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I've
been to a fair few gigs at the Guildhall in this job, and to be
honest you get used to bands trying to outdo each other with pyrotechnics,
massive lighting rigs, lazers, arty video displays... the works.
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| Andy
Bell |
But
that's not Erasure's style anymore. For Vince and Andy, it was literally
a cosy evening in in the warm surroundings of their Edwardian period
drawing room.
The Guildhall stage was complete with music stand for Vince, gramophone,
a nice lamp and chintzy wallpaper that even Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen
would find a bit much.
True
to form, Andy Bell looked the part - processing on stage in a Edwardian
frock. It didn't last too long, as he quickly shed layers between
songs.
Read our interview with Andy Bell.
For some of us it's Sometimes at school discos, for others it's
hen nights with Take a Chance, or Oh L'amour at cheesy student parties
- whatever your favourite (and you can't deny you've got one), it's
certainly true that Erasure have been around for a lifetime.
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| Vince
Clark |
It
was definitely one of those 'Oh, I'd forgotten they'd done that
one' sort of gigs as Vince and Andy blasted through their collection
of euphoric-pop anthems. Remember Blue Savannah, Victim of Love,
Always and Chorus?
Their
latest album, Other People's Songs, is, as the title suggests, a
collection of cover versions. Very few other bands could get away
with it and it could have easily turned them into a novelty function
band. But the 'Erasure stamp' on a song is still unmistakable.
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| Does
my bum look big in this? |
From
Elvis's Can't Help Falling in Love, the current Single, Make Me
Smile(Come up and see me) and You've lost that Lovin' Feeling, the
pair did make the old classics sound surprisingly fresh.
The techno-pop which Vince Clarke pioneered with Depeche Mode and
Yazoo before teaming up with Andy Bell, is still at the core of
their sound.
During their success they've notched
up five number one albums, sold over 20 million records worldwide
and built up a tidy army of fans who were well up for rolling back
the years at the Guildhall.
A
highly amusing evening of high camp and usual tongue-in-cheek antics
finished with more classics like Stop and A
Little Respect.
Heading out past the post-gig merchandise stall, I wondered- have
they thought of selling their own brand wallpaper along with the
T-shirts and CDs?
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