History
Haircut One Hundred: A New Wave Phenomenon
Haircut One Hundred emerged in 1980 as a prominent New Wave band, fronted by the charismatic Nick Heyward. They achieved significant chart success, particularly with their hit single "Love Plus One." Although the band officially disbanded in 1984, they experienced a brief reunion in 2004.
Formation and Early Lineup Changes
The initial lineup featured Nick Heyward on guitar and vocals, Les Nemes on bass, Tim Jenkins on guitar, and Rob Stroud on drums. Jenkins departed early in the band's career, before they secured a record deal. Stroud later left to join the punk group The Sex Gang Children. Graham Jones joined the band, then known as Moving England, after leaving The Low Numbers. Rob Stroud was replaced by Patrick Hunt on drums, who played on their debut single, "Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)." Hunt was subsequently replaced by Blair Cunningham. Cunningham re-recorded the drum track for the album version of "Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)," though the single featured Hunt's original drumming. During early live performances, Phil Smith on saxophone and Mark Fox on percussion were brought in as session musicians. They were later invited to become official members when the band signed with Arista Records.
Chart Success and Heyward's Departure
Haircut One Hundred arrived during the peak of the New Wave movement and quickly found success. Their 1981 debut single, "Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)," reached number four on the UK Singles Chart. Their follow-up, "Love Plus One," climbed to number three in the UK and also broke into the Top 40 in the United States. Two subsequent singles, "Fantastic Day" and "Nobody's Fool," each peaked at number nine in the UK.
Just as the band seemed poised for international stardom, Nick Heyward departed at the end of 1982 to launch a solo career. Percussionist Marc Fox then took over vocal duties. In 1984, the band released their album Paint and Paint, but disbanded shortly thereafter.
Reunions and Later Performances
In 2004, all former members of Haircut One Hundred reunited for an episode of the VH1 series Bands Reunited. The camaraderie rekindled via Facebook in 2009, leading to Heyward inviting the band to perform at one of his solo concerts. This led to a full reunion show at London's indigO2 on January 28, 2011, where they performed their debut album Pelican West in its entirety. The performance was subsequently recorded and released as a live double album.
