Win Tickets ($94): Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey @ Crystal Ballroom | w/ Bow Wow Wow, The Plimsouls, DJ Gregarious
We are giving away a pair of tickets to Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey @ Crystal Ballroom on June 26. To win, comment below on this post why you’d like to attend. Winner will be drawn and emailed June 17.
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From our sponsors:
Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey
Bow Wow Wow
The Plimsouls
DJ Gregarious
June 26, 2024
6:30PM Doors 8PM Show | $42.50 ADV, $47 Doors | 21+
More info: crystalballroompdx.com
Crystal Ballroom
1332 W Burnside St, Portland, OR 97209
The classic ‘artist biog’ traditionally takes a strictly linear path. Year by year, album after album. But that wouldn’t do Tom Bailey justice. Bailey’s creative past, present and future can’t be plotted along a straight line. It’s a prism, with dub, pop and world influences at each corner.
The pop element is his most well-known and comes back into play in 2018 with a brand new album, Science Fiction. It arrives just over 25 years after Play With Me, the last single by the Thompson Twins, which sat alongside tracks by Bowie, Eno and Moby on the soundtrack to 1992’s Cool World. The previous decade of course, had seen the Thompson Twins rise from squat-based free-form indie anarchy – with 1981’s Set and ’82’s A Product Of… – to world domination, with a set at Live Aid backed by Nile Rodgers and Madonna. They had 7 top 40 hits in the US and 10 in the UK with another 4 top 40 hits in the US Dance Chart including 2 No1’s with ‘Lies’ and ‘Hold Me Now’ and over 10 million album sales worldwide.
Those singles tell a unique story: Tom accessing early synths; being so taken aback by the possibilities they offered; the Twins shifting from band to project as a result; where as much creativity – thanks to his two accomplices in the classic trio line-up, Alannah Currie and Joe Leeway – was poured into design, video and production as it was into everything else. It was that ethos that meant no group other than the Thompson Twins could possibly have released an anti-ballad as captivating as Hold Me Now, or an anti-drugs song as danceable as Don’t Mess with Doctor Dream.
“People accuse the Thompson Twins of being saccharine because we were so poppy,” Tom recalls. “But we headed in that direction consciously – we turned ourselves into cartoon characters for God’s sake! – so it doesn’t get more superficial on the surface. But we were doing things for real, for sure. Everything we did, we did because we felt seriously about it.”
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Dedicated Die-Hard Thompson Twins fan for over 40 years.
Travelled to UK in 2022 for first Into The Gap Live full performance,
Would love to attend this lone US solo headliner show in Portland….
Doctor! Doctor! Please send me to see Tom!
Oh Yes PLEASE 🙂
This will be a great show to see!
We Are Detectives!
Was in my 20’s during the 80’s and this would be such a fun trip down memory lane!!
This show would be a dream come true!
Hold me now! The 80’s really were the best era ever. I would love this trip down memory lane for the evening.
Would love to have a chance to hear this unique voice live and in person!
The music of the Thompson Twins alone would be amazing but you throw in one my lesser-known faves (The Plimsouls!!) and I am dying to go.
Very cool show.
I am begging
I’d love the whole bill – but a chance to see the Plimsouls!?! I can see those tickets coming from “A Million Miles Away”!
Can’t beat an 80’s singer!
This is a couple of awesome singer’s and this would be a great show to see.
I need this in my life. What’s sleep? I’ll make the e hour drive.
The Best 80s band by far and Tom Bailey is the best to his and would love to see him live doing a non festival show not flying over the pond again!!! Hey hey could be my lucky day!!!
Detectives!
This line up topped off with Tom Bailey is a Valley Girl’s dream gig. Please consider me for the win on this one.
Have loved Tom & Annabella for 40 years! Same stage? Yes please!
I can’t believe I’ve never seen Thompson Twins- love to catch this show of Tom Bailey!
Yes please!!!! I gotta get these!!
Hold me now!
Wanna bring my buddy to what he missed in the 80’s!
These bands make the 80s experience real! Would love to revisit those great times and the amazing music
Want to find out how many twins are left.
It’s been a minute but these bands can stand the test of time.
I Would love to see both of these Bands perform. I had both albums
Revisiting the music of my youth would be a blast! I love all of these bands and actually still listen to all of their music! I would love to go to this show!
That’s a delicious line up, straight outa my formative years.
Pick me!
Pick me!
This looks like so much fun!
I don’t get out much, but I would to attend this show with my new husband!
I listened to both groups in the 80’s and 90’s and would very much enjoy seeing them
Wow take it back 80s Saw him a few years back with Boy George. Threw a great show Would appreciate it to see again.
Thanx
For the record, there’s nothing wrong with being saccharine. This old soul would love to see Tom Bailey!
I want candy! And these tickets!
OMG YES PLEASE!
I always liked the third twin best
Saw the Thompson Twins twice in the 80s, and they put on a great show. And Bow Wow Wow’s Do You Wanna Hold Me is one of my karaoke faves!
My husband is a 80’s and 90’s music fan and he knows both bands. Now this would be a fun concert for us.
A must see and be event – emoji heart and stars!!!
This would be a great night of great music!🎶
I have love the Thompson Twins my whole life!
What a line up! And a great way to really kick off the summer. Yes, please!!
I LOVE Bow Wow Wow!!! Such legends!! It would be an honor to see them live!
Loved the Thompson Twin’s in the 80’s and still listen to them.
Hold Me Now, please! Would love to see these guys!
I STILL THINK THIS IS A GREAT CONCERT TO GO TO !!
Been a Thompson Twins and Bow Wow Wow fan since I was a kid! This would be amazing!!
It’d be amazing to win tickets to this show as I’m a massive fan of loved Bow Wow Wow and the Thompson Twins! The other bands would be awesome to see as well!
I want candy! 🍭 This’ll be FUN.
Do I still sing I want candy? yep….Lord I used to looooove the Thompson Twins. I was fortunate to see them in 1982 in Boulder, CO. So good