Package tours are a staple of the summer concert scene, and while consumers are usually only able to see a maximum of three acts, Totally Tubular Festival trumps them all.
The ensemble tour, consisting of eight groups active in the early to mid-1980s, was one of the most enjoyable events of the hot summer.
The Totally Tubular Festival took place on July 17, 2024 at MGM Music Hall at Fenway in Boston, Massachusetts.
The five-and-a-half-hour concert kicked off with Plimsouls (featuring Eddie Munoz), a band best known for its appearance in the 1983 cult film Valley Girl, which includes original guitarist Munoz. In their short set, the quartet played slick power-pop riffs, eventually finishing with their best-known song, “A Million Miles Away.”
Next up was Tommy Tutone, who also played a short set featuring a cover of Cat Stevens' “Wild World” and their only hit, “Jenny (867-5309).”
Featuring original vocalist Annabelle Lewin (formally Annabellas Lewin), Bow Wow Wow visibly fired up the crowd. Lewin's charismatic aura shone through on the charming early '80s tune “Do You Wanna Hold Me” and the group's cover of the Strangeloves' “I Want Candy.” It's often forgotten, but Bow Wow Wow was the brainchild of the late Sex Pistols manager, Malcolm McLaren.
One of the defining bands of the 80s was Wang Chung. Not only did they have a string of phenomenal pop hits, they were also responsible for the moody, atmospheric soundtrack to the 1985 crime drama “To Live and Die in LA” (one of the most underrated cop movies of all time). Wang Chung opened with “Wait” and “To Live and Die in LA,” both from the film, before performing a fantastic “Dance Hall Days.” They then moved into a surprising cover arrangement of The Clash's “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” before closing out their amazing set with “Everybody Have Fun Tonight.”
Men Without Hats is now fronted by singer Ivan Doroschuk and his brother, guitarist Colin Doroschuk, and the band opened with their biggest hit, “The Safety Dance.” The seven-song setlist was highlighted by the moody “Antarctica” and the bouncy “Pop Goes the World.” The group closed with a second take of “The Safety Dance,” but with a longer club mix feel.
Aside from Wang Chung and Men Without Hats (both of which still have two of their core members), Modern English is the group with the most complete lineup, featuring all four original members. The group was on fire from the start, with hits like 1981's “Gathering Dust” and the unforgettable “Someone's Calling” from their breakthrough album, 1983's After the Fire.
New tracks from the band's new album, “1,2,3,4,” “Long in the Tooth,” and “Crazy Lovers” were all well-received by the crowd, making this arguably the best Modern English show this journalist has seen since they played Massachusetts' Middle East Club in 2016. Modern English closed pretty strong with arguably the most iconic love song in new wave history, “I Melt With You.”
Tom Bailey's current band, the Thompson Twins (known as Tom Bailey's Thompson Twins), pretty much stole the show. Backed by a backing band of three incredible female musicians, Bailey blended '80s style with modern sophistication. Opening with “Love on Your Side” and “Lay Your Hands on Me,” Bailey said he would be performing a highly requested song in the US, “If You Were Here,” which was featured prominently in the 1984 John Hughes classic film, “Sixteen Candles.”
Great versions of “Lies” and “Doctor! Doctor!” segued smoothly into “Hold Me Now,” one of the Thompson Twins' finest moments.
Thomas Dolby closed the night with one of the most versatile performances of the night. Armed with two laptops and a synthesizer, Dolby appeared to be performing a DJ set, but in fact it was much more than that.
A vocal-electronic cover of New Order's “Blue Monday” was followed by “Europe and the Pirate Twins” and “One of Our Submarines,” a moving song about Dolby's uncle (whom Dolby never met) and World War II.
Dolby paid a wonderful tribute to David Bowie, playing audio and footage of Bowie singing “Hero's” during the Live Aid UK concert (evoking some nostalgia as the 40th anniversary of the Live Aid concert was just a few days ago on July 13th).
Dolby closed with 1984's excellent “Hyperactive” and the smash hit “She Blinded Me With Science.”
For his lone encore, Dolby closed out a night of '80s music heaven with a rendition of “Hot Sauce,” a funk song George Clinton wrote for him in 1988.