Ahead of their March 2026 UK tour, guitarist and founding member of The Brand New Heavies Sy Bartholomew sat down with us for a 90‑minute conversation about funk, surprises, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, and why you should get off the sofa and go see live music.
Picture the scene: a wet Thursday night in New Cross, the kind where the rain feels personal. I’m holed up in a traditional London boozer — the kind with no gimmicks, no TV, no jukebox, and a landlord rumoured to eject anyone caught on their phone thanks to a network of CCTV cameras. The Royal George, I think it was called. A proper pub. A pub that would probably refuse to serve you if you asked for a shandy.
My friend Andrew and I were killing time, drying off, and trying not to stare too hard at the mysterious back room glowing neon pink like a Barbie séance. Andrew went to investigate under the guise of needing the loo, returned none the wiser, and we agreed it was best left unsolved.
We were there for a reason: to meet Sy Bartholomew, guitarist, founding member, and eternal funk conduit of The Brand New Heavies. I was in London on business, and ahead of a big meeting the next morning, I’d arranged to catch Sy at one of his locals to talk about the band’s forthcoming March 2026 UK tour.
He was running late — but when Sy tells you he’ll be there by 9pm, you wait. Because it’s Sy from TBNH.
And when he finally arrived, he did so in a way only Sy could: Andrew and I were soaked, wearing beanies, waterproofs, and sensible footwear. Sy breezed in wearing dark trousers, a white long‑sleeved tee, and a fur gilet so fabulous it could have been crafted from the last surviving mink of a now‑extinct species. Faux? Real? Who knows. All I know is that he hung his jacket on the pub’s ornamental dartboard (no darts — health & safety, apparently) and instantly made us look like two men who had lost a fight with a tent.
I had three pages of questions — not to interrogate him, but to make sure I captured the good stuff. We’d met before, at Exeter Phoenix on a previous tour, and I’d promised him that next time, we’d do a proper warm‑up feature for fans. When I’d phoned him back then, the line was crackly; he apologised and casually mentioned he was crossing the Pyrenees on the tour bus. I reminded him of this as we settled in. He burst out laughing. “Yeah, we had to reschedule that one a couple of times… challenging circumstances!”
This time, though, he was all mine. I asked how he was fixed for time. “Clear,” he said. I hit record. Ninety minutes later, I hit stop.
If you’re a die‑hard Heavies fan, you can listen to the full recording — and you should — but here are the key moments, stories, and surprises from a night with one of funk’s great survivors.
Before diving into the new tour, I set the scene:
11 albums
41 years active
Pioneers of Acid Jazz
Collaborators with some of the finest musicians on the planet
Sy remains as handsome and charming as ever (that last one may have been added by Sy himself when I nipped to the loo)
The band’s March 2026 UK tour poster promises “all the classics and fan favourites, plus a few surprises.” Naturally, I asked Sy to elaborate. He grinned — the kind of grin that tells you he’s about to be mischievous.
“It’s not about special guests” he said. “It’s what happens during the songs. We might stick to the setlist, but once we’re in the groove… who knows? Maybe I’ll throw in a three‑minute guitar piece. Maybe we’ll go off piste. It’s about the moment.”
In other words: expect the unexpected.
I asked Sy what he does the moment he gets home — the least funky thing in his life.
He looked around the pub as if about to confess a crime.
“Prog rock” he whispered.
After weeks of touring, he pours a drink, sinks into his chair, and unwinds to Genesis. Comfort music. A safe space. A sonic duvet. And honestly? Who among us hasn’t secretly decompressed to something deeply uncool.
Beyond the March tour, I’d spotted three extra dates:
Thu 18 June – High Lodge, Thetford Forest
Fri 21 August – Dreamland, Margate
Sat 22 August – Scarborough Open Air Theatre
Sy explained that after supporting a certain legendary American artist/producer last year, they’d been invited back for 2026.
That artist? Nile Rodgers.
Sy lit up talking about it — the musicianship, the energy, the sheer joy of sharing a stage with CHIC was enough for any person! He commented about how professional Nile Rodgers was and how much of a gentleman he is on and off the stage. Something you rarely see these days, especially from someone so famous.
