Last night at Terminal 5, Merseyside synthpop pioneers OMD (shorthand for Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) closed out a 2-month North American tour for excellent 2023 LP Bauhaus Staircase, which features new art-pop tunes that mix danceable, indelible synthesizer melodies with thoughtful lyrics delving into the political (“Kleptocracy”) and personal (“Don’t Go” “Look at You Know”) that rival ‘80s classics “Enola Gay”, “Secret”, and “If You Leave”, all of which were played with joy by founding members & main songwriters Andy McCluskey (vocals/bass) and Paul Humphreys (vocals/keyboards) with early member Martin Cooper (keyboards/saxophone) & longtime drummer Stuart Kershaw to a sold-out audience who were energized by McCluskey’s idiosyncratic dance leader presence (his titanium knee surgery delayed this tour that was planned for 2024; his club kid vigor shows it was a success), singing and jumping throughout much of the show.
The 23-song setlist closed with 1979 debut Factory Records single “Electricity” and an extended rapturous ovation for McCluskey’s promise that OMD would return sometime soon.
Setlist
Evolution of Species/Anthropocene
Messages
Tesla Girls
Kleptocracy
History of Modern (Part I)
(Forever) Live and Die
If You Leave
Souvenir
Joan of Arc
Maid of Orleans
The Rock Drill
Veruschka
Don’t Go
Pandora’s Box
So in Love
Dreaming
Locomotion
Sailing on the Seven Seas
Enola Gay
Encore
Look at You Now
Secret
Electricity
Glasgow, Scotland art-rock band Walt Disco opened with swirling glam rock/new wave-influenced songs, including “I Won’t Forget You” and “Don’t Do This Alone”.
