SHEFFIELD romantics ABC are to perform all their greatest hits on The XYZ Tour 2017, visiting York Barbican on November 9 in the company of special guests Kid Creole And The Coconuts.

Tickets go on sale at 10am on Friday for eight autumn dates, as ABC build on the momentum of 2016 when Martin Fry returned to the fertile terrain of his early Eighties pinnacle to release The Lexicon Of Love II, as well as playing sold-out shows nationwide.

Looking ahead to this November's dates, Fry says: “Here's an opportunity to open up the ABC songbook and journey through all the hits. Lexicon to Lexicon. ABC to XYZ. See you there. "

Formed in Sheffield in 1980, ABC fused the dancefloor world of disco funk with Fry's post-punk vision. Debut album The Lexicon Of Love rose to the number one spot in 1982 en route to selling more than a million records, and Fry and co have since made 1983's Beauty Stab, 1985's How To Be A Zillionaire, 1987's Alphabet City, 1989's Up, 1991's Abracadabra, 1997's Skyscraping and 2008's Traffic. The Lexicon Of Love II entered the charts at number five last May.

Special guests Kid Creole And The Coconuts, led by August Darnell, emerged from the burning embers of the trailblazing Dr Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band in New York City in 1980. Born in the Bronx, Darnell has a love of the big band tradition that finds him travelling with ten musicians, performing such numbers as as Annie I’m Not Your Daddy, Stool Pigeon, I’m A Wonderful Thing, Baby, Endicott and My Male Curiosity.

On joining ABC on the road in the autumn, Kid Creole says: "When I listen to the music of ABC, I am reminded of good times and delicious poison arrows. It is an honour to share the stage with Martin Fry. Music lovers, get ready for a funky good time. Hachachacha!"

Tickets for November 9 will be on sale on 0844 854 2757 or at yorkbarbican.co.uk, gigsandtours.com and ticketmaster.co.uk