Nick Heyward at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, March 2016. Photograph by Ian D. Hall.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Nick Heyward and the band Haircut 100 was arguably the epitome, alongside the likes of Spandau Ballet and Duran Duran, of the clean cut image presented to music lovers as the 1980s decade honed into view and took root in the decade; fun loving, a band that would capture many teenage girl’s hearts and have young lads ditching the idea of punk rebellion and the afterglow of Progressive Rock for almost a decade or so.

It was an image that thrilled parents but it was also steeped in a truth for as Nick Heyward approached the centre of the Philharmonic Hall stage, the preserved smile, the untangled core of subtle cool and happy as hell to still be understood by a crowd clambering at the bit to hear a hero perform was not lost upon the man and as he started to roar through the songs that propelled Haircut 100 to the top of the charts, arguably the decade in which the singles chart last truly mattered on mass, that image was seen to be real, it was the cheer in which the 80s Invasion at the Philharmonic Hall came to life.

There was no doubting the delight in which Nick Heyward revelled in as the crowd danced with the type of energetic glee that used to accompany many a teenage disco and the sneaky plastic glass of woodpecker cider hidden at the back of the hall, illuminated only by a decade of infectious music and the glow of the lights bouncing off the industrially applied hairspray.

It was a glee that found the infectious delight of decades past suddenly roaring back to life, the span of time between 80s chic cool and the time so fought over as people recover from the depression of the last decade was enhanced and gratefully acknowledged by all in the prestigious hall. It was an excitement that carried songs such as the opener Take That Situation, Blue Hat For A Blue Day, Whistle Down The Wind, Love Plus 1 and Fantastic Day with a lot of style and joyful optimism, a feeling of positivity that perhaps the 90s in many ways didn’t happen, that the feeling of bitterness between the ages was all a bad dream worthy of a Dallas episode.

Nick Heyward rolled back time and presented many with new ways to dream, that somewhere along the line, life in all its glory truly should be seen as a fantastic day.

Ian D. Hall