“More Today’s and Tomorrow’s from the Imagination!”

“This tour will be a chance for a generation of fans - both old and new - to step back into the future and celebrate a time that defined millions of people’s life soundtracks when the era of Music Television ruled the earth,” says Mike Peters of The Alarm about the Live Today Love Tomorrow Tour MMXIV which is about to take the US by storm.

Featuring a phalanx of British music artists who first came to prominence in North America during the original MTV music television era, The Alarm, Jay Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel and Belouis Some all broke onto the scene with music that collectively blurred the lines between new wave, alternative rock and pop music as we know it. For Belouis Some, in particular, this tour marks their re-entry into the U.S. performance space after quite some time.

Continues Peters, “All our bands made an initial impact through the medium of music, but it was driven deeper into the hearts and imaginations of people all over North America via Music Television - a then brand new format that allowed bands from all across the globe to be both heard and seen, paving the way for a new generation of artists and fans of which had never been witnessed before.”

Adds Belouis Some, “I’m really looking forward to getting out on the road again with such a cool line-up ... playing to the best audiences in the world!”

Belouis Some created the classic international hit singles “Imagination” and “Some People” in 1985, and while touring with Frankie Goes To Hollywood, caused controversy at MTV with a nude video created by the legendary Storm Thorgerson. In 1986, Belouis Some contributed the song “Round, Round” to the classic John Hughes’ era defining film soundtrack Pretty In Pink which was listed in Rolling Stone’s list of The 25 Greatest Soundtracks of All Time and (like The Alarm), also appeared as special guest to Freddie Mercury and Queen in the UK.

Catching up with Neville Keighley aka Belouis Some, ahead of the US tour, we chatted about all-things then and now, but we first chatted about the last time he was actually in the US touring?

You are heading off to The States to tour with The Alarm and, at first, The Blow Monkeys but now Jay Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel, so first things first, when did you last tour the States and what are you most looking forward to about these shows; but at the same time, have you any trepidation about what to expect now that we are fully out of the Covid musical lockdown? - “I last toured the USA in 1988 and loved it. The American audiences were always really enthusiastic so I’m looking forward to going back out again. I’m sure everyone is really happy to be able to get out and enjoy life fully again now the lockdowns are over!”

The US tour is titled Live Today, Love Tomorrow, so I’m wondering if you had any hand in that tag line and whether you did or not, what it means to you personally? - “No, but it sums up the way I feel about life and the future too!”

Being known for your UK and worldwide hits in the 1980s - Some People, Imagination and Round, Round - over the years of having played them live hundreds of times, are they still as enjoyable to sing today as they ever were? - “Yes, I still love singing and performing my songs. Every time it triggers memories and thoughts for me and I hope it does the same for people hearing them too.”

And assuming they are, and given that choices made can easily change every day due to mood and such, are they still the three (3) songs that make you the most happiest to sing live on stage (given the audience’s responses and such), or do you have album cuts and/or international singles you perform live that you enjoy singing a little more, perhaps? - “I’m equally happy singing all the songs. They all mean something special to me.”

Indeed, does your set-list alter UK to US and if so, how and why? - “No.”

Will there be an album of new material from you any time soon, perhaps? - “Yes, but it has to be at the right time.”

Also, and this is a new question to ask these days, but as some artists have, are their certain words/lyrics to your songs over the years that you have found you now had to alter/change when singing, due to wokeness and, perhaps even a life taught inner sense of today’s state of being? - “Again no, I feel slightly embarrassed at some of the phrases I used in my early 20’s but the songs are the songs. I think it is a big mistake to rewrite books, songs, movies, art etc. from the past for current political correctness no matter how justified.”

And for the record, no pun intended, the band name Belouis Some was created by you in 1982 and in 1984, if my memory serves, I also saw you support Nik Kershaw on his brilliant Human Racing UK tour. But why Belouis Some? Taken one minute as a band name, the next seen as a solo artist persona, what did it encompass to you yourself back then? - “In the early 80’s it was very difficult to be a solo artist, unless you were a folk singer or already well established. I wanted my name to be ambiguous…is it a band or a solo singer. I’ve never been part of a band but I love having a great band!”

