Haircut 100

Formed in Beckenham, Greater London, Haircut 100 emerged in the early 1980s around Nick Heyward, Les Nemes and Graham Jones, soon joined by Phil Smith, Marc Fox and drummer Blair Cunningham. Haircut 100 developed an upbeat British pop sound at the intersection of new wave, new pop, jazz-funk and Brit-funk, featuring bright guitars, supple bass, saxophone and percussion that gave their tracks a sound immediately associated with the start of the decade. After several bands shared by Heyward and Nemes in the late 1970s, Haircut 100 broke through with a series of singles in 1981 and 1982 and with the album Pelican West in 1982. Nick Heyward's departure in 1983 significantly altered the group's balance: Marc Fox then took over lead vocals and Haircut 100 continued in a revised form until Paint and Paint in 1984, before splitting. The band reunited sporadically from 2004 and became more active between 2009 and 2013, notably with a London concert dedicated to Pelican West. Since 2023 Haircut 100 have returned to the stage with Heyward, Nemes, Jones and Cunningham, sustaining a repertoire in which melodic pop remains tied to a nervy, danceable songwriting style.