Haircut One Hundred deliver a night fans won’t forget in Cambridge

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I always get a little hesitant before seeing a band that’s been around for decades. You start to wonder if they’re just doing it for the money, you know? Like, are they just trying to recapture their past success? I worry they might not be able to deliver a great live show anymore, or that their music just doesn’t feel relevant these days.

Okay, so how was that Haircut One Hundred gig at the Cambridge Corn Exchange? Honestly, it was fantastic! It’s been 45 years since they had their big hits, and they were at the top of their game back then. Seeing them now, yeah, we’ve all changed a bit, they’ve aged, I’ve aged – but the music? Still incredible. It honestly didn’t feel like any time had passed at all when they started playing.

The band members, who once had a youthful look, now appear more grown-up. Their performance is still energetic and excellent, and they clearly enjoy themselves while playing a combination of both new and classic songs. They look great and are having a lot of fun on stage.

Haircut One Hundred back again to funk it up

The band largely features its original members: Nick Heyward plays guitar and sings, Graham Jones is on guitar, Les Nemes provides the bass, and Blair Cunningham handles the drums. While Cunningham wasn’t the first drummer, he joined quickly and played on their debut album.

The music closely resembles the original versions, enhanced by three exceptional brass musicians playing trombone, trumpet, and saxophone. Sian Monaghan also provides fantastic percussion throughout. The combined effect creates a vibrant, energetic, and uplifting sound.

I’d forgotten how incredibly groovy and funky The Haircuts were – and still are! The bassline is really powerful, and the guitars create a rhythm that reminds me a lot of Nile Rodgers and Chic. As Heyward put it, their guitar style is a ‘chick-a-chick’ sound, compared to Rodgers’ ‘chuck-a-chuck’.

It’s hard to say exactly what the difference is between a ‘chick’ and a ‘chuck’ sound on a guitar. And brass instruments are much more than just background accompaniment – they’re essential and play a key part in jazz funk music.

Haircut One Hundred delivers a fabulous night

The Haircut’s latest album, Boxing the Compass, features songs that still sound distinctly like their classic hits. This isn’t a criticism – it actually shows they’ve developed a recognizable sound and are consistently delivering it. Plus, the music is very upbeat and makes you want to dance!

Heyward says the final thirty minutes felt like a real disco party. That’s when the classic songs started playing, the crowd got really excited, and everyone was just having a fun night of dancing and singing along.

The audience was really calling for more! Usually, an encore just means polite applause, but this was different – a loud, enthusiastic demand for an extra song. It’s hard not to say it was a truly special moment, and Heyward did the same thing during the encore. It was a fabulous night, and honestly, a fantastic day overall. They launched right into their last, energetic song to finish everything off.

While not their most famous song, “Fantastic Day” is the one most people remember. It definitely left the audience feeling good, and quickly put any concerns about them being just another nostalgia act to rest.

The night also featured a fantastic support act, Stone Foundation. They usually perform with a larger band, but for this show, they played as a trio: Neil Jones on vocals and acoustic guitar, Neil Sheasby on bass, and Ian Arnold on keyboards. Even with just three members, they were incredibly talented, performing strong songs that made you want to catch their full band in concert.

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2026-05-08 20:00