ERASURE – BRIGHTON CENTRE 18.10.21
Andy Bell and Vince Clarke of Erasure were back in Brighton this evening on the closing date of ‘The Neon’ tour, which has taken in 12 selected UK dates. The popular electronic pop duo will be having a rest over Christmas and then heading off to the USA in January and February for a 26 date tour in celebration of their eighteenth studio album. The final leg will be in May 2022, when the pair will put ‘The Neon’ tour to rest with a 7 date European jaunt.
This evening Erasure were appearing at the Brighton Centre, which is a venue that they are more than familiar with, having previously performed within its hallowed walls on 3rd May 1988, 8th December 1989, 26th January 1990, 10th April 1997 and 23rd November 2014. These Brighton appearances were interspersed with gigs at Brighton Dome on 17th April 1987, 28th May 2003, 4th November 2011 and 19th February 2018. Based on this information, one would surmise that Erasure have yo-yoed between the 4500 capacity of the Brighton Centre and the 1860 of Brighton Dome. However, this is certainly not apparent this evening as the Brighton Centre is absolutely rammed full. I personally haven’t seen it this packed for years!
Clearly the Erasure format is an extensive use of three minute radio safe pop tunes that cater for a mixed age and style of fans and this is reflected in tonight’s audience. Although I have always been into electronic music, tonight I was opening up my Erasure live account. Yes I saw Vince Clark perform as part of Depeche Mode – who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020 – in the two former venues next door back in the day, namely Jenkinsons on 2nd August 1981 (both the under 17’s show and over 17’s show), plus at the Top Rank Suite on 11th November 1981, and also seen him with Alison ‘Alf’ Moyet as Yazoo at Brighton Dome on 10th November 1982, but by the time Erasure had formed in 1985 our paths had separated. The Erasure sound was simply too tinny and radio safe for me. I was enjoying the heavier electronic sounds of awesome bands like Front 242, Nitzer Ebb, and hard CORPS.
I’m here this evening as my girlfriend is a fan of Erasure, a fact that not many people are aware of as she moves in and is associated with a different musical sphere! We literally arrived with minutes to spare having struggled to find a parking space and thus missed the support DJ Wayne G.
The Brighton Centre soundsystem is now so much better than it used to be. I can recall in the 1980’s that the sound would bounce off of the rear walls and cause a terrible echo. Thankfully that’s been rectified and this evening’s musical notes emanating from the two long curved turrets of speakers being hung from the ceiling, pumped out the crisp and clear sound. Just prior to the band hitting the stage, the tracks of choice over the PA were ‘Deep Forest’ by Deep Forest (from 1992) and 1981’s ‘(Keep Feeling) Fascination’ by The Human League and thus the tone of the night was set.
Then at 8:45pm the lights dimmed and the opening bars of a new reworking of the awesome ‘Theme From “Joe 90” rang out. The tune being a cover of the famed Barry Gray & His Orchestra instrumental used for the 1968-9 Gerry Anderson ‘Supermarionation’ science-fiction series. The central oval video panel on the rear of the Brighton Centre stage even simulated the ‘BIG RAT’ opening sequence from the historic television series! Boy, does it get any better than that!
The intro tune sadly soon gave way to the opening number, ‘Chorus’, as Andy Bell and Vince Clark took to the stage. Providing vocal support to the boys on this tour were Valerie Chalmers and Emma Whittle, who I have a suspicion may actually be sisters. I have previously witnessed their powerful backing vocals live when they toured with Gary Numan on his 1987 ‘Exhibition’ tour. The ladies first sang with Erasure back in 1989 on the ‘Wild!’ tour.
‘The Neon’ album went crashing into the official UK Album Chart at No.4 and so clearly Erasure are still as cherished as they ever were. Written and produced by Erasure, the album’s initial sessions saw Vince and Andy reunite with a fresh optimism and energy. Vince had been feeling drawn towards his older machines, some of which he’d had since their very early years together: “There’s a warmth to them. There’s also a real beauty in putting different analogue synthesisers together, too – a Pro-One, a Sequential Circuits, a Moog – they give this lovely sheen,” he has previously explained.
Taking inspiration from pop music through the decades, from bands Andy loved as a child through to the present day, he added, “It was about refreshing my love – hopefully our love – of great pop. I want kids now to hear these songs! I wanted to recharge that feeling that pop can come from anyone.”
‘The Neon’ brings warmth and a brilliant brightness, connecting us to our pasts and our futures as it glistens with hope. It creates beautiful places where our imaginations can roam, bringing us together, twinkling and beaming. ‘The Neon’ puts you and me in a celebratory world, now and forever, illuminated and alive.
