atlantamoi

Yes, he was talking about all four guys together. I think Andy hung up the band (as just himself) in 1996 or so, but they hadn't all performed together since opening for Depeche Mode in Pasadena back in 1989.

I listened to one song from Listening Pool yesterday and was not impressed, but I've yet to hear the whole thing. Really had a way over-produced sheen on that one tune. ("Oil For The Lamps Of China").

I've found it interesting how even the guys in OMD seem to have backed off Dazzle Ships. Maybe over the past few years they've embraced it (?), but I think they realized how it set them back commercially. I bought that album the day it came out and always loved it. I know it's weird at times, but the singles are all brilliant... some of the best tunes they ever did.
Watched a documentary ("Souvenir" The OMD Story) recently and that even glossed over the album and everything that came after. Kind of a shame.

cdollaz

I like Dazzle Ships alot also, although I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to appreciate it as much then, as a teenager, as I do now.

Numanoid

The "weird" stuff on Dazzle Ships has always been my favorite part. Very experimental, and shows the direction the band might have taken (and probably would have liked to) had the rewards of huge pop hits not been so enticing. If you've ever seen the awesome British documentary "Synth Brittania", it's obvious that Andy really wanted to be more of an "artist".

cdollaz

Accident at OMD SXSW show last night:

http://www.dangerousminds.net/commen...wd_injuring_s/

A heavy 30 foot plus camera jib (boom/crane) fell into the audience this morning at the start of Orchestral Maneuvers In The Dark’s concert during SXSW. At 1 a.m. the giant metal rigging smashed into the first few rows of people standing in front of the stage immediately knocking them to the ground. The extent of the injuries are unknown at this time but it appeared that there were no fatalities. There was blood and people were being led from the scene in stretchers.

I was shooting video at the show and was acutely aware throughout the night of the intimidating jib and it’s position just above the heads of the audience. In my opinion it was too close to the crowd and seemed to be operated recklessly. People were complaining about having to duck to avoid the giant metal arm and its wiring. In my opinion, it was an accident waiting to happen.

Marconi19d commented on The Daily Swarm website: “Thank you boom operator! You grazed my head about 5 times as the wires dangled from the huge camera rig that floated above us…but that was not enough, so why not go for it all and just drop the whole thing on me and several people who shed blood at Stubbs for SXSW. My first one and I will never forget this!:”

One concert goer who mistook me for a reporter told me she overheard the crew operating the jib complain that they had had problems with it all evening.

Several photographers were prevented from photographing or filming the scene by the cops and venue security. A reporter for the Austin Statesmen was reputedly ejected for trying to shoot photos. I was approached by security people on two occasions and told not to film. One stood in front of my camera. I politely told him to get the fuck out of my way and he obliged me. Who were they protecting? The injured? Or the the venue, the jib operators, SXSW and the sponsors of the show?

Andy McCluskey of OMD joked “Shall we wait for the lawsuits or shall we start?” When he realized the severity of the situation he turned somber and the band left the stage.

With the cops and security playing tough guys, I may be the only one on the scene to have shot footage of the incident as it happened. I will gladly give it to anyone who was injured in this sad sad accident if it can help in any way.

My fiancee Mirgun was literally a matter of inches from the falling boom. It was gutwrenching for both of us. I was shooting video in another location and there were several minutes in which I was in a panic thinking she might have been injured. The photo at the top of this article was taken by her just as the boom crashed in front of the stage. You can see the hands of someone trying to lift it off of themselves. Damn.

The medics handled the situation efficiently and compassionately. Other than a few overzealous cops and junior G-Men in t-shirts that shouted “security”, the men and women whose jobs it was to rescue the injured were swift and sure.


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atlantamoi

Ouch. That sucks. I'd only heard they pulled the plug on the gig right when "Enola Gay" had started, but clearly there were worse things.

cdollaz

I think that was a different show as they were supposed to play a couple (or maybe 3) different gigs thruout the weekend.

Numanoid

That's one way to get back in the news.

Sucks for the band, and obviously for the victims. By reading the story, I imagined it to be a much larger rig that had fallen into the crowd.

And Andy's right... why the hell are they putting the old folks on at 1am?

dvduser6

Late to the party, but I finally got around to ordering the new CD and listened to it just last night and again on the way to/from work today. Great arrangements, terrific vocals, I really can't find fault with it. Very sad to hear about the SXSW incident and I sincerely hope everyone is okay. I think they're playing Los Angeles tonight and did an in-store appearance at Amoeba earlier in the day. Had I known ahead of time, I would have rearranged my schedule and tried to make it. Hopefully they return to the states in the future.

Numanoid

Good news, everyone! The boys are swinging through the US again. I'll be at the Vic, for sure.


September 16 Miami,FL Grand Central
September 17 Orlando, FL Beacham Theatre
September 19 Baltimore, MD Ramshead Live
September 20 New York, NY Irving Plaza
September 21 New York, NY Irving Plaza
September 22 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of the Living Arts
September 24 Chicago, IL Vic Theatre
September 25 Milwaukee, WI Turner Hall Ballroom
September 26 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
September 30 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
October 1 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom
October 2 Seattle, WA The Showbox @ Market
October 4 San Francisco, CA The Warfield
October 6 Anaheim, CA House of Blues
October 7 Los Angeles, CA Club Nokia
October 8 Las Vegas, NV House of Blues
October 9 San Diego, CA Humphrey's by the Bay
October 11 Dallas, TX House of Blues
October 12 Tulsa, OK Cain's Ballroom
October 13 Austin, TX La Zona Rosa
October 15 Mexico City, MX Corona Capital Festival

statcat

I used to kind of like McCluskey then I saw an interview where he went on an insane tirade about how Japan were an overrated and pretentious band that had no relevance to anything. I wish it was still up on youtube. It's almost comical really, very bitter old guy.

dvduser6

Got my ticket to the Anaheim gig in October. First time seeing them so I'm not exactly sure what to expect as far as the setlist.

cdollaz

It's great that some of the best shows I have seen in the last couple of years (OMD, Devo, Echo & The Bunnymen, Billy Idol) have been so-called "nostalgia acts."

And their shows are usually cheaper.

I heard a rumor recently that Tom Tom Club are doing a tour with Psychedelic Furs later this year. I saw the Furs a couple of years back, but I would love to see Tom Tom Club.

atlantamoi

I read they will be playing some more obscure tunes on this go-round. Doesn't look like they are coming to Atlanta again, but that's okay. Doubt it could top the show I saw a few months ago.