Wow, what a show! Erasure is one of those bands who have been around long enough that anyone attending one of their shows will know a few songs, and most likely will recognize even a couple more that they forgot they sung. Right from the get go with “Oh L’amour” the crowd rose to their feet and stayed there for the majority of the night.

Andy Bell was in top form, prancing and dancing around on stage like a giddy little boy, and dressed in a full body tattooed onesie! Yes, the visuals were quite amazing. The stage set up was also quite spectacular for the size of the venue, with the laser visuals making it feel more like a stadium-size show. The three-tier design elevated Vince Clarke to the top where he meticulously handled the synth sounds that he’s famously recognized for, and the two back up singers/dancers each had their own elevated cubes on either side of the stage.

Over the course of the 90-minute performance, Andy was very personal with the ground, often taking time between songs to chat with the crowd, mentioning how humid it was compared to the bitter cold days they’ve played here before, and about being married to his second husband. At one point he stated they would be doing a set of songs themed around “love”, which for Erasure would not be difficult. Their entire catalogue is so uplifting and positive, which is why I think it resonates with so many different individuals. They also did a great cover of Blondie’s Atomic, which Andy said was in honour of his heroine, Debby Harry.

Andy also really seemed to enjoy being in Toronto, and told the crowd, “I Love You To The Sky”, before sitting down and doing a random spoken word piece around this, in reference to a tune off their new album, World Be Gone. The night closed with one encore song, A Little Respect, where Vince came forth to the front of the stage to play guitar while Andy and the ladies sang the classic hit everyone was waiting for. Then it was over.

The entire set list can be found here.

Read our cover feature in the current issue of theBUZZ where we chatted with both Andy and Vince about the tour, and being together for three decades.

Remaining tour dates can be found here if you happen to be travelling within North America this summer.

 

About the Author

Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist with a focus on travel, lifestyle, entertainment and hospitality. He has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He enjoys discovering delicious eats, tasting spirited treats, and being mesmerized by musical beats.