Colin Hay is, as usual, a man at work.
For the Grammy-winning Men At Work frontman, the moniker of his legendary hit-making band is less a brand and more a persistent state of being. In 2026, Hay’s calendar looks like a global marathon – beginning with international dates in Mexico and Brazil before launching into a massive U.S. headlining tour, then setting off again in the band of a Beatle.
This tireless output isn’t a new development; it is the through line of a career that spans over 45 years, from the Melbourne pubs of the late-1970s to the multi-platinum global success of the 1980s and a prolific solo journey that began with 1987’s Looking for Jack LP. Even as he revisits his past, Hay remains relentlessly productive, recently releasing Man @ Work: Volume 2 in 2025, a project that saw him re-rendering his classic catalog with fresh studio nuances.
The current iteration of Men At Work is a testament to Hay’s commitment to musical evolution. This version of the band is a global collective, and over the last decade, Hay has nurtured this lineup — allowing them to develop their own distinct personality and character.
“Over a period of time, what you really want to happen in a band is for it to develop its own personality and character, and that’s what this is,” Hay told The Pop Break. “I think that’s what this band has done. We’ve been working together for a while, so we know the material and the material stands up, and so every time we play it’s a pretty joyous experience, I have to say.”
Garden State fans will have several opportunities to witness this work ethic in action. Men At Work will hit the Borgata Hotel Casino Event Center in Atlantic City on July 31, followed by a highly anticipated performance at the Sea Hear Now festival in Asbury Park on Sept. 19. For Hay, the setting of a performance is far from incidental; it is an active participant in the experience.
When asked how the beachside atmosphere of Asbury Park might inform the band’s performance, Hay noted the profound impact of the environment. “Well, you can’t beat the ocean for vibe,” Hay remarked. “I think it can make a huge difference to how the audience feels and how the performers feel. If you have a really good setting, you set yourself up to have a beautiful experience, which is what you want to try to create for an audience who pays money to come and hear the music they want to hear and feel good about themselves.”
This dedication to the audience’s experience remains at the core of his work, whether he is playing in a casino ballroom or on the sand. Despite the joyous experience of his current tour, Hay is deeply mindful of the world beyond the stage; his tireless work is often a conscious response to what he describes as the “horror of the world.” During our recent discussion, Hay reflected on the brutal conflicts in Ukraine and Sudan, noting the sheer amount of horror that exists in the modern political landscape. For Hay, being a musician is more than a career; it is a necessary counterweight to this violence.
“I’m glad that I’m involved in playing music because at the very least, it’s one of the best distractions you can have from that,” Hay explained. “Not to distract yourself in a blind way, but just as a counter to that, to realize the humanity of what we have as people and how we can continue just to push the idea that we can live as a species without violence.”
As the summer fades into autumn, Hay’s schedule shows no signs of slowing down. He will transition from fronting Men At Work to joining Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band for a fall tour, which includes a stop at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel on September 27. Joining a lineup that includes Steve Lukather of Toto, Hamish Stuart of The Average White Band, and Gregg Bissonette, Hay continues to draw immense inspiration from the legendary Beatles drummer.
At 86 years old, Starr remains a primary example of the work ethic Hay admires. Hay noted that the drummer is still doing “jumping jacks after the show,” embodying a life dedicated entirely to the craft of music. “He’s a pretty inspirational guy in many ways,” Hay said of Starr. “I think more than anything, what he is all about is playing music and the realization that music is really tied up with your life and feeling good about your life and indeed giving you life, helping you to stay alive, really.”
For Hay, working alongside Starr has reinforced a perspective that keeps him moving forward year after year. It is the belief that music provides a unique joy that connects the present moment to the future. As Hay concludes his thoughts on his legendary bandmate, he captures the spirit that drives his own endless tour: “When you play music, I don’t know, maybe I’m deluding myself, but I always have that feeling that the best is yet to come.”
With a packed 2026 schedule and a revitalized band, it is clear that for Colin Hay, the work — and the joy it brings — is far from over.
