Orchestral Manoeuvres
I must have been just 11 years old, maybe 10... I had been gifted money from my Grandma for Christmas, and there I was clutching a fiver, perusing the tapes and LPs in Debenhams department store in Chelmsford... I had a proper ghetto blaster at the time and access to Dad's record player so I went for the tape option, a copy of Orchestral Manoueuvres in the Dark's new album "Architecture & Morality". It was the first album I ever bought, ever owned...
And that very same Compact Cassette may be here somewhere, I don't know where, but I bought the CD version from a used record shop a few years back and now relive my childhood in the car, at my workstations... the opening strains of clicks and whirs and the mesmerising riff of "New Stone Age", the heart-plucking tones of "She's Leaving" and the unforgettable 1980s hits "Joan of Arc", "Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans)" and "Souvenir"...
...so nigh on 27 years later when my friend said "OMD are playing in Southampton" I leapt at the opportunity to see my childhood heroes.
We got a parking spot outside Southampton Guildhall, which was both fluky and trés cool, queued for a bit and got right near the front of the stage. Lovers Electric came on first, a cute boy/girl combo who played acoustic guitar and Casiotone (Yes, it had bossanova ;) ) and I thought Becky would have loved this.
The lights dimmed, the huge back display lit up, and the opening chimes of "Architecture & Morality" punctuated the deep choral samples... atmospheric images in black & white floated across the back of the stage... 4 minutes of audio/visual bliss... then into the epic "Sealand", the screen awash with more artful video...
OMD then performed every track from the whole "Architecture & Morality" LP and followed on with all of their following 12 chart singles, including "Tessla Girls", "Enola Gay", "Electricity", "Talking Loud & Clear" and my friend's absolute favourite "Locomotion"
Now I was never a big fan past the first four albums (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Organisation, Architecture & Morality, Dazzle Ships) with the exception of Crush, but it was truly awesome to see & hear my childhood synth heroes and a bonus to meet them afterwards. Andy McClusky and Paul Humphries took the time to stop & chat and write signatures afterwards, they were absolute gentlemen :)
Now if they'd only played "Stanlow" and my own old favourite "Telegraph" then it would have been near perfect, just needed my girlfriend with us that night :)
And that very same Compact Cassette may be here somewhere, I don't know where, but I bought the CD version from a used record shop a few years back and now relive my childhood in the car, at my workstations... the opening strains of clicks and whirs and the mesmerising riff of "New Stone Age", the heart-plucking tones of "She's Leaving" and the unforgettable 1980s hits "Joan of Arc", "Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans)" and "Souvenir"...
...so nigh on 27 years later when my friend said "OMD are playing in Southampton" I leapt at the opportunity to see my childhood heroes.
We got a parking spot outside Southampton Guildhall, which was both fluky and trés cool, queued for a bit and got right near the front of the stage. Lovers Electric came on first, a cute boy/girl combo who played acoustic guitar and Casiotone (Yes, it had bossanova ;) ) and I thought Becky would have loved this.
The lights dimmed, the huge back display lit up, and the opening chimes of "Architecture & Morality" punctuated the deep choral samples... atmospheric images in black & white floated across the back of the stage... 4 minutes of audio/visual bliss... then into the epic "Sealand", the screen awash with more artful video...
OMD then performed every track from the whole "Architecture & Morality" LP and followed on with all of their following 12 chart singles, including "Tessla Girls", "Enola Gay", "Electricity", "Talking Loud & Clear" and my friend's absolute favourite "Locomotion"
Now I was never a big fan past the first four albums (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Organisation, Architecture & Morality, Dazzle Ships) with the exception of Crush, but it was truly awesome to see & hear my childhood synth heroes and a bonus to meet them afterwards. Andy McClusky and Paul Humphries took the time to stop & chat and write signatures afterwards, they were absolute gentlemen :)
Now if they'd only played "Stanlow" and my own old favourite "Telegraph" then it would have been near perfect, just needed my girlfriend with us that night :)
Blue Skies thinking @ 6/28/2007 03:07:00 AM
7 Comments:
At Thu Jun 28, 05:07:00 PM,
narthex said…
OMD. that is way groovy though you have no idea how old it makes me feel to reminisce about them. damn, that goes back to high school. ok i'm gonna stop now...
At Fri Jun 29, 07:28:00 AM,
Lever said…
Narthex: Dude, that is so cool. I said to Andy McClusky "I've waited 27 years for this" and he didn't think I was old enough and that's down to a saying here in England, I don't know if you ever heard it... "you're only as old as the woman you feel" LOL
Anyways, if OMD ever play your side of the pond, go see them, the show's good... the later poppy tunes forego the more bauhaus stage presence, and Andy M still dances like a loon - not bad for a 48 year old.
At Fri Jun 29, 11:31:00 PM,
Jemima said…
Nope.
I've nothing to say that's on topic, but i kinda wanted to say SOMETHING.
Nice weather we've been having, seen any good films lately, what star sign are you bwahahahahaha.
Small talk hell.
At Sat Jun 30, 03:02:00 AM,
narthex said…
lever, i'll have to remember that: "you are only as old as the woman you feel." seeing as i keep going out with women who are at least ten years younger than me (cause no one would believe my real age) then i must be doing pretty well, eh? :D
i think i do remember them playing on this side of the pond but i think my subconscious told me, "no, resist it. don't fall into your sentimental reminiscent side..." hehehe...
At Sat Jun 30, 03:38:00 AM,
BeckyBumbleFuck said…
*huge grin*
Sounds heavenly.
I wish I were there too...
*huge squeeze*
At Sat Jun 30, 09:47:00 AM,
Lever said…
Jemima: Well trust you to dis' the OMD. Sure their later stuff was not cool in the slightest but the 80-84 period was a golden one. I *bet* you've got some musical skeletons in your closet... come on, cough up :p
No, the weather's crap.
No, not had time for movies.
I'm a Virgo with Scorpio rising.
Oh, you were joking right?
Narthex: LMAO you are doing well, my friend :)
If OMD promise to do the A&M album live then I'd heartily recommend it ... artistically it was just so cool :)
My BBFK: Babe, it was kinda floaty, you'd have loved it, maybe even shook your cute little arse to the dancier numbers ;)
I wish you were here too...
*huge squeeze back*
At Wed Jul 04, 11:33:00 AM,
Mummy/Crit said…
^^^^^^^^
cuteness!
On Topic: I'm glad you got to see your childhood heroes. i did that once too, and it was great. I went to see Simon&Garfunkel in Boston in 2003 when they reunited. It was a big call, but well worth it.
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