St. Petersburg’s plush Mahaffey Theater was buzzing with positivity and good vibes last Saturday night, thanks to the effervescent injections of enthusiasm and cheerfulness the evening’s performers brought to the stage.
Billed as the 40th anniversary tour to commemorate the 1985 release of Dream into Action, the platinum-selling, sophomore album from the tour’s headliner, British synth-pop singer-songwriter Howard Jones, the trek is a tailor-made traveling show specifically aimed at devotees of 1980s pop music.
Along for the ride is renowned DJ and satellite radio personality Richard Blade, who became known as the consummate ‘80s radio personality on popular Los Angeles-based radio station KROQ.
In his 18 years at the station, Blade helped to shed light and provide exposure to countless bands who’d rise to prominence during the heyday of first wave, 1980s new wave-based music. Meeting with incoming fans for a spur-of-the-moment meet and greet session in the venue’s lobby before taking the stage himself and entertaining the audience with quips and video snippets from some of the decade’s most beloved acts like Duran Duran and Depeche Mode, Blade did plenty to incite the crowd and getting them prepped for the night of live music that was to kick off moments after his opening onstage stint. As the host of Sirius XM’s wildly successful “1st Wave” radio channel since 2005, Blade’s familiar-sounding voice was a welcome sound for the mostly Gen X-aged patrons who filled the plush theater in hopes of reliving their salad days through the music they grew up with.
Moments after Blade, the audience was treated to a high-energy, sparkling 40-minute set from the newly reformed and reinvigorated new wave pop outfit, Haircut 100. The band, led by the always grinning and exuberant singer, guitarist, and songwriter Nick Heyward, sounded fresh and finely tuned as it chugged through a setlist of classic songs, as well as a brand new single released following its recent reformation. It was only three years ago that the band celebrated its own 40th anniversary milestone for its infectious debut album, 1982’s pop gem Pelican West, as Heyward recently spoke of when interviewed by Creative Loafing TampaBay.
Inspired to reform following the attention and accolades it received in its native country of England following the release of a super deluxe box set to mark the anniversary, Heyward and original members bassist Les Nemes, guitarist Graham Jones, and American drummer Blair Cunningham (who currently isn’t touring with the band) made the collective decision to relaunch the jazz/funk-pop band and have since wowed audiences around the globe since regrouping.
Embarking on a short U.S. tour in 2024 (which didn’t make its way to the Bay area), this night marked the first time the band had ever played locally. Earning scores of fans due to the heavy MTV exposure it received, thanks to its fresh, snappy music videos that were in constant rotation during the summer of 1982, many of those fans have remained loyal to the band’s catchy sounds and songs.
Benefitting from an excellent sound mix, the band, touring with a saxophone player and a trumpeter, as well as a superb percussionist, kicked off its set with “Kingsize (You’re My Little Steam Whistle),” one of the many standout tracks from its debut album. Still sounding contemporary and fresh, Heyward, clad in a bright, floral Hawaiian shirt and white slacks, seemed completely energized in blowing the dust off the material from the album, including its many hit singles, which were massive successes on British sales charts in 1981 and 1982. “Nobody’s Fool,” with its very Motown-inspired rhythms, sounded bold and chunky, thanks to Nemes’ fat, booming bass lines. “Dynamite,” the band’s brand new single, which promises to be on the band’s upcoming new album (due in 2026), sounded like the group hasn’t missed a beat in staying true to its heavy percussive, funk-inspired blend of fun pop music. The band saved its two biggest hits, “Love Plus One” and “Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)” until the end of its set, which inspired the attendees to stand from their chairs and dance along to the familiar tunes, with the latter turning into an all-out, improvised funk jam that found each band member taking turns showing off their individual skills and talents. Heyward even gave the song’s chorus a welcomed and contemporary spin by updating lyrics to include the lines “..Boy meets boy” and “…Girl meets girl.”
It was clear to see that so many in the venue were elated to have this beloved group back in action, and that elation beamed from the bandmembers themselves, who seemed to be having the time of their lives playing all these sparkling songs again.
The night’s headliner, Jones, who is no stranger to local stages and seems to frequent the area on a pretty regular basis, closed out the night with a 90-minute set, chock-full of his many ‘80s-era hits. Clad in a variety of sparkly, shiny suits and jackets throughout the night, Jones was in fine vocal form and did plenty to get his feverishly loyal fans to stand, dance, sing along, and get lost in the uplifting messages and themes he weaves into his songs.
The album the tour is in honor of, Dream Into Action, released in March 1985, was one of the best-selling and most popular albums of its release year. Jones provided faithful versions of the album’s many hit singles, including the frothy bop of “Like in One Day” and the plaintive, gorgeous ballad “No One is to Blame.”
Interacting with the audience and offering plenty of spoken interludes and recollections, Jones led his four-piece band through a full setlist that also represented other selections from his catalog, including highlights from his outstanding debut album, 1984’s Human’s Lib. Most notably included in the night’s playlist was “What is Love?,” the second single from that album, which was a top 10 hit in England for Jones. Taking time to recognize the universal power of love, Jones observed that very concept from the stage, before launching into the song, which was met with wild applause and cheers: “Maybe people should be allowed to love who they want to love, and be with who they want to be with” he stated, which served as the perfect lead-in for this all-too-familiar song and its sing-along chorus. Nice move, HoJo.
Closing his set with an encore made up of his most recognizable and most popular song, the inspiring feel-good anthem, “Things Can Only Get Better,” was the perfect ending for this uplifting night. Getting everyone in the house to loudly sing along with the song’s memorable chorus before launching into an EDM-inspired portion of the tune, accompanied by throbbing strobe lights and booming beats, temporarily turned the theater into the likes of a makeshift dance club. The cheery audience members danced and sang along for the duration, and left the venue with smiles on their faces and the promise of hope and positivity that Jones always seems to naturally exude.
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This article appears in Sept. 4-10, 2025.