For his only UK non-festival solo date this year, Tom Bailey came to Aylesbury which was missed off Thompson Twins’ tour and never played, so to put things right he performed the band’s 1984 album ‘Into The Gap’ in full for the first time in his career.
Before the album was played, Bailey began with a set of Thompson Twins and solo songs, starting on the band’s second album single, ‘In The Name Of Love’, containing its walking basslines. He also performed from his only solo album, 2018’s ‘Science Fiction’, with the title track; a Duran Duran style vocal after which came another solo track, the nomadic drums and acoustic guitar of ‘Come So Far’, a song about people forced to leave their homelands.
They also played the band’s third album single, ‘Lies’ – a samba intro leading into brassy synth and funky, pumping bass with the addition of world music influences that made his releases so distinct. Bailey ended the first set on another solo track, ‘Shooting Star’, and a cover of Talking Heads’ ‘Psycho Killer’.
After the interval the band returned dressed in white to perform the full album, ‘Into The Gap’, beginning on the title track ‘The Gap’, featuring percussive Middle Eastern influence and electric cello. ‘You Take Me Up’ followed – the band’s highest charting single that peaked at No. 2 in the UK charts — for which Bailey released a giant, red inflatable balloon into the audience.
He moved onto even more band hits with Thompson Twins’ next single, ‘Sister Of Mercy’, which also peaked in the charts and ‘Doctor! Doctor!’, an Oberheim synth track that charted at No. 3 in the UK. Bailey ended the set on another hit single, ‘Hold Me Now’, a No. 4 UK chart hit, which the audience chorally sung along with.
03/09/22: Tom Bailey @ Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury.
Photos © Ayisha Khan.
© Ayisha Khan.