A PIONEERING synth-pop musician is to give fans a different perspective on his music with a show based around his piano playing and storytelling.

It was in 1983 that Howard Jones first burst upon the contemporary music scene with his songwriting, synthesizers and thought lyrics.

He set out his manifesto in his very first single ‘New Song’. The lyrics called on the listener to challenge their preconceived ideas, to see both sides and ‘throw off your mental chains’. ‘

‘New Song’, which was recently used in a pivotal scene in ‘Breaking Bad’ where Aaron Paul’s character Jessie Pinkman questions if he wants to ‘play by the rules’, peaked at number 3 in the UK singles charts.

Along with ‘New Song’, the first two albums, ‘Humans Lib’ and ‘Dream into Action’, brought Jones a host of hits including ‘Things Can Only Get Better’, ‘What is Love?’, ‘Pearl In The Shell’, ‘Like to Get To know You Well’, ‘Hide And Seek’ (performed at Live Aid), ‘Look Mama’ and ‘No One Is To Blame’, which reached No.1 in the US.

Howard has sold over 8 million albums across the globe and is one of a select group of British artists who have comprehensively ‘broken America’.

Howard Jones’ solo shows are an intimate trip through Howard’s 30 year music career.

He will be bringing this show, named ‘An Evening with Howard Jones, (The Songs, The Piano & The Stories)’, to Lancaster Grand on Friday March 31.

Many of his best known songs were composed on his favourite instrument; the piano. Howard shares behind the scenes stories and reveals the inspiration behind the songs in these rare acoustic shows.

Howard Jones will be supported by Rachael Sage.

Rachel Sage is a musician from New York who has released fourteen solo albums on her own label, MPress Records, and regularly tours both North America and Europe.

Her sound is theatrical, and she is accomplished at many instruments, including piano, keyboards, hammond organ and guitar.

Her latest album, ‘Choreographic’, was released last year.