I asked Sy which fictional character he’d recruit for just one night on tour. He immediately said Tintin, which is already perfect. Then he added another suggestion of Asterix and his larger than life sidekick Obelix, and the pub briefly became a writers’ room for the world’s strangest crossover episode. We digressed further talking about which instruments they would play, I think we settled on them being part of the horn section but triangles, gongs and other instruments were mentioned!
I gave Sy three options to replace the traditional tour bus for an impractical tour vehicle:
Hot air balloon
Tandem bikes for the entire crew
Horse‑drawn funk chariot
He wanted all three, but rules are rules. After serious deliberation, he chose the hot air balloon — because the wind would decide the tour itinerary, making things challenging but fun. He also suggested the band could each drive a crazy Wacky Races‑style car (look up Dastardly & Mutley and The Anthill Mob). Sy himself fancied an oversized American 60s hearse.
To avoid the usual interview questions, I asked Sy to pick two numbers between 1 and 5, each linked to a famous musician and related to the band.
No. 3 - James Brown
They’d just returned from their first American tour and were told they’d be supporting James Brown at Wembley Stadium. During soundcheck, Sy felt someone behind him. He turned to see James Brown in an olive green suit and a Colonel Sanders‑style tie. James said to him: “If you look in the mirror before you leave the house and you wouldn’t buy a ticket to see yourself, go get changed!”
The Heavies’ horn section — polished, choreographed, razor‑sharp — caught James Brown’s attention during the soundcheck. Sy overheard JB telling them he’d happily take them on tour because they “had heart.” As accolades go, having James Brown try to steal your horn section is up there.
No. 5 - Stevie Wonder
The Heavies were in America again, riding high on their US No. 3 hit Never Stop, performing at a televised celebration of Ray Charles’ career. Someone asked if they wanted to meet Stevie Wonder.
Stevie was introduced to them and he immediately began singing the chorus to Never Stop. Imagine Stevie Wonder singing your song. Sy still can’t quite believe it.
He also remembers looking out from the stage when playing and seeing Dionne Warwick in the front row — and feeling a bolt of pure terror…
At the end of the show, whilst the National Anthem played, the camera panned across the stage. Everyone was in tuxedos, bow ties etc. Sy was in a flowery shirt, he mentioned that he was never told of any dress code so he just turned up ‘funky’!
Sy’s favourite Stevie Wonder track? After much deliberation, he settled on Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You) which he discovered via Music of My Mind. He added that it was his mum who first introduced him to Stevie, playing Superstition around the house.
Before we wrapped up, I asked Sy if he had a message for fans.
He paused. “People should get out and watch more live music.” Not a plug — a plea.
He pointed out that he buys a coffee every day. If he’s with someone, maybe two coffees. Add a croissant and you’re over £10 — more than a gig ticket or a CD. It’s not about affordability, he said. It’s about priorities.
By 10:45pm, Andrew was eyeing the clock and thinking of the long journey home. We drained our glasses and stepped back into the rain, leaving Sy in the pub — though knowing him, he’d have befriended half the room by closing time and started a non‑musical karaoke contest.
Sy Bartholomew is a phenomenal guitarist, a founding pillar of one of the most influential bands of the last four decades, and a man who can make a fur gilet look like essential tour merch.
Without The Brand New Heavies, there would be no Jamiroquai. Imagine a world without Jay Kay, his supercars, and his occasional scuffles with photographers. Grim.
We’ll be at the Bristol show on March 26th. Yes, it’s a Thursday. No, we don’t care. It’s going to be a funk‑fuelled night of classics, deep cuts, and surprises — delivered by a band who have spent 41 years making people dance like nobody’s watching.
If only life felt like a ‘Heavies’ gig every day.
Here’s the rest of the tour dates, tickets are available NOW from their official Website
MAR 17 - Saint Luke's - Glasgow
MAR 18 - The Glasshouse - Gateshead
MAR 19 - York Barbican - York
MAR 21 - UEA LCR Norwich - Norwich
MAR 22 - Cliffs Pavilion - Southend-on-sea
MAR 23 - New Theatre Oxford - Oxford
MAR 24 - Eventim Apollo - London
MAR 26 - Bristol Beacon - Bristol
MAR 27 - University of Wolverhampton at The Civic Hall - Wolverhampton
MAR 28 - Liverpool Philharmonic Hall - Liverpool
MAR 29 - Opera House Manchester - Manchester
MAR 31 - Rock City - Nottingham
Interview by Steve Muscutt & Andrew Barnes