For a certain generation, the music of Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (OMD) is intrinsic to their formative years.
Their long-awaited return to our Antipodean shores is an opportunity to relive the romanticism of those joyful and perhaps awkward years.Tour support are the Underground Lovers, renaming themselves with the addendum 'Moda Discoteca' in order to differentiate a slightly different line-up and a more dance-oriented performance in line with their "favourite synth band from the '80s".
Frontman Vince Giarrusso arrives onstage gushing "OMD and Kylie!" Opening with the suitably titled 'Cold Feeling', Vince comments about having previously played in Adelaide at the "Garden of Unbearable Delights" before dedicating 'Losin' It' to former drummer Richard Andrew who passed away last year.
The classic 'I Was Right' and 'Your Eyes' bring to mind the early '90s. Their set, although well received, is short at only five songs but final track 'Starsigns' is elongated to nearly what feels like event-horizon proportions.
Promoted as a 'greatest hits' tour, OMD don't limit themselves to just their classic 1980s era (incapsulated on the bookending compilation 'The Best Of OMD') with their most recent album, 2023's 'Bauhaus Staircase', being their most represented individual record with four tracks played (and an extra two if you include those played as prerecorded intros) and not sounding out of place.
'Anthropocene' (preceded by prerecorded intro 'Evolution') from that album is the opener, the extended instrumental passages allowing frontman Andy McCluskey opportunity to demonstrate his stylised dance chops.
Other than Stuart Kershaw pounding away at what appears to be an entirely acoustic drum kit, original band members Martin Cooper and Paul Humphreys on keys remain relatively static except for the former's brief excursions on saxophone and the latter occasionally venturing front of stage to perform occasional lead vocals.
McCluskey is grateful for their audience. "Thank you for coming to see us tonight. We are well aware there are alternatives," not for the only time tonight referring to Kylie Minogue playing coincidentally in the Entertainment Centre Arena (18 February).
After this contemporary opening, the band dive right back into their tried and tested catalogue with 'Messages', McCluskey playing bass and afterwards commenting: "Apologies for taking 38 years to get back here."
McCluskey is a consummate showman and ideal frontman, not staying in one spot for very long and making the stage his own. "Seems like you're all warmed up. I'll give you a chance to dance like me," he charges up the audience before 'Tesla Girls'.
Although it might have been the hits that brought them here, the lesser known newer material is embraced and during 'History Of The Modern Part 1' the audience is like a church congregation. "You've got the job," he quips before inviting Humphreys front of stage, the latter commenting, "I'm high on pain killers," with those in the audience of a certain average age aware this is not a reference to the cliché of a rock & roll lifestyle.
While not quite projecting the charisma of his bandmate, Humphreys capably performs '(Forever) Live And Die' before giving over centre stage again to McCluskey. He comments: "It's a song from a movie next," prompting Kershaw to "do that drum fill intro" to the instantly recognisable 'If You Leave' taking us back to our teenage years and including Cooper's first brief diversion on saxophone.
There is an extended applause that some artists would usually only get at the end of a show and no doubt this is an audience definitely getting what they want. Humphreys takes the mic again, but stays at his keyboard for 'Souvenir', McCluskey playing bass again but this time he positions himself behind Kershaw on the drum podium only latterly wandering front of stage.
The first half of the set ends with the thematic pairing of 'Joan Of Arc' and 'Maid Of Orleans', separated by the abstract ambient intro to the latter during which McCluskey's windmill dancing complements Kershaw’' marching drum patterns. "It doesn't get any prettier but I can still do it," McCluskey comments as the crowd cheer subsides.
The stage goes dark while a prerecorded 'The Rock Drill' plays and the band assemble front of stage in semblance of their forebears Kraftwerk to play 'Veruschka', with McCluskey commenting afterwards: "It's a dangerous thing to do, playing a new slow song in the middle of the set."
They return to their default positions to play an "old slow song", 'Talking Loud And Clear' before McCluskey announces: "Back to the mindless dance-pop music from now on," preceding 'Don't Go', another song from 'Bauhaus Staircase'.
The band perform a selection of classic, later-early era pop singles commencing with 'Secret' and then 'So In Love', McCluskey back announcing: "Martin Cooper the sax machine," following his solo in the latter.
He continues to charge the crowd. "Are you tired? Cause we’'e relentless," leading into 'Dreaming'. He teases "oh but there's more," as an introduction to the coincidentally titled but unrelated 'Locomotion' and his dancing in front of Humphreys is a reminder of the mirror routine from the Marx brothers' 'Duck Soup'.
He goads the audience, "you're tired now right?" before 'Sailing On The Seven Seas', which at times sounds like The Beatles' 'All My Loving' while continuing to perform his idiosyncratic dancing, which by this time brings to mind a form of ballet.
'Enola Gay' finally arrives to signal the end of the set and to the deserved response from the crowd, McCluskey humbly admits: "Audiences make concerts," as the band again assemble front of stage before leaving momentarily.
As they are about to begin their encore McCluskey reveals: "I'm going to tell you a true story. Twenty four years ago the lady next door stole our Ivor Novello award," in reference to the competition between Kylie's 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head' and Atomic Kitten's 'Whole Again', which was written and produced by McCluskey and Kershaw.
The encore begins with 'Look At You Now' from 'Bauhaus Staircase' and then 'Pandora's Box' from McCluskey’s solo period as OMD and the audience knows there is only one song left to play as he asks: "Are you ready for three minutes and forty two seconds to dance to our oldest, fastest song?"
The band finish where they began with their debut single 'Electricity', the band complying with the audience's wishes and leaving on a high, promising they will be back soon and for that we are very grateful.
