Another First‑Time Band in My 80s New Wave Catch‑Up Tour
2026 has quietly turned into my unofficial “first‑time seeing them live” year. Joe Jackson, The Human League, Alison Moyet, Colin Hay, Echo & the Bunnymen — and now The Fixx, finally added to the list on a hot July summer evening. I was excited to see The Fixx live for the first being a long-time fan.
It was only my second visit to the Granada Theater; the first was The English Beat several years ago. This time I went with Colton, my teenage son and frequent concert wingman. The Granada remains one of Dallas’ most reliable mid‑size venues: intimate sightlines, great sound, and just enough personality to feel like a neighborhood institution rather than a corporate box. Plus, for a thrifty fella like me, you can find free parking nearby.
We had seats in the second section to the right of the stage — close enough to catch every detail, from Cy Curnin’s expressive hand gestures to Jamie West‑Oram’s guitar work to Dan K. Brown’s top‑hat‑and‑sunglasses look that, for reasons I can’t fully explain, reminded me of Fred Mertz from I Love Lucy. Once the comparison popped into my head, it refused to leave.
The Fixx Live Lineup: Still the Classic MTV‑Era Core
The Fixx continue to tour with their classic lineup intact — a rarity for any early‑80s band:
- Cy Curnin – vocals
- Jamie West‑Oram – guitar
- Rupert Greenall – keyboards
- Adam Woods – drums
- Dan K. Brown – bass
The chemistry shows. This isn’t a nostalgia act; it’s a band still fully connected to the material — which is exactly why The Fixx live still works so well.
Cy Curnin Live: White Suit, Big Gestures, and Full MTV Energy
Cy sounded fantastic — clear, expressive, and still capable of the sharp phrasing that defined The Fixx’s early MTV years (Cy Curnin and Jamie West-Oram were in an MTV promo). He wore a white casual suit, which popped under the Granada lights and gave him a kind of new‑wave‑meets‑art‑teacher vibe, with a touch of soft‑spoken guru energy mixed in. He carries himself with a centered calm — part art‑teacher, part new‑age guru — the sort of presence that lands somewhere between Kwai Chang Caine (the wandering monk from Kung Fu) and the guy in every 1985 MTV video who stares meaningfully into the distance for no reason.
Cy’s hand gestures are practically choreography — wide, expressive motions that make him look like he’s sculpting the lyrics in the air or teaching an avant‑garde movement class at an art school in 1987.
The Fixx Live: One Thing Leads to Another in the Granada Theater Setlist
“Secret Separation” — Jamie Takes Center Stage (Twice)
Jamie West‑Oram stepped into the center spotlight twice during “Secret Separation,” giving those signature guitar lines a little extra room to shine. The part is already one of the band’s most recognizable melodic hooks, and seeing Jamie move forward for it felt like the natural shape of the song rather than any kind of spotlight grab.
“Driven Out” — Cy Joins the Guitar Attack
During “Driven Out,” Cy grabbed a guitar and stepped toward Jamie, matching him rhythmically. It gave the song a heavier, more urgent feel than the studio version and underscored how collaborative the band is live.
“One Thing Leads to Another” — Full‑Room Sing‑Along
Cy turned the Granada into a sing‑along during “One Thing Leads to Another,” conducting the crowd with those big hand gestures. Colton and I jumped in, adding another chapter to our father‑son concert tradition.
“Deeper and Deeper” — Digging a Hole and the Night’s Longest Solo
Cy began “Deeper and Deeper” by mimicking shoveling and digging a hole, leaning forward and scooping imaginary dirt with exaggerated motions. It was funny, theatrical, and perfectly on‑theme.
Then Jamie launched into the longest guitar solo of the night — a slow‑burn, echo‑laden climb that would’ve fit perfectly into a nighttime Miami Vice montage.
Dan K. Brown Live: The Bassist Who Absolutely Cannot Move
Dan K. Brown — in a gold‑and‑black vest and those top‑hat‑and‑sunglasses accessories that made me think of Fred Mertz for reasons I still can’t explain — spent most of the night rooted to his little corner of the stage with the kind of absolute stillness you only see in 80s movies when someone’s been told, “If you move, this thing blows.”
The Fixx Live in Dallas: Full Granada Theater Setlist
Seeing The Fixx live means getting a setlist that blends MTV‑era classics with deeper cuts:
Encore Highlights: Brick Phones, Gold Masks, and “Saved by Zero”
Cy and the band had already come back out for the encore when he stepped forward and pulled out an old 1980s brick cell phone, long antenna and all — full Gordon Gekko energy, minus the insider trading. He used it as a quick comedic monologue prop, pretending to place a call back to 1983 to confirm whether we were all still ourselves. It was a funny, unexpected setup that led directly into the encore’s theatrical tone.
They launched into “Are We Ourselves?”, where Cy unveiled the first of his two props: a gold masquerade mask. He lifted it to his face as the lights caught the metallic surface, making it look like a lost prop from an early‑MTV video shoot. It was a small piece of theater that landed exactly because he didn’t oversell it.
Before “Happy Landings,” Cy paused and mentioned that it was his mother’s favorite song of his. He dedicated it to her — and to all mothers and future mothers — in a way that felt sincere without slowing the momentum of the encore. He also brought the gold mask back out, holding it up again as a visual callback to the previous song. It gave the moment a gentle lift without turning it into a bit.
They closed with an extended version of “Saved by Zero.” Before starting it, Cy slipped into a brief, almost metaphysical reflection about how he begins each day with a single breath, how he centers himself, and how returning to “zero” helps him reset. He even did the little “zero” yoga‑hand gesture — very “new‑wave guru releasing a VHS series on centering yourself.” It was a quiet, thoughtful lead‑in that made the longer arrangement feel intentional rather than indulgent.
The Streaming Problem: Finding The Fixx’s Catalog Is Like Hunting the Lost Ark
I recognized most of the set, though a few songs were new to me. That’s part of The Fixx live experience: their catalog is deeper than casual listeners realize.
And it’s a shame how difficult their music is to find on streaming services. I never owned any of their albums back in the day, so YouTube Music is how I’ve tried to explore their catalog — but it’s scattered, incomplete, and often buried. For a band with this many strong songs, the lack of streaming visibility feels like a disservice.
Trying to track down their actual albums online feels like an Indiana Jones side quest — dodging licensing booby traps, navigating rights‑limbo caverns, and hoping you don’t choose the wrong grail. The few original versions I can find are scattered across random soundtracks or stray compilations, and even those are inconsistent. Most of the band’s core catalog simply isn’t available at all.
It’s one of those rights‑limbo situations: the band’s MCA‑era albums ended up under Universal Music Group, and only certain tracks with clean, modern digital rights made it onto streaming. The hits that are available tend to be the ones that were re‑licensed for compilations, but the original albums never made the jump to modern streaming — which is why the catalog feels so fragmented and incomplete.
Final Thoughts on The Fixx Live: Dallas Edition
My first Fixx concert review felt like a perfect addition to this year’s run of first‑time shows. The band’s classic lineup delivered a performance that was both nostalgic and surprisingly fresh. Cy’s voice, Jamie’s guitar work, and the band’s tight rhythm section made for a standout night at the Granada.
