade. More hits would follow with subsequent albums including “How To Be A Millionaire,” “Be Near Me” and “When Smokey Sings”. ABC has released nine albums to date and has sold upwards of 20 million albums worldwide; they continue to thrill audiences globally with their live show.

Haircut 100 released PELICAN WEST in 1982 to worldwide acclaim. That cherished LP contained their trademarks "Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)," HERE "Love Plus One" HERE and "Fantastic Day," HERE all UK top ten singles in the 1982-83 season. Soon they added a fourth, "Nobody's Fool," HERE by which time, PELICAN WEST was already platinum certified in the UK, only three months after release. The album spent 11 consecutive weeks in the British top ten and twice reached No. 2. It also charted in the US, Australia and beyond, after which frontman Nick Heyward left for a distinguished solo career. Heyward’s solo efforts included another top ten title, his debut solo album, NORTH OF A MIRACLE, in a collection of nine LPs in his own name to date.

North American tour dates:

AUGUST

14 Redmond, WA Marymoor Live
17 Sandy City, UT Sandy Amphitheater
18 Las Vegas, NV The Theater At Virgin Hotels
20 Inglewood, CA YouTube Theater
21 Del Mar, CA The Sound
24 Oklahoma City, OK The Zoo Amphitheatre
28 Columbus, OH TempleLive At Columbus Athenaeum
29 Windsor, ON Caesars Windsor – The Colosseum
30 Niagara Falls, ON Fallsview Casino Resort
31 Cleveland, OH TempleLive At Cleveland Masonic

SEPTEMBER
4 Montclair, NJ The Wellmont
5 Port Chester, NY The Capitol Theatre
6 Huntington, NY The Paramount