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Review by Evelyn O'Connell
Erasure: Caught live at Hammersmith Apollo
SATURDAY, March 5 saw Erasure kick off their London gigs at Hammersmith
Apollo, with fairy wings, sparkly shorts and the liveliest songs
to make you dance & sing.
The atmosphere in the room was thick with anticipation; what
was in store for the Erasure fans tonight?
At dead on 9pm the beats started and an enthusiastic crowd started
their whistles and cheers.
Andy Bell and Vince Clarke teased us with hints of their tunes
before a light behind the front curtain revealed four figures
standing in a wood, two in fairy wings, one in a flight helmet
with a satellite on top behind keyboards and computers, and one
very grand figure wearing angel wings. The curtain then came down
to the loudest applause I’ve ever heard.
Erasure launched straight into Who Needs Love Like That with
an impressive energy that Andy Bell managed to maintain all evening.
Wearing a white costume to match his angel wings, Bell twinkled
on stage, and trust me that twinkle is the right word to describe
him.
He shone like the star he rightly is and pranced around the stage
the way only a huge gay icon can.
To say he is more camp than a row of tents is an understatement,
but that is one of his many appeals and only a man so truly confident
in himself could have got away with his outrageously fantastic
stage costumes.
One of the highlights of the evening was when the fans started
to serenade Bell with A Little Respect and he blew kisses
to the audience, commenting on how sweet and lovely they were,
and recalling how he and Vince had arrived at 4pm to see their
loyal fans queuing in the rain and accepted a single red rose
from an audience member.
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He also asked people how they were
and where they came from.
Erasure fans are extremely loyal, but Erasure are just as loyal
to their fans.
Material from the new album, Nightbird, was included
in the set, with Bell’s amazing diva-esque voice reaching
perfection all night.
The enigmatic Vince Clarke even made a vocal solo on the rap
in a cover of Blondie’s Rapture.
One costume change later and Bell arrived back on stage in a
black Elvis suit with the two backing singers who were formerly
fairies now dressed in a Marilyn Monroe style singing Ave
Maria, that really is something you have to see to believe.
Hit after hit ensued with Oh L’Amour and A
Little Respect.
Another costume change revealed Bell in blue sequined shorts
(they were very short shorts) and two blue ostrich feather fans,
to tantalise his audience with Blue Savannah (what else?!).
This is where the concert reached its pinnacle; it had been a
fantastic night until then and I really didn’t think it
could get any better, but Bell then belted out favourites Love
To Hate You and Stop which had the audience going
wild and ended with Bell sprinkling fairy dust on the audience
at the front.
Bell had two paper aeroplanes that he alleged had his home phone
number and his hotel number on and flew them into the audience
before doing their encore.
Erasure had obviously saved the best for last and treated us
all to my personal favourite Erasure song, Sometimes.
Sadly, that really was the finale; Erasure had played some of
the most memorable tunes ever and had the Apollo full of people
singing along and dancing.
Whether they were straight or gay, no one cared - they just came
to see Erasure play and duly witnessed one of the best concerts
I’ve ever seen. It really was a little something to make
me sweeter.
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