Westbound and Sound with Go West
Formed in London in the mid-80s, Go West built a sleek mix of synth hooks, bright guitar, and soul-forward vocals.
Hooks polished, heart on sleeve
Their calling cards came fast: We Close Our Eyes broke them wide, and King of Wishful Thinking jumped from the Pretty Woman soundtrack onto radios everywhere. Across the decades, the duo has kept the core team of Peter Cox and Richard Drummie intact, bringing a compact touring band to give those studio glosses some grit. Expect a set centered on big choruses and crisp grooves, likely slotting Call Me, Faithful, and the early single We Close Our Eyes near the front half. With special guest Debbie Gibson, a mid-show cameo or duet is very possible, especially on a power ballad moment.Glints from the archives
You will see a cross-section of long-time fans who bought the 12-inch singles, younger synth-pop diggers, and couples reliving dance floor favorites. Deep-cut note: the We Close Our Eyes video was directed by Godley & Creme, and King of Wishful Thinking was co-written with Martin Page and produced by Peter Wolf. For transparency, the selections and production flourishes mentioned here are inferred from recent patterns and could shift on the night.The Scene Around Go West
The room skews multi-generational, with vintage tour tees, pastel blazers, and polished sneakers mixing with new merch fits.
Chorus-ready camaraderie
You hear pockets of harmony singing on the choruses, with a good-natured shout when the opening riff of King of Wishful Thinking lands. Several fans bring old 12-inch singles or CD booklets, and the merch table favors clean retro fonts, enamel pins, and a tee nodding to the Go West debut era.Style, stories, and sing-alongs
Expect a few shoulder-roll dance lines during the mid-tempo numbers, while the front rows save their full voice for Faithful. There is affection for craft here, so players get cheers for tight bass runs or a crisp sax break, not just the big refrains. Pre-show chatter is about who first heard them on the Pretty Woman soundtrack, which city the duo plays next, and whether Debbie Gibson might pop back out for a finale.The Craft Behind Go West's Shine
Peter Cox brings a rich, chesty lead that sits comfortably at mid-range, with tasteful grit on the peaks.
Groove first, gloss second
Guitars favor clean chorus and tight funk accents, leaving space for keys to paint the chords in bright colors. Live, arrangements trim intros and push choruses a hair faster than record tempo, which keeps the floor moving without rushing. The band often punctuates hooks with live sax or synth-brass hits, giving songs like Don't Look Down extra snap.Small tweaks, big payoff
A subtle road trick: older tunes are sometimes dropped a half step, which warms the timbre and lets those choruses bloom. They like to flip a bridge into a crowd call-and-response, especially on We Close Our Eyes, before slamming back into the final hook. Lighting tends toward saturated blocks of color with quick strobes on drum fills, complementing the music rather than overshadowing it.If You Like Go West, You Likely Know These Too
Fans of silky 80s pop with sturdy rhythm sections often cross over with Rick Astley, whose live show leans on warm baritone vocals and punchy drum-and-synth arrangements.