There was one big question hanging in the air before Haircut One Hundred took to the stage at The Pavilion Theatre on Sunday night:
“Are they still a thing?”
It’s a fair question. After all, the 1980s are littered with bands who briefly sparkled before disappearing into the musical attic beside VHS tapes, shell suits and badly recorded cassette compilations. But if anyone in Glasgow arrived with doubts, they certainly didn’t leave with them.
Of course, frontman Nick Heyward has hardly vanished from public view. His recent acoustic shows have reminded audiences what a genuinely charming performer he is, and Scottish Music Network caught his Glasgow appearance earlier this year and thoroughly enjoyed it. But a solo acoustic set and a full Haircut One Hundred reunion are two entirely different beasts.
Thankfully, this beast still has plenty of life in it.
Formed back in 1980 in Beckenham by Heyward, Les Nemes and Graham Jones, Haircut One Hundred wasted absolutely no time in becoming chart favourites. “Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)”, “Love Plus One”, “Nobody’s Fool” and “Fantastic Day” quickly became staples of early 80s pop radio, helped enormously by appearances on Top of the Pops and an image that practically screamed youthful optimism.
The venue itself helped set the tone perfectly. The Pavilion Theatre remains one of Glasgow’s great old-school venues, with all tiered seating, ornate balconies and theatrical grandeur. It feels gloriously old-fashioned in the best possible way, like the kind of place where entertainment still matters.
There were a few empty seats as support act Stone Foundation arrived onstage, albeit in a stripped-back three-piece format rather than the full ensemble many know them for. Even so, they warmed the crowd beautifully. There’s more than a hint of Paul Weller running through their sound, and at times you could easily imagine some of the songs slipping onto a latter-day Weller record without anyone noticing. Their closing cover of ‘Going Back to My Roots’ brought a deservedly warm ovation from an appreciative crowd.
Then came “the interval”… because this is The Pavilion and apparently we are all delightfully sophisticated theatre-goers now.
After the break, Haircut One Hundred bounded onto the stage and launched straight into ‘Come Back to Me’. No messing about. No dramatic pauses. Just instant sunshine illuminating an otherwise dark opening song stage
And then there’s Nick Heyward himself. Honestly, the man appears to have discovered the secret to eternal youth. Looking remarkably similar to the slightly nerdy, permanently youthful figure who first appeared in 1980, he still has that wide-eyed enthusiasm that made him such a compelling frontman in the first place. Somewhere, hidden in an attic, there is surely a terrifying portrait ageing rapidly on his behalf.
From the opening moments, the entire evening radiated joy. The songs remain ridiculously catchy, bright, breezy and impossible not to smile along with. One by one, the hits and album tracks transported the audience straight back to school discos, bedroom radios and those frantic attempts to tape songs off the radio before the DJ started talking over the intro.
The band barely paused for breath. Tight, energetic and clearly loving every second, Haircut One Hundred delivered a performance full of genuine warmth and infectious enthusiasm. The crowd loved it too, although Glasgow perhaps needed a tiny push before fully letting go.
That push arrived in the form of song number nine.
‘Love Plus One’.
The. Place. Erupted!!!
People leapt to their feet. Those able to dance danced enthusiastically. Those able to sing sang loudly, whether in tune or not. The loving audience became the “plus one” and from that moment onwards, the concert shifted into another gear entirely.
By the closing run of songs, the atmosphere was pure celebration. Fans young enough to have discovered the band long after their heyday mixed happily with those who probably still own the original vinyl singles somewhere in the loft.
And when ‘Fantastic Day’ finally brought the evening to a close, with the grand old Pavilion curtains descending in proper theatrical fashion, there was only one possible conclusion:
Yes, Haircut One Hundred are still a thing.
And thank goodness for that.
The 1980’s… Oh how I miss thee!
Review & Photographs by John Brown Photography
