Electronic synth-pop pioneers pt1: OMD at the Brighton Centre – Brighton and Hove News

Posted: November 17, 2021 at 12:45 pm

Paul Humphreys from OMD live at the Brighton Centre 16.11.21 (pic Andy Sturmey) (click pic to enlarge)

OMD + SCRITTI POLITTI BRIGHTON CENTRE 16.11.21

OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark) pulled into the Brighton Centre tonight on date 12 of 15 on their UK arena tour, which saw the band perform songs from their iconic 1981 album Architecture & Morality, plus many more hits from their legendary back catalogue.

Andy McCluskey from OMD live at the Brighton Centre 16.11.21 (pic Andy Sturmey) (click pic to enlarge)

The band were formed in 1978 by teenage friends Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys. They quickly became electro-pioneers with a string of hit albums released throughout the 1980s, eventually selling over 25 million singles and 15 million albums across their career to date, establishing them as electronic synthesiser pioneers and one of Britains best-loved pop groups.

OMD live at the Brighton Centre 16.11.21 (pic Nick Linazasoro) (click pic to enlarge)

Tonight, the band who were all clad in black, were unquestionably still at the very top of their game. I first witnessed them performing live 15,383 days ago (42 years, 1 month, and 11 days) when they played the Brighton Dome as support to Gary Numan. I always remember that concert as some luddite in the balcony shouting We want live music! in reference to their TEAC 4-track tape-recorder christened Winston which was named after the antihero of George Orwells novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. It was a big worry at the time that machines would take musicians jobs, but as we now can see, they help the artists!

Martin Cooper from OMD live at the Brighton Centre 16.11.21 (pic Andy Sturmey) (click pic to enlarge)

OMD took to the Brighton Centre stage at 8:46pm and performed an impressive 98 minute set to a relatively large crowd. The venue hadnt sold out, but they most certainly would have burst Brighton Domes capacity, so clearly the band are on the up again!

Stuart Kershaw from OMD live at the Brighton Centre 16.11.21 (pic Andy Sturmey) (click pic to enlarge)

These days the band are a live quartet that feature Andy McCluskey, Paul Humphreys, Martin Cooper and Stuart Kershaw. Tonight, McCluskey was out front, with the trio behind him on three separate podiums with Humphreys (stage left, our right), drummer Kershaw (central) and keyboardist and occasional saxophone player Cooper (stage right, our left). The lighting was truly excellent as is the overall sound which is very crisp indeed.

OMDlive at the Brighton Centre 16.11.21 (pic Andy Sturmey) (click pic to enlarge)

They began their 23 song set with the nine tunes found on their famed Architecture & Morality album from 1981. The obvious opener being the unusual but gripping title track before moving onto Sealand with its terrific drum sound that hit us right in the chests. Things were ramped up with the arrival of the all encompassing New Stone Age and then right bang in the middle of the electropop world with their tune Georgia.

Andy McCluskey from OMD live at the Brighton Centre 16.11.21 (pic Andy Sturmey) (click pic to enlarge)

McCluskey informed us that the next number, Shes Leaving, should have been the fourth single lifted from the Architecture & Morality album, but he put the mockers on it. I suspect that he may have felt that the already released three international hit singles (Souvenir, Joan Of Arc and Maid Of Orleans) which together sold eight million copies, may have been enough. This evenings delivery of Shes Leaving was probably the best I have ever heard it performed live and the hairs on my arms stood erect in appreciation.

Paul Humphreys from OMD live at the Brighton Centre 16.11.21 (pic Andy Sturmey) (click pic to enlarge)

The aforementioned previous three singles followed in release date order Souvenir with Humphreys on vocals, Joan Of Arc (with the audience on handclaps) and arguably best received Joan Of Arc (Maid Of Orleans) with great back screen graphics, Kershaws impressive drumming and McCluskey on Ian Curtis style dancing.

OMD live at the Brighton Centre 16.11.21 (pic Nick Linazasoro) (click pic to enlarge)

For the final number of the Architecture & Morality album, the atmospheric The Beginning And The End, the quartet were stationed at the front of the stage in a line and were bathed in blue light which gave the effect that the keyboards at either side were floating in thin air.

Andy McCluskey from OMD live at the Brighton Centre 16.11.21 (pic Andy Sturmey) (click pic to enlarge)

Song ten tonight Atomic Ranch was a brief link track on tape which can be found on their excellent 2013 English Electric album. This flowed into the 1980 standalone single Messages. This tune too made the hairs on my arms stand on end. Its a timeless tune! There were handclaps aplenty on Tesla Girls as McCluskey bounced around on stage like the Skids Richard Jobson does. History Of Modern (Part 1) got an airing and thus McCluskey ensured that the standing fans jumped up and down in a slow pogo fashion. After the tune finished, he bent down and retrieved a bra from the stage. He stated If its not a double F, then its not my size!.

Andy McCluskey from OMD live at the Brighton Centre 16.11.21 (pic Andy Sturmey) (click pic to enlarge)

Humphreys again took over lead vocals for (Forever) Live And Die. This was followed by their newest tune of the night, the Dont Go single from 2019. So In Love came next, which saw Cooper take on saxophone duty. Locomotion came and went and a couple from the 1991 Sugar Tax album followed, namely Pandoras Box and Sailing On The Seven Seas.

