English synth-pop pioneer Howard Jones continues to innovate late in his career (original) (raw)
Howard Jones has always been at the cusp of innovation. Whether it be the new wave sound he brought to the United States in the 1980s, his high-tech set-ups, or his measured interest in the development of AI technology.
While some musicians have staunchly opposed ventures into technological advancements, Jones has worked with a friend on developing an AI version of his voice — something he said he may explore on a future record.
Jones said the discomfort over these developments draws parallels to previous backlash surrounding using synthesizers, sampling music and doing one-man electronic shows. But he said the new technology is a double-edged sword that requires respectful use.
English synth-pop pioneer Howard Jones performs Aug. 21 the Sound concert hall in Del Mar. (Simon Fowler)
“Whenever there’s a new development, there’s a side of it that people will abuse. And they will rip people off, and we know that there’ll be some people doing that,” Jones said. “But then there’ll be a whole raft of creative artists and musicians using it to give us some new stuff and new ways of working.”
Jones’s musical evolution, minus the AI, can be heard on his newly-minted record, “Live at the O2,” recorded on March 24, 2024 at the iconic concert venue in London. Jones said he was thrilled to have the performance on tape with his band — bassist Nick Beggs, guitarist Robin Boult, keyboardist Dan Clarke and multiinstrumentalist Robbie Bronnimann — “in top form.”
“You never know when you’re recording a show, whether it’s gonna be alright — whether it be too many glitches or bad singing from me or something— but actually it was one of the best shows we’ve done,” Jones said.
Following the release of “Live at the O2,” Jones is hitting the ground running on a North American tour with contemporary new wave acts ABC and Haircut 100, the latter of which hasn’t visited North America in 40 years. One of their destinations will be The Sound in Del Mar where they’ll stop Wednesday on a co-headlining tour with the ’80s band ABC.
English synth-pop pioneer Howard Jones performs Aug. 21 the Sound concert hall in Del Mar. (Simon Fowler)
“I’ve always had an incredible following in San Diego, so I always have a great time there. The audiences are always so kind to me,” Jones said. “It’s a total pleasure to be there, so San Diego always has to be on the tour list.”
Jones last played in San Diego in September 2023, when he joined Culture Club and Berlin at the spacious open air North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre. Over the years, Jones has run the gambit of local venues, including Humphreys Concerts by the Bay, Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theater at San Diego State University, the House of Blues and The Belly Up Tavern.
Jones said each venue, from the bay to SDSU, creates room for variety. He anticipates The Sound’s clublike setting to switch up the vibe of the show.
“When the audience is closer to you, sometimes the vibe is electric,” Jones said. “It takes you back to the earlier days when you were starting out.”
This tour will feature high-tech, full-band performances with all of the trimmings you’d expect from a Howard Jones show. It will also feature new software for Jones’s keyboard-guitar hybrid, the keytar. But the set will also feature a few stripped-back. acoustic moments, including a “campfire-style” rendition of “Too Shy.”
“I love the intimacy you can create even in a big venue with just the three of us and the focus on the playing and the songwriting,” Jones said. “And then you get a break from the banging instruments, which we love as well.”
Over Jones’s extensive career, the synth-pop pioneer scored 10 top 40 hits in the UK, toured with Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band and performed at Live Aid in 1985.
Jones’s music is inseparable from the Brit-pop revival of the 1980s, but it has seen a pop culture resurgence thanks to appearances in high-profile properties like Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” and the movie “Bumblebee.” “Like To Get To Know You Well” was also featured in the video game “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.”
Jones said he has seen younger people turning up to his shows and connecting with his music decades after it was released.
“It’s like a new song for them,” Jones said. “And I’m really excited about that prospect — that people are discovering it and hopefully getting something out of it. And that’s just thrilling to me.”
Howard Jones & ABC with Haircut One Hundred
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday
Where: The Sound, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar
Tickets: (Sold out on Ticketmaster, Re-sale available on AXS)
Website: thesoundsd.com