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Of course my motivation for going to this gig was a mixture of nostalgia and homage. For one exorbitantly priced ticket I could see several of the bands and one of the producers who have really shaped my musical taste and direction over the years. I would genuinely count Trevor Horn's productions as one of the reasons that I wanted to be in a band, and that I wanted to manipulate sound. It wasn't all great though - time hasn't been kind to Dollar. Not only does David Van Day think he is still a star, but the music had dated more than anything else that was on offer this evening, and his trousers were a crime against fashion. In fact they were even a crime against kitsch retro 80's fashion. Astonishingly Grace Jones turned up in sumptuous person to deliver "Slave To The Rhythm" - looking every inch the Bond villainess. Never one to under-dress she wore a tight black leotard equipped with a billowing cape. Her voice was as ever epic, her dancing provocative, and it was the first time I've seen live someone who has beaten up Russell Harty on television. She made a point of also thanking Chris Blackwell, who had been the producer behind much of her success. A real diva. I'd seen Claudia Brucken run through her Propaganda era songs at her One Two gig in London the other month [A3081133] but I was excited to see her again - and then astonished when for the first time since 1985 all four members of Propaganda from the "A Secret Wish" era were reunited on stage for an awesome performance of "The Nine Lives of Dr. Mabuse". It featured two drummers, a string section, and a video of breaking crockery, which formed much of the rhythm track of the original version. I can only hope Claudia, Suzanne, Ralf and Michael got on well enough to tour on their own. (Please, please, please...) Belle and Sebastian had a hard job on their hands, faced mostly with an audience there for 80's nostalgia, or for 90's soul vocalists, but they made a good fist of it, despite bopping around like an indie band mistakenly booked into an air hanger. Which I kind of guess they were. Once the orchestra struck up the overture from "Mantrap", I was in a quiver of anticipation - it was the turn of ABC. "Lexicon of Love" is without doubt in my top five albums of all time - [caveat I was 11 when it was released and it made an early impression] - and so the opportunity to see Martin Fry singing the singles from it accompanied by Trevor Horn and a full string section was one of the main driving forces bringing me to this gig. He didn't disappoint, playing "Poison Arrow", "All Of My Heart", and of course "The Look Of Love". As Martin said, "You know, in 2004, after all this time, people still ask me. Martin maybe one day you'll find true love..." Trevor Horn then explained how after ABC he had formed a new band around the nucleus of him and his proto-ZTT crew, and thus was born Art Of Noise. As a youngster I took the Art of Noise experience very seriously - the facelessness, the endless remixes, the quotes from philosophers. How wrong I was - played live "Close To The (Edit)" revealed itself to be a novelty single very much of its time - a time when only one producer i.e. Trevor, could afford to spend a lot of time playing with a Fairlight sampler. He then started to introduce a rock band he had idolised in his youth. I took the hint and fled to fetch beer. This enabled me to return to Wembley Air-Hanger just in time to catch the two minutes of "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" that Yes played properly before once again they descended into a morass of guitar solos and 'virtuoso' showmanship. Bluergh! I thought punk got rid of all that back in '77. The lowest point of the evening for me personally was just before the start of each half, as the crowd were asked to rise to greet some member of the Saxa-Gothe-Coburg family. What an astonishing anachronism this is - made all the more obvious by the fact that the event was set up to honour someone who has given 25 years of musical pleasure to people, but the most formal show of respect was reserved for someone who just happened to be born, and who had spent that afternoon giving a speech at the Mutton Renaissance Luncheon. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4005013.stm] Pet Shop Boys kicked off the second half with the two singles they worked on with Trevor Horn, a sublime full length "Left To My Own Devices" and a less effective "It's Alright". There was something telling about politics today in the fact that the latter, from 1989, opens by bemoaning the difficulties in Afghanistan. Plus ca change. Lisa Stansfield was then wheeled on to a rapturous welcome to amble through some inconsequential fluff from her new Trevor Horn produced album. I used this as an opportunity to take a comfort break and purchase more quaffing juice. tATu came on to do their one schoolgirl-lesbian infused hit - my wife was amused by the struck-dumb gormless expression that descended onto the face of every male in the audiences. Apart from me, obviously - I'd never fall for such a shallow manipulative trick as that. In fact, the shame is that IMHO it is actually a classic pop single obscured by the cheap titillation of the presentation. They were dead fit though. Seal was next up - and I have to give credit where it is due. Not only was he the only front-line artist on display able to sustain a long term production relationship with Trevor Horn, over 5 albums and 14 years, but in "Killer", "Crazy" and "Kiss From A Rose" he played three tracks that I would never count as favourites, yet I knew every word. His voice filled Wembley Arena in a way that none of the other artists had managed, and he was an impressive showman, diving into the crowd and working every inch of the stage. He was, though, frankly obsequieous in his obedient crawling to the Saxa-Gothe-Coburg in the audience. Frankie Goes To Hollywood closed the show in somewhat farcical fashion. On stage Trevor Horn's greatest commercial success were represent by only three of the original members, none of which were Holly Johnson. Since I suspect nobody except Holly featured on the original records it was more like welcome to the karaoke-zone than the pleasuredome. Wary of the travel chaos on the way home caused by the refurbishment of Wembley park station I opted out half-way through their opening track.. The sight of the night? A 40something man dressed as a member of tATu, complete with tight white blouse and ultra-short red tartan schoolgirl skirt, set off with little ankle length socks. His look was completed with some delicate eye make-up and a Russian flag painted on his face like a football fan. The fright of the night? Accidentally being at the foot of the stair between Blocks 31 and 33 as the aforementioned tATu fan ascended them, revealing to my unwilling eyes that he had attended to all the details of the costume, and was wearing a skimpy pair of knickers that were clearly not designed to accommodate a 40-year-old man's appendages. And they weren't. Realted links: Trevor Horn Worship Hall: http://www.trevor-horn.de/ Times Online Review: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,14769-1355788,00.html BBC News coverage: How Trevor Horn became pop royalty - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/4002839.stm Frankie audition for new frontman - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/3943915.stm Gig marks producer Horn's career - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/3910843.stm
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