Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark Electrify Bradford

When Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark played a gig in Bradford back at the old Caesar’s nightclub in 1983, the support act was a newcomer on the pop scene – Howard Jones. Forty-three years later OMD are back in Bradford, this time with another new act, Andrew Cushin, who is destined to play the bigger stages. Whilst the music of OMD is representative of the eighties, Cushin’s influences derive from a decade later and are mainly those of Oasis.

The northeast musician utilised his thirty-minute support slot at Bradford Live to his advantage, observing the grandeur of the newly renovated music venue. Cushin noted, "What a beautiful place this is – it is gorgeous," before the majesty continued with his new single, Goodbye – a guitar-driven indie rock anthem in the making that comes with his trademark sound. Not that there are few other tracks in his repertoire that strike a chord: It's Coming Around Again and I’m Coming Home has good pointers.

When OMD released their first single, Electricity, back on Factory Records in 1979, their sound seemed futuristic; nearly fifty years later the track sounds very much of its time. When the duo first emerged out of Merseyside singing songs about wars, power stations and nuclear bombs and not love and roses, they appeared to be the future of electronic pop, and indeed, they were going on to sell forty million albums and 14 Top 20 hits.

“Are you ready to put your dancing shoes on?” questioned bassist and co-lead singer Andy McClusky, now a plucky 67-year-old who still has the energy to perform his trademark dad dancing whenever the opportunity arises, of which there are many: Messages, Tesla Girls and So In Love being good examples on the aptly named Summer of Hits tour.

His partner in crime Paul Humphreys looked clean-cut behind his keyboards, still conjuring up the image of being a successful bank manager with the band, aided by Bradford-born drummer Stuart Kershaw and keyboard player and saxophonist Martin Cooper on a night that celebrated their extensive back catalogue, which reached its height in 1981 with the Architecture and Morality album bearing the hit singles Souvenir, Joan of Arc and Maid of Orleans (The Waltz Joan of Arc) which were all performed in this hit-laden show.

Their pop sensibilities were even more evident on Sailing on the Seven Seas and the track many associate with OMD – Enola Gay. As McClusky performed yet another of his energetic dance routines, he joked that it may yet be another thirty-five years before the band makes their next appearance in the city. "I will be aged 102 then – and still dancing, I hope," he jested. Before then, the band’s 50th anniversary in 2028 will provide another excuse to get out those old dancing shoes. As Electricity closed a performance that was electrifying throughout, nearly half a decade on, OMD finally seemed to have earned their respect.

The Summer of Hits tour continues with dates in the north:
Thursday 9th July – York Museum Gardens
Friday 7th August - Rochdale Town Hall Square

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