As for the massive exposure you obviously garnered for supporting Nik on that UK tour, what are your own memories of those dates and being your Some People album wasn’t even released until the next year, were you already playing live the hits-to-come? And have they changed in how you sing them today, perhaps? - “I can’t remember much of Nik’s tour, I was in the studio recording my first album and broke off for the tour. When I met Steve Thompson and Michael Barbiero in New York in 1984 I realised there was so much more that I could do with the album and pretty much scrapped the London recordings. I then had to persuade my wonderful record label Parlophone to let me start again. I was originally penciled in to support Duran Duran on their US tour but the album obviously wasn’t ready. Nik’s tour was the first time I played outside clubs in theatre’s and I learned a lot. I then went on to support Frankie Goes To Hollywood in the USA 1985 and Queen’s Magic Tour in 1986.”

It’s been 40 years since those days supporting Nik so, and in reflection, and with all that has since happened in life to you, your fans, your music, your personal life and all the other stuff that makes up our lives, has it been as exciting, as wonderful, as hard, as engaging, as worthwhile as you could have hoped, or are there genuinely things (health aside, as that is out of all our hands) that you would have done differently (and if done so, would present us today with a different, remodeled Neville Keighley, perhaps?) - “No, I don’t believe in looking back. Not a lot I can do about it! ”

Indeed, and with those aforementioned 40 years having gone by since those days, please fill in these five (5) words that best describe Neville Keighley circa supporting Nik in 1984 Vs. the one kindly now answering my questions:

The Nik Touring Neville (1984) = 1) ambition and hard hard work 2) artistic learning 3) planning and achievements 4) networking 5) success

The Here and Now Neville (2024) = 1) family & friends 2) health 3) ambition and hard work 4) doing as much as possible 5) success

Now, going a little left of center (so please do stick with me here), as we are putting together a children’s book about just this subject matter, we ask everyone this very simple question: Do you, Neville, like or have any time or admiration for Penguin’s? (the flightless bird, not the delicious chocolate biscuit!) And if so, do you have a story about one you may have encountered, or given as a soft toy gift, perhaps? - “There was a penguin kidnapped from Bristol Zoo a few years in the UK. It caused national outcry and penguins became the most popular animal here!”

Bristol Post Article

In closing, well, if you have even made it this far, fair play and well done you, and I shall bring this chat to a close by simply asking you this: We are called not called Exclusive Magazine for nothing, my friend, and so, and without further ado, please dig deep and please reveal something that is imminent/upcoming, that we have not already discussed, and most definitely has not yet been announced to the world, that we can lovingly be the first to sing and shout about and spread the word of? - “Thank you Russell, (but) I think I’d better hold off on that one!”

“Great fun doing this! Best wishes, Neville (Belouis Some).”

Interview by: Russell A. Trunk

NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES MAY 2024:
May 01 2024 New Orleans, LA House of Blues
May 02 2024 Austin, TX Emo’s
May 03 2024 Houston, TX House of Blues
May 04 2024 Ft. Worth, TX Tannahill’s
May 07 2024. Kansas City, MO Knuckleheads
May 08 2024 Minneapolis, MN Parkway Theater
May 09 2024 Chicago Des Plaines Theatre
May 10 2024 Detroit Magic Bag
May 11 2024 Los Angeles, CA Cruel World *
May 12 2024 Pittsburgh, PA Jergel’s [Warrendale]
May 13 2024 Toronto, ON El Mocambo
May 14 2024 Buffalo, NY Asbury Hall
May 15 2024 Cleveland, OH Temple Live @ Masonic
May 16 2024 Asbury Park, NJ Asbury Lanes
May 17 2024 Philadelphia, PA Colonial Theater [Phoenixville)
May 18 2024 Falls Church, VA State Theater
May 19 2024 Richmond The National
May 22 2024 Huntington, NY Paramount
May 23 2024 Pawling, NY Daryl’s House **
May 24 2024 New York, NY Irving Plaza
May 25 2024. Salisbury, MA
May 26 2024 New Haven, CT Toad’s Place
May 29 2024 Boston, MA Brighton Music Hall

The Alarm only
The Alarm / Jay Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel only

www.belouissome.com

Belouis Some - Official Shop

Belouis Some - Some People (Official Video)