As far as we can recall, it’s quite possibly been 22 years since China Crisis last performed live in Brighton. We suspect that their last date here was on 13th December 2003, when they played the Brighton Centre. This being their second appearance there, as they were there on 19th April 2002. You would have to go a long way back for their previous Brighton encounters, as these were in the 1980’s. So it’s rather special that the band have announced that they will be playing at the Concorde 2 on Friday 11th September 2026. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased HERE.
China Crisis were formed in 1979 in Kirkby, near Liverpool, Merseyside with a core of vocalist/keyboardist Gary Daly and guitarist Eddie Lundon. China Crisis were part of a wave of new Liverpool acts in the late 1970s and early 1980s, led by OMD and also including Echo and the Bunnymen, The Teardrop Explodes, A Flock of Seagulls and Frankie Goes to Hollywood.
I first became aware of them when I heard their debut single ‘African & White’ which I snapped up on Virgin 12” and still have to this very day! It was a 1982 remix of their 7” 1981 release on Inevitable Records. I honestly don’t think that it sounds dated at all unlike many of the contemporary tunes of the time. The B-side of my 12” is fab too as it contains the totally dreamy ‘Red Sails’ which transports me to a Mediterranean hot sunny beach with the sun on my face as I look out over the shimmering water and there gently bobbing up and down and glistening in the sun’s rays are yachts with red sails – ahhhhh magic, I want to be there right now!
China Crisis found major success in the UK with four Top 20 singles, ‘Christian’, ‘Wishful Thinking’, ‘Black Man Ray’ and ‘King In A Catholic Style (Wake Up)’ and three Top 30 albums ‘Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms Some People Think It’s Fun to Entertain’, ‘Working with Fire and Steel – Possible Pop Songs Volume Two’ and ‘Flaunt the Imperfection’. Back during that time I was fortunate to see them play at the Top Rank Suite in Brighton on Thursday 26th January 1984 and now I am looking forward to catching them live again. As a reminder, you can purchase your Friday 11th September 2026 tickets HERE.
