LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 11: Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze perform on stage during their ‘Trixies’ album launch at KOKO during which the venue was transformed into Trixies nightclub for one night only, at KOKO on March 11, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Jim Dyson/Getty Images)
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In the last two months, New York City’s Radio City Music Hall hosted two ‘80s British music triple bills that delighted fans of the golden MTV era.
First, this past June, the Human League, Soft Cell and Alison Moyet performed their greatest hits there as part of the former’s Generations tour. Then last Saturday evening, Radio City provided the setting for another star-studded night of New Wave — this time from Squeeze, Adam Ant and Haircut 100, who also played their best-known songs and a few new ones.
Fronted by Glenn Tillbrook and Chris Difford, Squeeze headlined the night as the band stopped in the city as part of their Tried, Tested and Trixies tour. They recently released their 16th studio album, Trixies, an elaborate-sounding concept work whose songs Difford and Tillbrook wrote in 1974 early in the group’s career but only rediscovered on tape and revisited decades later. The terrific new album was played in its entirety during the middle portion of Squeeze’s set and evoked a little bit of the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds in some spots.
The Trixies set was bookended by the group’s classic songs—among them “Pulling Mussels (From the Shell),” Tempted,” “Another Nail in My Heart,” “Cool for Cat,” “Is That Love” and the finale “Take Me I’m Yours” (A poignant moment during the band intrductios, was backing singer Danica Dora’s brief performance of Dolly Parton’s “Coat of Many Colors,” as a tribute to the late singer). The entire Squeeze performance was thoroughly entertaining from start to finish and, with the inclusion of the music of Trixies, a further testament to the great songwriting of Difford and Tillbrook.
Squeeze had a memorable 1981 with the release of their acclaimed album East Side Story. That was the same year when Adam Ant and his band the Ants dominated the British pop music scene with such hits as “Ant Music,” “Dog Eat Dog,” “Prince Charming” and “Stand and Deliver.” Those songs and more were performed during his set by an ace band that included two drummers, whose polyrhythmic beat recalled the Burundi-like drumming of Ant’s 1980 masterpiece Kings of the Wild Frontier. His music, a blend of charismatic and electrifying punk and post-punk, provided the hard-rocking moment of the entire three-and-a-half-hour evening.
Opening the entire evening was the white-hot energetic R&B funk of Haircut 100, who recently reunited and released Boxing the Compass, the group’s first new album in over 40 years with singer Nick Heyward. One song from that record, “Someone,” was performed while the rest consisted of tracks off of their 1981 hit album Pelican West, which contained the band’s popular hits like “Favourite Shits (Boy Meets Girl)” and “Love Plus One.”
Squeeze
Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)
Up the Junction
Another Nail in My Heart
Is That Love
Trixies:
What More Can I Say
You Get the Feeling
The Place We Call Mars
Hell on Earth
The Dancer
Good Riddance
Why Don’t You
Anything but Me
It’s Over (Trixies)
The Jaguars
Trixies, Pt. 1
Trixies, Pt. 2
Hourglass
Black Coffee in Bed
If I Didn’t Love You
Third Rail
Goodbye Girl
Slap & Tickle
Cool for Cats
Tempted
Take Me I’m Yours
Adam Ant
Dog Eat Dog
Vive le Rock
Friend or Foe
Cartrouble
Zerox
Prince Charming
Desperate but Not Serious
Kings of the Wild Frontier
Ant Music
Goody Two Shoes
Stand and Deliver
Haircut 100
Someone
Nobody’s Fool
Kingsize (You’re My Little Steam Whistle)
Fantastic Day
Love Plus One
Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)