I was thrilled to be finally seeing ABC★★★ on last Saturday, August 31st in Cleveland’s legendary 105-year old Masonic venue. The trek from Akron, where we were staying was only a 45 minute road trip and I got there about an hour before the purported 7:00 p.m. showtime. Since I had seen Mott The Hoople here five years earlier, I knew about the criminally small parking lot at the venue and parked directly at the Children’s Museum next door like the last time. I was the first one in, and the attendant only took cash, so he bade me pay the attendant at the venue lot as he had the card reader.
When I got to the smaller lot, the attendant was just at the full point for that lot, and had begun turning traffic to park where I had a block or two down. When I attempted to pay him he revealed that his reader was down and to enjoy the show. No worries. He said, “if you see me after the show and it’s working, you can pay then if you like.” Okay then! It was into the venue to see what sort of merch awaited. Being a “merch-first” sort of person.
I had seen the black with metallic ABC★★★ logo model online in the ABC★★★ website and had decided that would be a fine shirt to have, but imagine my surprise when I got to the show and saw a second option. There was also the classic “Lexicon Of Love” cover art and both shirts had the US tour dates on back. At that point I was stymied. I only wanted to buy one, so I took a photo, posted it to the Gang Of 4™ offline thread that I now reveal that my friends Echorich, Mr. Ware, and chasinvictoria maintain about 24/7 for feedback and Mr. Ware broke response records seconds later [really no more than 29…] with an enthusiastic vote for “Lexicon” with Echorich opting [as I suspected] for the metallic gold logo a few minutes later. But sometimes first to market wins and I went with Mr. Ware’s suggestion.
As we can see, there were plenty of shirts to become a favorite with Howard Jones dominating the choices but even Haircut 100 having two designs. There were ball caps [not for me] at affordable price points and signed tour posters for that crowd. I also saw both editions of Martin Fry’s autobio, “The Lexicon Of Life” and I noticed that the prices were not shown for those. Too rich for my blood! But the crowd around merch was really thin this time, not like the surging amoeba at Mott The Hoople which was the most berserk merch table crowd I’d ever experienced! It was a miracle I got my preferred Mott shirt that night! With my shirt in hand, I made my way to my [rather nice] seat!
HAIRCUT 100
Though the tickets said 7:00 p.m. showtime, in reality it was closer to 7:30. But as I had a good seat in the front row of the mezzanine in section C, I was content to sit there and wait. The Masonic is a very old venue, and the seats were tight as things were back then. And if the place had air conditioning, I was not feeling it! But in terms of the discomfort factor, I’d been in far worse conditions! The Ryman Auditorium where I’d last seen Bryan Ferry was equally old, with a similar lack of A/C and legroom, but the building’s origins as a church meant that the hard wooden pews were a guarantee of the least comfortable seating one would ever have at a show. Making The Masonic a relative walk in the park!
At 7:30 Haircut 100 burst onstage in a large seven-piece lineup with three of the five original members here this evening. There was Les Nemes on bass, with Graham Jones on guitar and Nick Heyward on rhythm guitar and voice. Marc Fox has not been involved with the band since 2009, but drummer Blair Cunningham is sitting out the current tour for health reasons. Another drummer augmented the band with a two man horn section and a percussionist on congas [the secret weapon of every Funk band!] and timbales. There were no synths on stage!
Not that they needed any! The band opened with a smoking hot deep cut new to my ears: “Kingsize [You’re My Little Steam Whistle].” The band easily extended this out past the five minute park with fiery conviction and the wimpy little “Latin Funk” band that had always failed to convince me 40+ years ago was a distant memory. These guys were going for the throat!
All three members took turns at the mic in between songs with Graham Jones citing the classic film “Spinal Tap” and taking great relish to roar “Hello Cleveland!!” before the band tore into “Fantastic Day” and had me and the rest of the house singing along. Since that was the first of their four hit singles they played, the rest of their brief set honed in on the songs that this American had definitely heard more than twice. The insouciant “Love Plus One” was next and they completed the energy arc in their brief, five song, thirty minute set by exiting as they had entered; full throttle with a wicked fast “Favourite Shirts [Boy Meets Girl].” Giving their percussionist a workout as all of the guitarists were tightly riffing while the trumpet and sax were syncopating with it all.
I’d never been a fan of Haircut 100. The handful of singles I’d heard at the time of their debut album’s release didn’t convince me to give up even the $4.00 a used copy would have cost me at Crunchy Armadillo Records back then. Maybe it was down to the fact that their biggest American single [“Love Plus One” was as lyrically scanty a hit single as I’d ever heard] was the most MOR of the lot? And having heard it the most, it never really got its hooks in me. But having heard perhaps a more representative selection of songs, I’d now bother to pick up a copy of “Pelican West” if one ever passed my eyes. That the band played as if their life depended on it didn’t hurt a single bit.
