The Fixx are one of those odd groups that found more success here in America than in their native Britain. Sort of the reverse career path of Sparks, for example. As it turns out, people are still crazy about The Fixx in America. The band rolled into Cincinnati on the third-to-last date of their highly successful 2025 tour. They played primarily small venues and sold out most, if not all, of them. Indeed, a buddy of mine and his wife had to drive to Indianapolis to catch the band, as the Cincinnati show sold out quickly.
The original line-up
It doesn’t hurt that the band’s core lineup is intact: Cy Curnin on lead vocals, occasional guitar, and telescope, Adam Woods on drums and percussion, Rupert Greenall tickling the keys, Jamie West-Oram on guitar, and Dan K. Brown, who joined during the recording of the band’s second album, Reach the Beach, on bass.
Of course, lots of bands go through lineup changes, particularly ones that have been at it as long as The Fixx. However, their consistency subtly comes through live and on their most recent album, 2022’s Beautiful Friction.
The usually mobile Cy Curnin was limited by the small stage at the otherwise fine Ludlow Garage. The show was sold out. It’s odd they didn’t move to a bigger venue, but then again, a small, sold-out room is likely more profitable than a bigger place three-quarters filled.
The enthusiastic crowd, oddly, sat through the entire set, which was perfectly paced. Starting with “Outside” from their second album Reach the Beach. After a few more popular album cuts, things really got moving with “Secret Separation,” a top-20 hit from 1986’s Walkabout.
Stage persona
Curnin hasn’t lost his penchant for evangelizing and editorializing between tracks. He still comes off as this strange, slightly bitter character, which is odd, because in person he’s an affable, charming, bloke. He once told me, with a laugh, his unique dance moves were the result of growing up in a small bedroom and an addiction to coffee.
The crowd loved it all, though. The big tracks like “Stand or Fall,” “One Thing Leads to Another,” “Deeper and Deeper,” and “Are We Ourselves?” got standing ovations, though the aged crowd soon took their seats again. Curnin grabbed a guitar for “Driven Out” from the guitar-heavy Calm Animals but otherwise roamed the stage. Only Jamie Wes-Oram stepped up front to do a guitar solo, the rest of the band being content to just keep things chugging along. “Red Skies,” of course, brought down the house as they closed their main set
Another good way to judge a band’s set is by the tracks they left out. In the case of The Fixx, they flexed by omitting “Less Cities, More Moving People,” “I’m Life,” “Sign of Fire,” and “Letter to Both Sides.” The latter is still relevant today, as are most of their tunes. It’s quite a testament to the strength of their catalog.
Get The Fixx
Which brings us to something puzzling. The Fixx’s music isn’t easy to find, especially for young people who prefer streaming. Word on the Internet is the band has made the decision to limit the availability of their music via streaming services, preferring to sell CDs, which are more profitable. They also sound better, obviously. Just ask our photographer, Liza. In her 20s, she enjoys the convenience of streaming but prefers the sound of CDs for her top artists.
The rejection of streaming is understandable, as these songs are certainly worth more than a sixteenth of a cent. However, the new fans, who have embraced peers of The Fixx like The Cure, Duran Duran, OMD, A Flock of Seagulls, and so on, need access to these great tunes, which still sound fresh, by the way. If they come to your town or turn up at a festival, and you’re debating about whether or not to see them, do not hesitate.
Great opener
Jill Sobule opened and was a delight. She spent most of her set promoting a musical she’d written called Fuck Seventh Grade (her second), but good on her. Based on some of the tunes she played and the stories she told, it sounds great. Unfortunately, she didn’t do either of her two big early hits, by far her most streamed song, “Supermodel, from her second album, Jill Sobule, and also found on the Clueless soundtrack. Also absent was “I Kissed a Girl,” also from Jill Sobule. The latter should not be confused with the inferior song of the same name by Katy Perry.
She did play the wonderful “Karen by Night” from the second album. The song is based on an old day job selling shoes in New York City. It should be noted she once sold shoes to Barbara Streisand. The crowd also dug as “Underdog Victorious,” which closed her set, singing the chorus with Sobule.
Photo credit: Liz Linder
PF Wilson has been writing about music, TV, radio, and movies for over 20 years. He has also written about sports, business, and politics with his work appearing in Cincinnati CityBeat, The Houston Press, Cleveland Scene, Cincinnati Magazine, Cincy Magazine, Atomic Ranch, and many more. Check out his podcast PF’s Tape Recorder available from Podbean or in iTunes.