The early 1980’s heralded a second Liverpool-based musical renaissance and amongst these lauded Merseyside acts was China Crisis, originally emerging in 1981 from their native Kirkby broadly in the "new wave" genre as the songwriting duo of vocalist/keyboardist Gary Daly and guitarist/vocalist Eddie Lundon. Citing influences as varied as Davie Bowie, Stevie Wonder, Eric Satie and Brian Eno, it’s not surprising that their sound was quickly distinguishable amongst their peers, combining synthpop with reggae, country and other styles with their own unique melodies and harmonies to create distinctively sophisticated but catchy pop in a style all its own. With their philosophy that “the song is the most important thing”, China Crisis weren’t just resourceful with the emerging technology of the time and the ongoing electronic music revolution but would creatively employ a distinctive sonic blend of more orthodox origins - horns, strings, woodwinds, pedal steel – a sound further enhanced by working with some of the greatest producers of the 20th century, including Mike Howlett, Langer/Winstanley, and perhaps most notably with Steely Dan’s Walter Becker. The result of their effort was a clearly identifiable China Crisis sound that stood out from the crowd and garnered the band chart success around the globe, including three UK Top 40 albums and eleven UK Top 50 singles, their hits including the beloved "Wishful Thinking", "Christian", "Black Man Ray", "King in a Catholic Style", "Arizona Sky" and "African and White". More importantly the early years established a decades-loyal fanbase that continues to grow today.
That the China Crisis sound is enduring is demonstrable well into the 21st Century, not just through the continued fidelity of their longtime fans but the fact that a whole new generation of musicians and listeners are becoming China Crisis devotees. The band have spent the past decade touring, from their home in the UK around Europe, down to Australia/NZ and the Philippines, through US and Canada. In 2015 Gary and Eddie released the fan-funded Autumn in the Neighbourhood, the seventh China Crisis studio album, to great acclaim, a work referred to as at once “adventurous and contemporary” and “intimate”, and a return to the band’s “heady” songwriting strengths. Originally only made available to fans at shows, by popular demand the album now headed for a label-backed worldwide relaunch for its 10th anniversary in 2025. Meanwhile China Crisis classics have been sampled into modern singles by the likes of French Montana and Action Bronson, and the band’s songs have been chosen for use in contemporary cinema such as with the hit film Gone Girl and the immensely popular Sex Education on Netflix, all introducing their music to a whole new audience. 2024 brought the release of the band’s new album, China Greatness, a collection of the band’s favourite tracks chosen from across the riches of a 42-year back catalogue. This, however, is no hastily thrown together “Best Of” affair. Instead, over the last two years, the band have deconstructed the songs while retaining their original structures, re-building them from the ground up with freshly re-modelled drum and rhythm tracks created by Grammy award winning producer, engineer and programmer Mark Phythian (Coldplay, Paolo Nutini), adding newly bespoke and exquisite orchestral and horn arrangements courtesy of China Crisis’ keys man Jack Hymers. The end result of the collective work simply sparkles, and earned the band their best ever album chart position, entering the UK Vinyl Album chart at number 5.
Truly renowned and beloved for their live performances which combine engaging music with a healthy dose of Scouse humor, and with the clear kinship the band have with their fans, audiences always leave China Crisis shows the all the happier for having been part of the moment.
Event: Thursday, 29 May, 8pm
Bar Opens: 7pm
Tickets: £27.50 Advance, £29 On The Door
