Erasure
Erasure
O2 Academy, Glasgow
Marianne Gunn
Four stars
The Violet Flame tour, while ostensibly promoting their new album, was moreover a celebration of almost 30 years of music making from Andy Bell and Vince Clarke. The fact the synth-pop duo still has the same two female backing singers (25 years on from Erasure's Wild! tour) must be almost unheard of in the famously fickle industry.
The dulcet strains of Oh L'Amour kickstarted Friday night's camp fest, as Bell entered in top hat, sparkly leggings and what could only be described as a comedy Tee.
Like a debauched mad hatter at a high energy tea party, he belted through some of their greatest hits: Stop! and Drama! were followed by Victim of Love and Ship of Fools before they ventured into new album territory and Bell changed into minuscule and very sparkly silver hot pants.
Some tongue-in-cheek plainsong from Bell introduced Sacred (a new album track with impressive harmonising from Emma Whittle and Valerie Chalmers) before almost annoyingly catchy Dead of Night finished off the new material.
What followed was a rapid succession of yesteryear's anthems: Blue Savannah, Chorus, Love to Hate You, A Little Respect and Chains of Love, complete with dancing of joyful abandon (the most energetic Bell was all evening). Clarke, meanwhile, was ever sedate behind his computer screens.
A more reflective encore of soaringly melodic Always and archetypal 80s track Sometimes was enough to satiate even the most die-hard disco crowd. Vocally, Bell's style has not really altered over the years and although the precision of his dancing may have taken a tumble you can't, however, fault his enthusiasm. The tour culminates in New York on New Year's Eve and that's sure to be one flaming celebration.
The Jesus and Mary Chain
Barrowland, Glasgow
Alan Morrison
The first time The Jesus And Mary Chain played the Barrowland Ballroom (it was February 1986), the East Kilbride band played nine songs in just more than 30 minutes. The set list comprised half of their debut album Psychocandy and a couple of B-sides.
For their latest visit to the iconic venue, Psychocandy is performed in full in its original running order, with seven other songs (hits such as April Sky and Some Candy Talking, plus early demo Up Too High) presented as a set-opening "encore". This time they play 21 songs in just over 80 minutes.
It's an odd structure for any gig, and it almost doesn't work. William Reid's guitar is noticeably out of tune at various points in the opening section, especially when he plays single-note parts that are far too loud in the mix.
His singer brother, Jim, stops proceedings so that the band - augmented to a five-piece from the original quartet - have to restart something they'd already begun.
Then everything falls into place as metallic layers of feedback electrify the ecstatic double-header of Reverence and Upside Down. The sheer joy of The Mary Chain is not simply the throwback pop melodies; it's the way that William's guitar gets under your skin and into your nerve endings.
After a short breather, they launch into the familiar drum beat and bass pulse of Just Like Honey and the rest of Psychocandy flows immaculately behind it.
Hindsight tells us how key this album was for 1980s indie, and nostalgia makes tonight's complete rendition special indeed.
It really hasn't dated: this gig is a gauntlet thrown down to every hyped young band in the country - match this for your debut release.
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