Nick Heyward‘s return to the spotlight at the Sunderland Fire Station was a night of charming nostalgia and a lesson in pure pop magic. Best known for fronting Haircut 100, Heyward delivered a dynamic set that spanned his 40 plus year career and was sprinkled with new material and timeless hits.
The Fire Station site stated that, “Following a huge 2023 with Haircut 100 playing the BBC Radio 2 Piano Room, a sell-out London reunion show at the O2 Shepherds Bush Empire and a joyous laundry tour of the UK and Ireland; Nick Heyward sets off on his first solo tour since the critically acclaimed Woodland Echoes album release tour in 2018.”
I first saw Nick Heyward as the front man of Haircut 100 at Newcastle University and Newcastle City Hall in 1982. I blogged at the time: “Haircut 100 burst onto the UK pop scene in 1981, fronted by Nick Heyward. By the time Marie and I saw them at Newcastle University Students Union they were already pretty successful, having hit the charts with “Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)” and the place was absolutely packed. Their music was straight pop, with a very clean-cut image. Their next single “Love Plus One” was a massive hit, followed by two further top ten singles “Fantastic Day” and “Nobody’s Fool”.“
“These concerts were at the time of Haircut 100’s debut album Pelican West which was also an enormous success. Three months after the first gig, Haircut 100 were big enough to headline at Newcastle City Hall, and I went along to see them again; with my friend Norm. Norm told me the other day that I won tickets in a competition, which I can’t recall, but could well be true.”
“The City Hall gig was packed with screaming girls; this band was very hot at the time. The music was a mix of pop, Latin rhythms, some horns, and a little jazz. Very up, and quite summery, and very different from the punk and new wave that was going on around them. Nick Heyward left the band later in 1982, and they split shortly after. Hayward then went onto a successful solo career. There were programmes for each of these two gigs, but the only difference was the colour of the cover, and the dates listed inside!” I remember thinking that this was a bit of a swizz at the time.
The next time I saw Nick he was a solo star and support act for Wham! The Final at Wembley Stadium in 1986. The support came from (the now disgraced) Gary Glitter and Nick Heyward. In May 1986 Wham! announced that they were to split and that they would play one final concert at Wembley Stadium. My friend Dave and I decided to go along. It was a momentous concert and to be honest, I remember little of the support acts. Dave and I concentrate on the bar during the earlier part of the day and spent the rest of our time watching Wham! with lots of young women. I would say that the crowd was 90% female! A day I will treasure for ever!
So I went along to the Fire Station with a pocket full of great memories yet not knowing what to expect. Support came from Isabella Coulstock who is a young singer/songwriter “making waves on the Americana Rock scene, known for her unique storytelling, vocal qualities and dynamic live shows.” (From her official site). She certainly warmed up the crowd well.
I was pleasantly surprised as, for me, the evening re-affirmed his reputation as a consummate live pop performer. Backed by a tight 4-piece band, Hayward opened the show with “Can’t Explain” a song unfamiliar to me; however it certainly set an upbeat tone for the evening. There’s something wonderfully timeless about his ability to write pure pop songs. Tunes like, “Blue Hat for a Blue Day” and “Fantastic Day” are just as infectious now as when they first hit the airwaves.
The Fire Station was the perfect venue for Hayward’s upbeat set. The audience sang along to all the Haircut classics such as “Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl) and “Love Plus One” while newer tracks highlighted his ongoing creativity and pop sensibility.
The night ended with the aforementioned “Fantastic Day” which was very fitting, considering the fantastic evening we’d all had. Everyone left with a smile on their face as they headed out into the cool Sunderland evening. The Fire Station is an excellent venue and is a great asset to the Sunderland music scene. I treated myself to a signed poster (see image).
“When I’m getting off my trainAnd my love is on my brain
Every day and every night
Is seeing my favorite sight
Crying in the night with the summer in her eyes tonight
Many thanks to Jackie for the photographs, to Laura for helping me with the blog entry and to Chris for navigating and manipulating the site.
Setlist: Can’t Explain; Mr. Plain; He Doesn’t Love You Like I Do; Kite; A Chelsea Sky; Blue Hat for a Blue Day; The Remainers; Carry on Loving; The World; Ordinary People; Whistle Down the Wind; Traffic in Fleet Street; Angelfish; Over the Weekend; On a Sunday; Take That Situation; Love Plus One; Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl); Who?; Fantastic Day.
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