The album is available to purchase from Mute records or from your local music shops.
The light show tonight at the Brighton Centre is rather impressive and the stage is flanked by two giant screens for up close and personal views of the 4 artists on the stage. There are a trio of circular platforms for the stars to stand upon whilst singing to the eager crowd. Andy has a small electronic device (probably his mobile phone) on a stalk, which probably contains the setlist. He is looking less glammed up than the photos I have seen of him on previous tours. This evening, he is sporting a bright yellow cropped t-shirt with a smiling macaque on the front. Although this looks comical to us humans, in rhesus macaques the fear grin signals ritualized submission or fear toward dominant individuals. We can all view Andy’s tattoos including a pink rose on his right shoulder. He is also wearing a pair of blue and black zipped punk trousers. Vince is located back further on the stage and is wearing a smart grey suit, white shirt and dark tie. He, as ever, is in control of the Alesis keyboard and two computers/ laptops. Valerie Chalmers and Emma Whittle are initially dressed in striking coats, which soon get discarded, thus revealing their striking red and bright lime green dresses with matching boots.
From the very start the crowd were up for it. Clearly folks are out to have fun this evening. I only spotted one person all night wearing a face mask.
‘Hey Now (Think I Got A Feeling)’ was soon delivered, followed by ‘Fill Us With Fire’ and ‘Sacred’ and dare I say it, but the pounding beat was most unlike their somewhat tinny records. For ‘The Circus’, the girls sang from a swing and railings. The next number was ‘Who Needs Love Like That’ and the balcony crowd were up and dancing and thus joined in with the standing masses below. ‘Nerves Of Steel’ followed and then ‘Blue Savannah’ was warmly greeted. Andy offered up light, often witty and sometimes random banter in between tracks. We even learnt that Vince has a cat called Dio.
I noted that both the intros to ‘Turns The Love To Anger’ and ‘Careful What I Try To Do’ were rather good. ‘Sometimes’ was up next and Vince played guitar on this number. This track got the biggest roar thus far at the beginning and at the end “ahhh ahhh ahhh” Andy and the crowd sang along.
After a trio of other tunes, we arrived at Erasure’s take on The Eurythmics 1983 hit ‘Love Is A Stranger’, which I had heard performed by the band in Brighton at the Top Rank Suite on 6th March 1983. It was like a supergroup at The Eurythmics live line-up of Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart was bolstered by Blondie’s Clem Burke (on drums), Mickey Gallagher (from Ian Dury & The Blockheads) on keyboards and backing vocalist ‘Eddi’ Reader (MBE) from Fairground Attraction. After concluding the tune, Andy bell cheekily uttered that he “loved Soft Cell”. And so the Hi-NRG disco beats flowed.
‘Stop!’ was a big hit with the crowd and most of the balcony got to their feet as the pumping beat rang out. ‘Push Me Shove Me’ swiftly followed, which Andy stated was their “most famous b-side”. A bit like Yazoo’s ‘Situation’ I would suggest, and it sounded like a slower version of Donna Summers ‘Hot Stuff’’. ‘Victim Of Love’ was well received with its echoey Ibiza style segment.
The quartet vacated the stage after ‘Victim Of Love’ at 10:16pm, only to return a minute later for one last push with the ever-popular ‘Oh L’Amour’ and ‘A Little Respect’. I noted Andy’s change of attire. He had traded in his trainers in favour of a pair of two tone silver and red sparkly glam rock boots. Vince was on guitar again and after a 99 minute set, at 10:24pm, the concert had drawn to an end with a burst of ticker tape from the ceiling.
Erasure setlist:
Intro: ‘Theme From “Joe 90” (Barry Gray & His Orchestra cover)
‘Chorus’
‘Hey Now (Think I Got A Feeling)’
‘Fill Us With Fire’
‘Sacred’
‘The Circus’
‘Who Needs Love Like That’
‘Nerves Of Steel’
‘Blue Savannah’
‘Chains Of Love’
‘Turns The Love To Anger’
‘Careful What I Try To Do’
‘Sometimes’
‘Save Me Darling’
‘Shot A Satellite’
‘Love To Hate You’
‘Love Is A Stranger’ (Eurythmics cover)
‘Drama!’
‘Always’
‘Stop!’
‘Push Me Shove Me’
‘Victim Of Love’
(encore)
‘Oh L’Amour’
‘A Little Respect’
