Thomas Dolby has a secret project he started to reveal last year. The good news is that fans have more opportunities to see a preview — and he says he’s hoping to reveal the whole thing later this year.
He’s back on the road presently for a fresh round of similar tour dates under the banner of Iconic ’80s Recollections. Dolby is backed by a full band featuring former David Bowie associate Gail Ann Dorsey and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Lipke. Dorsey is also opening the concerts with a solo set.
Following the U.S. dates, the innovative artist will bring the experience overseas (with a modified band lineup) for additional dates starting May 15 in Manchester and continuing through May 29 in Dublin.
“I think there’s quite a strong crossover, you know, between me and some other artists that were my contemporaries at the time,” the synth legend shared in an interview with UCR regarding one small part of his overall concept. “I think people hearing those juxtaposed, but kind of brought to you by somebody that was actually there and sort of lived through that stuff and had connections with that stuff. feels very special in 2026 because a lot of those people are dead or in jail or retired.”
Those who have followed Dolby’s career will know that he’s lived two different lives professionally, something that he documented at length with his memoir, 2016’s The Speed of Sound: Breaking the Barriers Between Music and Technology.
His latest touring outing, appropriately enough, combines both of those worlds of music and technology. Without giving away the plot, the artist has a cool vision for a unique presentation that will give fans of all ages an interesting look at the music of that decade through the eyes of someone who was an active participant on multiple levels.
You’ll Hear Dolby’s Hits at His 2026 Concerts
If you just want to hear the songs you love from Thomas, notably, of course, “She Blinded Me With Science,” don’t worry, you’ll hear all of that and then some. But the songwriter is delivering an experience that you’ll enjoy, as a fan of ’80s music in general. Plus, it’s a chance to maybe get some new context about things that you could look up on the internet, but it wouldn’t be nearly as much fun. Dolby uses a baseball analogy, when considering that last point.
“If you ask them that question, could you learn more about the history of baseball from the internet or from talking to that old guy sitting on the stoop. They would admit rather guiltily that they probably learn more from the old guy, and yet they don’t do it,” he says. “They choose to go to ChatGPT instead.”
So there’s the challenge — one that Dolby has happily accepted and found a way to present in concert in a very intriguing way. “How do you shovel of all of that demand for knowledge in. Into a format that actually meets the stimulus demands?”
Fans will get to hear and see the answer for themselves at Dolby’s current tour dates.
How Dolby Met the Dead
Thomas Dolby fans who brought home a copy of 1992’s Astronauts and Heretics were intrigued by the presence of Eddie Van Halen in the song credits. But that wasn’t the only surprising collaboration on the album.
READ MORE: Thomas Dolby on Working With David Bowie, Eddie Van Halen and Foreigner
The Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir also joined the ranks of the many musicians who helped Dolby complete his fourth studio album. But their music wasn’t a new discovery for him personally. He actually grew up as a Dead fan and got to see the legendary jam band for the first time when he was 15 and still living in the U.K.
His path to working with Weir and Garcia was an interesting one. “I was in living in San Francisco, and I had just moved there,” he remembers. “I was invited to a fundraising lunch with celebrity waiters, and my waiter was Phil Lesh. My wife and I sat there and Phil, in an apron, brought us our food. He was busy, you know, as waiters are, so I didn’t get much of a chance to talk to him. But I did get a phone number and I then had this idea to see if, by any chance, Jerry and/or Bob would would do something on my album.”
He already had a song in mind, “Beauty of a Dream,” which he thought would work well with their style and approach. Happily, the pair agreed to participate and invited him to come out to their warehouse in Marin County to jam on ideas.
Listen to Thomas Dolby’s ‘Beauty of a Dream’
The initial results, weren’t quite in the ballpark, for reasons that were understandable. “Interestingly, when they started to play, they were trying to sound like Thomas Dolby,” he explains. “And it’s like no, no, in my mind, you are Bob and Jerry sounding like you guys, and it fits into my record. It took a while to get to that point where they would sort of see that. [But it] was a pretty wild experience. And, you know, I feel very honored to have been in their presence, even so briefly.”
Thomas Dolby’s Iconic ’80s Recollections tour continues April 19 in Indianapolis. He will also return to the road later this summer starting in July, playing shows as part of the Totally Tubular Festival. The concerts will feature Dolby backed by a new lineup of his ’80s band, the Lost Toy People.
LOOK: 1980s Daily Life Captured in Photos
Step back into the everyday world of the 1980s — mall hangouts, boxy sedans, Walkmans, and family snapshots that capture life in all its perfectly ordinary charm. These photos celebrate the small moments, styles, and scenes that made the decade unforgettable.
Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz
