JOE JACKSON – THE HOPE AND FURY TOUR – THE PALACE THEATRE
By Kat Gullage
JOE JACKSON & BAND BRING THEIR HOPE AND FURY TOUR TO THE PALACE THEATRE IN STAMFORD
Joe Jackson is a legendary musician whose iconic career stretches from 1979, when he brought his take on nu-wave to the Second British Invasion of music, to his latest release, 2026’s Hope and Fury. The Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter boasts an impressive body of work that includes twenty studio albums, eight live albums, three box sets, a mountain of singles, and contributions to soundtracks and compilations.
Jackson’s musical journey has morphed from British nu-wave to jazz to classical. The thrash metal band Anthrax covered his track “Got The Time” on their 1990 LP, Persistence Of Time. I’ve seen Joe perform it live, and while Anthrax gave him a run for the money, Joe was the clear winner.
A little known fact about me. My grandfather was an acclaimed musician who served as copyist for jazz legend Dave Brubeck. That connection gave me an appreciation for the intricate, complicated yet controlled chaos of the genre.
We caught Jackson’s third to last stop on his thirty nine date North American tour. At 71 years old, he’ll be 72 in August, his stamina is incredible and his creativity has not been affected by the passage of time. He’ll be embarking on his European tour in September with an additional forty scheduled performances.
Joe appeared to enthusiastic applause and settled himself at the helm of the keys, where he remained for the performance, bathed in a spotlight that was fine live, but made for challenging picture taking. Jackson opened the evening with a solid take of his hit, “Is She Really Going Out With Him” (Look Sharp!) which he performed solo, relying on just his piano and voice.
The band were then introduced as each took their stage mark: guitarist Teddy Kumpel in an eye-catching purple suit, drummer Doug Yowell, Felipe Fournier on bongos, timbales and percussion, and OG bassist Graham Maby who has been with Jackson since the beginning.
“It’s Different For Girls” (I’m The Man), his highest charting UK single, was song two. “Welcome to Burning-by-Sea”, was Jackson’s introduction to the first of two from Hope and Fury, the second being “I’m Not Sorry”.
Joe Jackson addressed the sold out crowd, “We are at the end of a big American tour right now. We have a new album out. We’re gonna do some new stuff and some old stuff and some in-between stuff, should cover it. We haven’t been playing this one but thought that we should.” That “one” turned out to be the live debut of “After All This Time”, a song that strings together a cache of cliches representing a broken relationship.
It was followed by the title track “Fool” which prompted Jackson to share with us “Surprised how many thought it was about a person, thought they knew who it was. They don’t know their Shakespeare.” This was met with a venue wide chuckle before he elaborated. “The Fool is an important character. Without humor we’re all fucked. The Fool character is not always a fool, could be the smartest guy in the room”.
Fan favorite “Sunday Papers” (Look Sharp!) was a hit before Joe introduced another new one, “This song is about an everyman that maybe you can relate to”, it was “The Face”. “Gotta catch my breath up here. We’re gonna do another song from Fool”, which was a trip to “Strange Land”. A cut from Body and Soul was on deck, “Be My Number Two” followed by “Real Men” (Night and Day-Day Side).
The saddest song on Hope and Fury was presented, an examination in society one hundred years apart, with “End of the Pier”. Title track “Look Sharp!” refocused our emotions and the set closed with two from Night and Day-Night Side, “Target” and Joe’s international hit, “Steppin’ Out”, which had fans on their feet and dancing in the aisles.
After a short break, Joe Jackson and Band returned to the delight of the audience. “Oh alright, we’ll do a couple more. What coast are we on? Thanks for coming out.” Setting up the encore, he explained “We used to do a different cover every night but we’ve been doing this one on this tour. He’s no longer with us.” “Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)” was a touching tribute to David Bowie. I’m not a fan of covers, but have to admit this was a formidable, polished version.
One final return to Body and Soul brought “You Can’t Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want).” Joe added “Thank you for supporting us and thank you for supporting live music”. As the song ended, each band member exited with a wave, leaving Jackson alone at the piano where the evening had begun. He closed the night with a solo version of “Home Town” (Big World), bringing the performance full circle.
Jackson rose from the bench to a thunderous standing ovation, graciously soaking in the appreciation before taking his final bow and disappearing backstage. A fitting conclusion to a career-spanning performance that showcased exactly why Joe Jackson remains one of music’s most versatile and enduring artists.
Footnote: “My House” (Laughter & Lust), was apparently on the printed setlist between “After All This Time” and “Fool”, but was not performed.
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