Following the surprise news of Haircut One Hundred releasing a new single this week, The Unloving Plum, as an initial taster of their forthcoming – as-yet-untitled – first album in almost four decades, the band’s much-loved frontman, Nick Heyward, is pleased to announce a run of eleven UK live shows for autumn 2024, kicking off in Basingstoke.
Creatively ambitious from the start, Nick Heyward began his career as the songwriter and frontman of Haircut 100. Marrying Chic with The Monkees, they rode the post-new-romantic-funk-wave of the early 1980s, burning brightly, but briefly.
Following four UK top 10 singles, Fantastic Day, Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl), Love Plus One, and Nobody’s Fool, and their debut album, Pelican West, going platinum, the band parted ways.
North of a Miracle, Heyward’s first solo album, saw him working with The Beatles’ engineer, Geoff Emerick, to craft pop landscapes incorporating full orchestra, a jazz band and catchy pop-funk, all knitted together with top-flight songwriting that was featured in John Hughes’ classic film, Sixteen Candles.
Continuing to record through the ‘80s, Heyward found his stride again with 1993’s From Monday to Sunday. Lead single, Kite, took off in America’s burgeoning alternative scene, reached No.4 in the Billboard Alternative Chart, and found Nick touring the country with the likes of The Lemonheads and Tony Bennett. The follow-up album, Tangled,’ was more pure power pop and led to Heyward signing to Creation Records for his final album of the ‘90s, The Apple Bed.
“I’m chuffed to be touring America right now with Haircut 100, releasing new music and working on a new album with them,” explains Nick. “At the same time, I’m so looking forward to being back in the UK and touring with my solo band this October and November.
“We’ll be playing all the hits, along with some back catalogue gems, and celebrating the 40th anniversary of my first solo album, North Of A Miracle.”
US singer-songwriter (and frequent Jools Holland collaborator), Isabella Coulstock, will support on all dates, fresh from her recent special guest slot with The Who.
Tour dates:
18 October – Basingstoke – The Haymarket
19 October – Bury St Edmunds – The Apex
22 October – Sunderland Fire Station
23 October – Sale Waterside Arts Centre
24 October – Leeds City Varieties Music Hall
26 October – London Cadogan Hall
30 October – East Grinstead Chequer Mead
31 October – Hove – The Old Market
2 November – Stroud Sub Rooms
8 November – Milton Keynes – The Stables
9 November – Wimborne Tivoli Theatre
Tickets for all shows are on-sale now via nickheyward.com.
- In Common is not for profit. We rely on donations from readers to keep the site running. Could you help to support us for as little as 25p a week? Please help us to carry on offering independent grass roots media. Visit: https://www.patreon.com/incommonsoton