Next: …HoJo-A-Go-Go…Yes-Yes, Or No-No?
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Post-Punk Monk 
Seriously bummed that this tour comes nowhere near Boston. While I’ve seen all three acts live before, I was most sad to miss Haircut 100. I did see them on their one US tour, back in NYC in July 1982. Warmup was the very cool Polyrock. I (barely) recall that they played most of Pelican West, a few songs I didn’t know (not sure they were ever released) and that they played their two “biggest ” hits (Love Plus One and Favourite Shirts) twice – once in the regular set and again in the encore. It was a very fun evening.
I do recommend Pelican West, and Nick Heyward’s solo output as well. His solo debut, North Of A Miracle, is utterly charming and suave in that 80’s lush sophistipop sort of way.
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No lie there on North of a Miracle, there’s quite a bit on there that is adjacent to contemporaries The Colourfield.
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Tim – The Colourfield… another of my New Wave Blind Spots!
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You have to be kidding me…..
Castles in the Air gives about 1/2 of what Martin Fry has written a good run for the money.
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Taffy – I think I read somewhere that “Whistle Down The Wind” was earmarked as H100 material before the split. Could they have played that? A pity you missed them now, but you saw them then…with Polyrock! So I’m envious there. Their website revealed a brand new song just out but they didn’t play that, of course. I was shocked to read at HoJo’s site that their regular synth player, Dan Clark, died suddenly [and he looked young] just a week before this tour, so the keyboard tech had to take the reins. That had to hurt.
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When I remember Haircut One Hundred, it’s as a passing thing, some British hits that I was aware of and one that clicked in the US, and then over and done with in fairly short order. So, I find it hard to grasp that the selfsame group with multiple original members is now an actual living, breathing performing unit more than 40 years later! Cognitive dissonance, man.
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Big Mark – The whole thing started when Nick invited the band to join him at one of his solo gigs and it went from there. Pretty organic. And word has it the reformed band have an album’s worth of new material. Maybe on hold for now owing to Mr. Cunningham’s issues.
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I think that there was a VH-1 Bands Reunited about 10-15 years ago.
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I too am “merch first” – if I’m plunking down that cash for a live act it’s going to be one I’m interested in letting the world know about it so I’ll make sure to have my damn shirt!
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postpostmoderndad – Word!
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Now Monk, I’m very curious to hear about the rest of the show! I’ve seen ABC and Howard Jones, but never Haircut One Hundred, though I’d love to. I gotta say though, five songs?!?! That seems pretty weak for only having three bands on the bill. Checking setlistfm.com I see they at least double that at home, but your tour they seem to be set with five. I’d feel cheated with only five. At least they gave you quality over quantity! I’m glad you were able to see three great bands together! Thank you.
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at this point, i’ll take 5 songs over nothing. they’re not coming anywhere near me either (same with heaven 17, what is it with band names that have numbers? i haven’t seen level 42 either)
i’m a big fan of haircut 100, and have liked pelican west since the time it came out. its a hidden gem.
there have been several releases, including a superdeluxe edition, well worth getting.
their 2nd album is ok, but not as good.
later
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ne gative 1
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secretrivals – I’ve got to say my first chapter in the Book of This Business Called ‘Show” is a page with five simple words: “Always Leave ‘em wanting more!”
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I can accept that, EXCEPT when a band, having almost never played in a country, and may never again, leaves you wanting more. (Maybe if they had started at 7pm huh!) At least if you go see Annabella’s Bow Wow Wow or Missing Persons, you don’t expect too much. Haircut One Hundred made a big deal of reforming to play shows, so….
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I’ve loved watching some of the YouTube vids of Haircut 100 since reforming, Nick looks seriously happy. Reminds me of a refuge from the kids band in A Charlie Brown Christmas Special. There’s some well captured work done with BBC2 in particular out there.
The recent SDE of Pelican West is a fantastic purchase…..if you can find it. Looks like an mp3 version of it is worth it, they need to bundle pdfs of the liner notes with these, the booklet in Pelican West 40 was a good read.
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Tim – So you were able to get one after our offline chat on that topic a while back? Good!
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I did, I think it’s great that they at least offer a parallel MP3 release of it if you missed out on the physical product. I couldn’t afford the Kirsty MacColl set that recently came out and that one is even harder to find (and no parallel MP3 version).
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Martin Fry reports on social media that Tito Puente, Jr. handled the drums for last night’s show.
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Tim – That’s astonishing. The drummer was the backing vocalist as well.
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