Thompson Twins' Tom Bailey

At York Barbican, York, on 26 September 2026, Tom Bailey appears under the Thompson Twins banner he shaped. A singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, he revives the synth-pop and new wave DNA that marked his beginnings, linking it to more recent material. On the bill are crisp keyboards, straightforward rhythms and clear melodies, carried by spare writing that prioritizes songcraft and efficiency. The whole traces a bridge between 1980s heritage and contemporary production, without forced nostalgia.

Blancmange share the bill. Formed in Harrow in 1979 around Neil Arthur and Stephen Luscombe, the project was part of the early-1980s British synth-pop wave: dry keyboard lines, danceable tempos and melodies with hints of Eastern influence. After an initial period that ended in the mid-1980s, Blancmange was reborn at the end of the 2000s; since then Neil Arthur has carried it on alone, taking a more introspective direction between stripped-back electronic pop and instrumental passages. On stage, this economy of means is reflected in taut songs and restrained electronic atmospheres.