Erasure, Manchester Apollo, 9th October 2021

There’s no such thing as a guilty pleasure. Tonight’s gig might stand out a little alongside some other bands I go to see, but I LOVE Erasure! I should maybe admit I love early Erasure and am a bit clueless as to what’s been happening with them the last 30 years. I played those first 5 albums to death in my bedroom as a kid and clearly recall other kids telling me they weren’t cool because they’re gay. The 80s, a decade when being called gay was an expected playground slur. Those kids got put in their place though and I’ll still argue that Wonderland, The Circus, The Innocents are all stone cold synth pop classic LPs. I was a bit surprised to find they’ve another dozen albums released through the nineties and noughties I’d not heard, but that classic sound is still there. Vince Clark is a synth god and predictably stands stock still atop a riser with a modest bank of kit, orchestrating proceedings as Andy Bell, looking fabulous in a blue bodice with matching cuffs and blue tartan trousers, still sings like an angel from the front of the stage. I’ve never seen Erasure live before and boy what a rush, especially for classics like Chorus, The Circus and Who Needs Love Like That, all getting an early airing. They’ve sold out The Apollo tonight… and tomorrow… and the rest of the tour. There’s clearly still a massive fan base and it’s lovely to watch Bell particularly lapping up the admiration. He’s the consummate frontman, chatting between songs, although it’s not always clear what he’s saying. I’ve no idea how old he is now, but it has to be said he looks fantastic. I’ll be honest, there’s a marked enthusiasm every time the older songs get played, but that’s to be expected. The Apollo is a funny venue for sound, there are sweet spots and my vantage point isn’t one (so I moved). The newer songs have a thicker sound and suffer a little. The stuff from the 80s cuts right through though with full blown singalongs for Blue Savannah, Chains of Love and Sometimes that are nothing short of euphoric. Mr Bell gets a bit hot and needs helping out of his outfit to slip into something more comfortable for Love to Hate You. I’m not surprised. I don’t think I’ve been as hot in here since watching sweat dripping off the balconies for NIN. As we get into the end of the second hour we get Drama!, Stop!, Push Me Shove Me, Victim of Love, the hits just keep coming. We do have to endure Oh l’amour as the encore kicks in (sorry I’ve never liked it), but get rewarded with A Little Respect as the set closes, the confetti canons go off, Andy, Vince and the two wonderful backing singers take a bow and the lights go up. Fabulous stuff! If you’ve a ticket for this tour you’re in for a treat!