VMS LIVE PRESENTS

From 1977-1981 Sad Café looked likely to have a long-term and highly successful career
ahead of them. Reaching their height with the deluxe combo of the top 3 hit single “Everyday
Hurts” and hugely popular album “Facades”, they weren’t bolted too closely to any of the
dominant trends of New Wave, Post-Punk, what has become known as Classic Rock, or
Progressive Rock and so they looked likely to survive as the waves and trends ascended and
descended. However, record company and management difficulties took them increasingly
out of the spotlight in the next five years and by 1990 they were gone. With the death of lead
singer, Paul Young (also of Mike and the Mechanics) in 2000 and with the passing of ace
keyboardist and soundscape-maker, Vic Emerson (who had also worked with 10CC), it very
much seemed that their time had gone. Several attempted re-launches proved to be false starts
and delivered little. But now in 2019, the band have been doing some warm-up gigs near their
hometown of Manchester and the invited press and fans are liking what they see. With the
rhythm section driven by the long-term pairing of drummer, Dave Irving and bassist, Des
Tong and with the band led by founder Ian Wilson on guitars and vocals, this comeback
seems very likely the real thing. Ian’s wife, Sue Wilson-Quin augments the vocal sound,
which is filled out by new lead singer, Barry James Thomas. The seven-piece band is
completed by Dave Day on lead guitars, Neil Shaw-Hulme on saxophones and Matt Steele on
keyboards. An exciting band with a great past and the possibility of a wonderful future ahead,
if I were you, I would catch them when they come to a town near you