Paul Humphreys from OMD live at the Brighton Centre 16.11.21 (pic Andy Sturmey) (click pic to enlarge)

Arguably their most famous tune, Enola Gay, was performed as the last main set number. There were three encore tracks If You Leave (from 1986 Pretty In Pink (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) which I found the least successful tune of the night; the seminal 1979 single Electricity, which as always was rather good, and finally the deep synth sounding The Romance Of The Telescope arrived, which McCluskey informed us that they were ending with this tune as thats what they ended the original Architecture & Morality tour with back in the early 1980s.

OMD live at the Brighton Centre 16.11.21 (pic Andy Sturmey) (click pic to enlarge)

Clearly the band were overjoyed with the Brighton crowds response to their very polished set and McCluskey informed us that they would return. For now, they vacated the stage at 10:24pm. Tonight was a very enjoyable concert and I would urge all synthpop fans to attend an OMD concert. The band have since posted this message on social media: How fabulous to be back by the seaside in Brighton. Seemed like the Bexhill bouncing crowd were abundant. Thank you all!

Paul Humphreys from OMD live at the Brighton Centre 16.11.21 (pic Andy Sturmey) (click pic to enlarge)

OMD setlist:Architecture & Morality (Intro) (from 1981 Architecture & Morality album)Sealand (from 1981 Architecture & Morality album)The New Stone Age (from 1981 Architecture & Morality album)Georgia (from 1981 Architecture & Morality album)Shes Leaving (from 1981 Architecture & Morality album)Souvenir (from 1981 Architecture & Morality album)Joan Of Arc (from 1981 Architecture & Morality album)Joan Of Arc (Maid Of Orleans) (from 1981 Architecture & Morality album)The Beginning And The End (from 1981 Architecture & Morality album)Atomic Ranch (from 2013 English Electric album)Messages (from 1980 Messages single)Tesla Girls (from 1984 Junk Culture album)History Of Modern (Part 1) (from 2010 History Of Modern album)(Forever) Live And Die (from 1986 The Pacific Age album)Dont Go (from 2019 Dont Go single)So In Love (from 1985 Crush album)Locomotion (from 1984 Junk Culture album)Pandoras Box (from 1991 Sugar Tax album)Sailing On The Seven Seas (from 1991 Sugar Tax album)Enola Gay (from 1980 Organisation album)(encore)If You Leave (from 1986 Pretty In Pink (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) album)Electricity (from 1980 Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark album)The Romance Of The Telescope (from 1983 Dazzle Ships album)

For more information on OMD, visit http://www.omd.uk.com

Scritti Politti live at the Brighton Centre 16.11.21 (pic Andy Sturmey) (click pic to enlarge)

Support this evening came from Scritti Politti who took to the stage at 7:30pm for a 10 track 47 minute set.

After a false start, the 4 piece were off with The Sweetest Girl, which founding member Green Gartside informed us that he recorded with Robert Wyatt he was on keyboards on this breakthrough single.

Scritti Politti live at the Brighton Centre 16.11.21 (pic Andy Sturmey) (click pic to enlarge)

This was as far as I can recall my second encounter with the band, having previously seen an early post-punk incarnation at I believe the Top Rank Suite. My memories are a little sketchy with this, but I think they were on the same bill as the 7-piece Thompson Twins and Scrittis drummer fell off the stage. Maybe someone can help jog my memory here?

I have pleasure in stating that Green Gartsides distinctive vocals are today just as good as they ever were and that they perfectly filled the arena, which sadly at the time was a little sparse Support act syndrome! Whereby people cant get there in time from work, or are instead at the bar, or worst of all, not bothering to see the support bands.

Scritti Politti live at the Brighton Centre 16.11.21 (pic Andy Sturmey) (click pic to enlarge)

The rather funky Small Talk was up next and that was followed by the chugging reggae beat of The Word Girl, which could have easily been a hit by UB40 back in the day.

Song four was Trentavious White, which as Gartside stated was recorded as a tribute to the rapper of the same name who was murdered in the studio in 2016. He was better known by his stage name Bankroll Fresh or Yung Fresh.

Scritti Politti live at the Brighton Centre 16.11.21 (pic Andy Sturmey) (click pic to enlarge)

Next up was Oh Patti (Dont Feel Sorry For Loverboy) which was written as a message to Gartsides first ever girlfriend the boy dun good! The typically mid 1980s sounding track Hypnotize was played to us next. The Boom Boom Bap followed and was penned about his love of hip hop music. It was then the turn of Perfect Way, which had more than a little whiff of Phil Collins Sussudio about it.

The quartets final two numbers were seriously funky affairs. Both Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin) and Absolute would have sat superbly within any Prince album. They left the stage at 8:17pm to the respected applause that they deserved.

Scritti Politti live at the Brighton Centre 16.11.21 (pic Andy Sturmey) (click pic to enlarge)

Scritti Politti setlist:The Sweetest GirlSmall TalkThe Word GirlTrentavious WhiteOh Patti (Dont Feel Sorry For Loverboy)HypnotizeThe Boom Boom BapPerfect WayWood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin)Absolute

http://www.scritti.net

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Electronic synth-pop pioneers pt1: OMD at the Brighton Centre - Brighton and Hove News

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