Joe Jackson’s Hope and Fury Tour (2.10.2026) Pavilion Theatre.
A trip to Bournemouth town centre late afternoon is not the pleasant experience it once was. The decline is marked. The presence of whizzing, untamed e-bikes and e-scooters is an increasing nuisance, as is the seemingly acceptable stink of weed and the inevitable misery of street sleepers. Currently the main road through the central area is being dug up on a grand scale to add to the irritations of this bit of town.
Our initial target was a drink and some food at The Terrace Bar to the Pavilion. Looked good on the website but inexplicably closed. Instead we got what we needed – good small plates option – in the cavernous Basshaus just over and left up the road. As we exited, the pub security force shielded us and the doors from a ranting giant shouting and pointing. Miserable state of affairs – it’s not even dark yet. £22 to park at the venue for the evening – where is all this going.
So over to the security of the friendly, old and slightly tired venue that is Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre. An old crowd, well even older than me. We grab a drink in the rear bar. No queues back there, or seats left, or atmosphere – this needs a jazz up. It’s all too music hall.
No support. A well communicated 8.15pm start. We are in the third row and when the band and then Joe Jackson appears we realise we are right in front of the keyboards that Joe performs from throughout. You can see the moisture from his breath in the spotlights – this is the way to see a legend.
“Pretty women out walking with gorillas down my street” is the classic opening line. He starts with it: Is She Really Going Out With Him. Straight into Different For Girls. Hang on, has he blow it with the best stuff first? These tracks are how I got to know him. In 1979 I bought a promotional copy (marked ‘Not for Sale’) of an A&M complilation called No Wave. This included Is She Really Going Out With Him and Sunday Papers, which featured mid-set.
An excellent band which didn’t let things get over complicated, bassist and guitarist contributing on back vocals. Great balanced sound and nothing detracts from the keyboards and vocals of main man Joe.
Graham Maby from Gosport is on bass and has been a long term feature of the Joe Jackson band. Jackson himself grew up in Portsmouth.
Jackson is 72 now. He looks tired as he steps off for his encore and he seems to be dealing with a cold but his voice and playing seem to have lost nothing. To be honest he looked quite mature back in 1979 – the hair line I guess and he hasn’t aged that much since.
There are a few front rows audience idiots who can’t use their phones properly and blind him with their lights on full beam. One even argues it wasn’t her who started it when tapped on the shoulder. Joe covers his eyes, scowls and plays on. Fools.
The guy has released 29 LPs, including the live albums, and tonight focuses on the early ones with a healthy 4-track nod to his latest LP, Hope and Fury – it’s the name of the tour.
End of the Pier is introduced with recollections of Southsea Pier and its use in the film Tommy, with filming continuing as the pier burned. Bowie played on that pier and many more I realised, when I went to see The Vaccines album release gig there a few years ago.
Other notable newer tracks for me are Welcome to Burning By The Sea (including the line ‘we have fish and chip’s with an apostrophe) and Fool. Towards the end are older classics Look Sharp and the signature tune of his musical diversification, Stepping Out.
After the band disappear, the seated audience partially rises and the encore is an easy, triumphant return. They play Bowie’s Scary Monsters, Joe expressing his respect for Bowie. One more I know – You Can’t Get What You Want, before the band leave the stage one by one to a standing ovation, and leave the master to play and sing Home Town solo. He looks possessed by it. An emotional finish. He said earlier about growing up in Portsmouth and I bet after his living around the world – he lives in Berlin now – Pompey must be a hard return.
“We kill the pain and relocate
We’re never married
Never faithful not to any town
But we never leave the past behind“
…….it continues…
“Football crowds and church bells
And I . . .
want to go back to my home town
Though I know it’ll never be the same”.
A musical genius of many styles and great to see him down here.
