Friday, November 13, 2009

Live Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark



An often-underrated aspect of synth-pop pioneers Orchestral Maneouvres in the Dark's artistry is their penchant for putting on a solid live performance, as evidenced in the usual riotous clamour that accompanies all their gigs. Central to OMD's onstage finesse is Andy McCluskey's natural frontman charisma, especially his endearingly silly geography teacher-at-the-school prom dance routine, which has been described, less than flatteringly, as resembling an epileptic windmill. Of course, the instrumental aptitudes of keyboardists Paul Humphreys and Martin Cooper and drummer Malcolm Holmes in the OMD live experience shouldn't be underestimated either. Check out a rendition of the quietly desperate mood piece 'Almost', done during the group's residency at the Drury Lane Theatre in 1981 in support of then-current album 'Architecture and Morality', and witness McCluskey in all his flailing-arm and kinetic-leg glory.

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